Summary: interesting, thought provoking, but is it right?
Comment: If you just have a chance to glance at the book, (1)read pg 150, this is the last page before the epilogue(and is a very concise summary of the book's topics), then read the (2)epilogue, then chapter 1 (3)"the kingdom of God is at hand".(these will give you the best idea of the type of writing and whether it means with your interests) The meat of the book is chapter 6 "the nature of nature" which is an extended argument against Augustine's view of original sin as 1)carried by semen 2)at odds with the radical moralfreedom that the early church taught 3)at odds with natural science. 4)is primarily a cynical justification of the power of religious and political organizations
I really don't know who to recommend the book to. It is written not for scholars, although rebuttal of her points would require at least as good a scholar as she is, but rather at an undergrad level. Educated laymen, interested scholars from associated disciplines, people following an interest in Augustine, early church history particular the gnostics(her speciality) would be the natural audience. I read it as part of a deliberate study on Gen 1-3 and interpretations and found it most interesting and provocative with regards to this interest.
She is a good and competent writer, holding your attention and making effort to explain difficult and esoteric historical points not only clear but relevant. A noble and achievable goal in this book. As to the content, there are only a few points that i am particularly competent to analyze as they cross my interests or knowledge base. In several of these she had misread orthodox thinking and comes close to strawman arguments, however i am not sure if this stems from her committments in the field or from my lack of historical depth. But it doesn't demolish the arguments only make them not-persuasive to me.
The book is an extended historical and theological introduction to the exegesis of Genesis 1-3, in particular, the relationship of Adam-Eve-the serpent to the questions of freewill or moral competence-to-choose. She is most detailed and fact-based when she talks about Augustine in chapter 6, but most interesting as she outlines the 4 or 5 centuries of intellectual history in chapter 1. As a secondary, but certainly interesting theme, there is the interpenetration of religious with political thinking. Why doctrines are not hand delivered from God above but rather are often the result of backroom manipulations and intrigue. It is this tension between ideas as independent creatures, like Plato's forms, and as nothing more than justifications of power structures and hierarchical institutions that supplies a movement, a dynamic that makes the book readable and engaging.
I am, of course, aware of Prof. Pagels by reputation, however this is the first book of hers i have had the pleasure of reading and as a result will be interesting in finding more, particularing in her field of Gnostic studies and the Nag Hammadi manuscripts.
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Summary: How Sex Became Sin
Comment: Elaine Pagels writes about how sex became sinful among Christians. In its early stages, most of the followers of Jesus were Jews who understood that the command of God was to be fruitful and multiply. But in Jesus' own commands to repent and purefy many followers found the "primary point of reference" to change the Jewish attitude toward sex. Later gnostics and ascetics emphasized that converting meant more than accepting baptism and following a set of moral codes; it meant finding one's spiritual nature. As Christianity changed from a persecuted religion to a state religion, this emphasis increased. By the time of Jerome, Christian writers wrote to Christian women to be better than their sisters by abstaining from sex.
Of course, with the fall of the Roman Empire, this was the heritage carried into the Dark Ages. Even though there is no such thing as a Golden Age in early Christianity, the attitude of Christianity toward sex had changed. For comparison one might want to have a look at Catherine Johns' _Sex or Symbol_ or Aline Rouselle's _Porneia_.
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Summary: A useful book that leaves out pertinent information
Comment: I liked how the book exposed the criticism of St. Augustine's beliefs on original sin. It is interesting that prominent Catholic theologians (Pelagius, Julian, and John Chrystostom) did not accept St. Augustine belief that Adam's original sin somehow morally corrupted Adam and his descendants. One reasonable objection is that if Adam had THIS much influence, Adam would be like a god. The weakness I see in this book is that she did not quote scriptures that give good reasonable alternatives to the doctrine of original sin. Romans 1 tells of the root cause of sin, and I Corinthians 15 tells of how people are made in Adam's original image. One could make the argument that Adam was created weak, and he sinned the way his descendants sin. We have inherited Adam's original weak nature. This can be seen by interpreting Romans 7 as St. Paul's explanation as to how he imitated Adam. Adam's forbidden fruit can be seen as representative of the law, for the law teaches people the knowledge of good and evil. She barely mentioned this possibility.
Likewise, she emphasises the apparent contradictions in scripture on whether or not Christians should be married or single, and how they should view their limbido. These apparent contradictions can be resolved by simply believing that staying single has some good qualities, but getting married also has other good qualities. Likewise, sex is perfectly fine within marriage, but like other gifts, it can be problematic and lead to sin when not used lawfully. Abstiance from food and sex can be beneficial, but it is not for everyone at all times.
This is a book on the views of early church theologians more than a book on Christianity. It tends to portray Christianity in bad light by discussing the differing, contradictory, and erronous interpretations of the Bible found among these theologians.
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Summary: Paradise Revisited
Comment: Anyone even remotely familiar with Western civilization knows the story of the Garden of Eden. What we often don't know is how profoundly that story has influenced society for the past few thousand years. Elaine Pagels does a wonderul job of describing the evolution of some of our most basic social values, such as the inherent value of each soul, freedom of choice, and the sinful nature of sexual desire, all stemming from the early Christian "Church Fathers'" interpretation of the Garden story. What did God mean that "man (and woman) was created in the image of God?" What was the meaning of the forbidden fruit? And how has that influenced the politics of today? All of these and more are addressed between the covers of this book.
One of the signature's of Pagels writing is the in-depth exploration of the writings and debates of the early Christian thinkers who, by the fifth century, largely shaped Christianity into the paradigm we know today. Augustine in particular gets a great deal of ink in this book, as well as Julian (the heretic from Italy), John Chrysostom, Clement and others. In particular, the last two chapters on the Politics of Paradise and the Nature of Nature strongly portray the power of Augustine's philosophy, and Pagels analysis of the psychic attraction to Augustine's paradoxical philosophy regarding "will" is exceptional. I also very much enjoyed her description of the evolution of Christian thinking from one of ultimate free will (so powerful that it resulted in thousands of Christian martyrs in the second and third century), to one of the inherent wickedness of humans by virtue of the original sin, resulting in the need for punitive and controling church and civic governments to rule over all people. The result was the power of the Catholic Church for 1600 years, not to mention the horror of the Dark Ages of christianity.
Elaine Pagels is a delight to read, and ranks up there with Karen Armstrong as a commentator and analyst of the evolution of religion. This is a great little book!
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Summary: fascinating historical discussion where many fear to tread
Comment: Reading Elaine Pagels is much like reading Marvin Harris or B.F. Skinner. You thought you understood something, and then you find yourself following her arguments and realizing that you didn't understand quite as well as you thought you did. This is not for those who are afraid to have their basic assumptions questioned. As a unitarian, I find Dr. Pagels work in the finest tradition of religious and literary criticism. I've never read a bad book of hers, and this is no exception.
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