The Gospel of Thomas Audiobook By Elaine Pagels cover art

The Gospel of Thomas

A New Vision of the Message of Jesus

 Preview
LIMITED TIME OFFER

3 months free
Try for $0.00
Offer ends July 31, 2025 at 11:59PM PT.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 3 months. Cancel anytime.

The Gospel of Thomas

By: Elaine Pagels
Narrated by: Elaine Pagels
Try for $0.00

$0.00/mo. after 3 months. Offer ends July 31, 2025 at 11:59PM PT. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $13.96

Buy for $13.96

Confirm purchase
Pay using card ending in
Switch payment method
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use, License, and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.
Cancel
Millions of readers have turned to Elaine Pagels for her clear and insightful books about the Gnostic Gospels, the teachings of Jesus that have been lost for centuries. Sounds True is proud to present the first widely available audio recording of this extraordinary scholar as she explores the text that has changed the way many of us think about the message of Christ: The Gospel of Thomas.

The stunning archaeological discovery of these lost scriptures of early Christianity in 1945 has revealed exciting new dimensions to the wisdom passed on from Jesus to his disciples. In her analysis of this revived gospel, Dr. Pagels reveals that Thomas was not a "doubter" of Christ, rather, his thoughtful inquiries reflected and brought out the deepest truths that Jesus had to offer. Thomas' account depicts a Jesus who taught us that the "Kingdom of Heaven" is not a separate realm, but a state of divinity that we all can reach. He is even called the "twin" of Jesus, a metaphor for the possibility that all of us can achieve the same state of divine grace embodied by Jesus.

Elaine Pagels has riveted readers and audiences everywhere with her clear and provocative explorations of the testaments of early Christianity. The Gospel of Thomas gives listeners a first opportunity to join her in charting "a wider horizon" of Christian spirituality.

©2006 Elaine Pagels (P)2006 Sounds True Christianity History Ministry & Evangelism Religious Studies
Informative Introduction • Detailed Insights • Sincere Tone • Enlightening Discussion • Interesting Lecture
Highly rated for:
All stars
Most relevant  
Overall I enjoyed the lecture but the audio specifically during the Q&A session could have been clearer.

Dr Pagels is always and sincere about she shares

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Very informative discussion. Great questions and answers. A worthwhile material. I will be listening other times.

I am glad I purchased it.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Once you have read the gospel listen to this so you can have an insight of why the gospel may be so weird or confusing.

Is interesting to listen the questions from the audience to the author and perhaps you will have the same questions they had

Buy this once you have read the gospel

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
and I learned a little bit about the gospel of Thomas and I learned even more about the author's point of view and the direction in which she leans in her work, which was very telling.

great little talk . . .

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Expanded my thoughts that heretic Scripture is defined by insecurities of the leadership of the majority sects.

Truly formative

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
story was wonderful as was the knowledge and enthusiasm of the author. QA session was not audible.

sound tech.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
This short offering is a wonderful introduction to Elaine Pagels, both to her work and to who she is as a person. She has been at the forefront of scholarly research and writing on early Christianity as revealed in ancient manuscripts only recently discovered in the Middle East. Despite her impressive credentials (she is a chaired Professor of Religion at Princeton), her tone is unfailingly one of sincerity, openness and humility.

Here, she provides a informative introduction to textual analysis of scripture and other early documents, then proceeds to an examination of The Gospel of Thomas, which most scholars agree was written roughly during the same time period in which the 4 canonical gospels were produced. This lecture summarizes and adds to what Pagels included in her 2004 book, "Beyond Belief: The Secret Gospel of Thomas" which is the most personal of her books, and shows how she finds many of these early texts to have the potential of enriching, rather than undermining, the Christian faith (and which I highly recommend if you have not already read it).

Roughly the second half of the audiobook is Q&A as she takes questions form the lecture audience--I only wish I could have been there!

A Modern Scholar-Seeker

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I've listened to this lecture twice, and I intend to listen to it again. The more I read by Elaine Pagels and the more I listen to her speak, the more enlightened I feel when I read the Nag Hammadi and the Gospels of the New Testament.

Wonderful Lecture

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
A delightful discussion of one of the gnostic gospels. This is my first venture in to the works of Prof Pagels, and I'm impressed. She is very fluent in the gospels, and has a very nuanced view of the modern cannons as well as the gnostics. She is careful when she points out various discontinuities within the existing cannon. This is really a public lecture with questions and answers following. I found the questioners and questions to be interesting. Certainly has me more interesting in both Thomas and John. This is a very quick book, so it can be worth your time. I'm also reminded that we've seen a lot of theological and liturgical change in the last 150 years or so. It's good to back to the early roots. I appreciate the comments on when ideas may have entered Christian thought.

Good Discussion

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Very interesting subject matter treated with sensitivity and thoughtfulness. Audio rough. Couldn't hear questions from the audience at times.

The Path to Enlightenment through Christ.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews