Revelations: Visions, Prophecy, and Politics in the Book of Revelation
Written by Elaine Pagels
Narrated by Lorna Raver
4.5/5
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Currently unavailable
Currently unavailable
About this audiobook
Elaine Pagels explores the surprising history of the most controversial book of the Bible.
In the waning days of the Roman Empire, militant Jews in Jerusalem had waged an all-out war against Rome’s occupation of Judea, and their defeat resulted in the desecration of the Great Temple in Jerusalem. In the aftermath of that war, John of Patmos, a Jewish prophet and follower of Jesus, wrote the Book of Revelation, prophesying God’s judgment on the pagan empire that devastated and dominated his people. Soon after, Christians fearing arrest and execution championed John’s prophecies as offering hope for deliverance from evil. Others seized on the Book of Revelation as a weapon against heretics and infidels of all kinds.
Even after John’s prophecies seemed disproven—instead of being destroyed, Rome became a Christian empire—those who loved John’s visions refused to discard them and instead reinterpreted them—as Christians have done for two thousand years. Brilliantly weaving scholarship with a deep understanding of the human needs to which religion speaks, Pagels has written what may be the masterwork in her unique career.
Elaine Pagels
Elaine Pagels is a preeminent academic whose impressive scholarship has earned her international respect. The Harrington Spear Paine Professor of Religion at Princeton University, Pagels was awarded the Rockefeller, Guggenheim, and MacArthur Fellowships in three consecutive years. She is the author of The Gnostic Gospels, Beyond Belief, and Revelations.
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Reviews for Revelations
16 ratings2 reviews
- Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5I can't begin to explain how bad this book is. The author is more interested in creating a narrative than interpreting the Bible. She attempts to explain away any divine inspiration for the texts by using highly questionable historical references and making huge assumptions about each authors intent and state of mind. Much of the author's narrative borders on heresy. Don't waste your time on this book, especially if you are a new believer. I would give it a zero Stars if that was possible.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Pagels is one of my favorite writers on the history of Christianity. She makes you think and if you were raised in this tradition makes you struggle with your faith or have second thoughts on your unbelief. With one foot rooted in the divine and one in the mundane all too human impulses of historical actors and persons, you get both the flesh and the spirit with her writings.
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