Reviews

The Gospel of Judas represents the most baffling in a series of recently unearthed noncanonical manuscripts that bring to light divergent accounts of Christ's life and ministry. Robertson Dean reads King's translation of the ancient text with frequent pauses to note gaps of missing or untranslatable words and sentences. The main section of Pagels and King's book, narrated by Justine Eyre with occasional support from Dean who gives voice to individual historical figures, offers compelling insights about why the Gospel of Judas threatened the burgeoning religious hierarchy of the second century A.D. and how this often unsettling narrative ultimately manages to provide a surprising vision of heavenly grace amid the ravages of flawed earthly spiritual leadership. Drawing from their extensive expertise regarding contemporary understandings of the Gnostic gospels, the analysis the authors present will no doubt generate valuable theological dialogue. Yet the enigmatic nature of the source material may remain a stumbling block for listeners, and general audiences hoping for Gnosticism 101 may need to search elsewhere. Simultaneous release with the Viking hardcover (Apr.) Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information.

The story of Judas is one of the most fascinating in the Gospels of the New Testament. Using the recent manuscript fragments discovered by the National Geographic Society, well-known religion scholars Pagels (The Gnostic Gospels) and King (Magdala) have written a lively discussion regarding the questions this Gnostic gospel creates. They work from King's translation of the fragmentary gospel, employing their collective knowledge to present a fascinating study of the contrasts between good and evil, the still compelling stories of how Christianity evolved, and the complex nature of human suffering and redemption. Well written and researched, this book provides clues as to how the contemporary vision of Jesus compares with the view of Jesus 1900 years ago. The reading by Justine Eyre and Robertson Dean provides an excellent point-counterpoint approach to the questions of what the lost writings have to say about the nature of God, the relationship between Jesus and Judas, the complicated-and sometimes conflicting-relationships between the other disciples of Jesus and Judas, and the insights Judas has to offer into the teachings of Jesus. Reading Judas is highly recommended for both public and academic libraries with large audio and/or religion collections. [Books on Tape also has a version available: 5 CDs. unabridged. 5 hrs. 2007. ISBN 9781-4159-3629-0. $60; 4 cassettes. ISBN 9781-4159-3926-0. $40.-Ed.]-Pam Kingsbury, Univ. of North Alabama, Florence Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information.