Buy new:
-39% $14.56
FREE delivery Thursday, May 16 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Ships from: Amazon.com
Sold by: Amazon.com
$14.56 with 39 percent savings
List Price: $24.00

The List Price is the suggested retail price of a new product as provided by a manufacturer, supplier, or seller. Except for books, Amazon will display a List Price if the product was purchased by customers on Amazon or offered by other retailers at or above the List Price in at least the past 90 days. List prices may not necessarily reflect the product's prevailing market price.
Learn more
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns
FREE delivery Thursday, May 16 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Or fastest delivery Wednesday, May 15. Order within 17 hrs 50 mins
In Stock
$$14.56 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$14.56
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Ships from
Amazon.com
Ships from
Amazon.com
Sold by
Amazon.com
Sold by
Amazon.com
Returns
30-day easy returns
30-day easy returns
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Returns
30-day easy returns
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Payment
Secure transaction
Your transaction is secure
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
Payment
Secure transaction
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
$8.14
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns
This book is in very good condition. Clean copy, minor curling of pages, and no markings or highlighting. This book is in very good condition. Clean copy, minor curling of pages, and no markings or highlighting. See less
FREE delivery Friday, May 17 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Or fastest delivery Wednesday, May 15. Order within 17 hrs 50 mins
Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
$$14.56 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$14.56
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.
Amazon book clubs early access
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club? Learn more
Amazon book clubs early access

Join or create book clubs

Choose books together

Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Explore Amazon Book Clubs
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the authors

Elaine Pagels
+ Follow
Karen L. King
+ Follow
See all
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

Reading Judas: The Gospel of Judas and the Shaping of Christianity Paperback – February 26, 2008

by Elaine Pagels (Author), Karen L. King (Author)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 172 ratings
See all formats and editions
{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$14.56","priceAmount":14.56,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"14","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"56","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"dR1o44i8bDYEyq%2FlQMVk2D%2FgT%2Fmxsk78MY1sWwyx6LYJ7fkrSV8V2jchSuLPgrVfOHwqubpYfeQV%2BHIG2gM%2Be2UbjK7WfBD1DExy1pSS3lmu6isu6By%2Fn8l31okocPWusPcELKHxsew%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}, {"displayPrice":"$8.14","priceAmount":8.14,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"8","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"14","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"dR1o44i8bDYEyq%2FlQMVk2D%2FgT%2Fmxsk78t%2FTYPmr0qFOwyE%2Bi%2FqYV8QcVdJegrwPwnOQJD1mGXjW7AZjK0Jk%2F9fZ1DXVnSmYltit%2BwMAS4zH5%2FED2K%2BHWgY7A1u1kY%2FzTer3o8fEDhcwrqVdLl1E9IbKZJ9WrEccKB04KKN6WK2T9OCiLQOZMK%2FaupclUvm2h","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"USED","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":1}]}

Purchase options and add-ons

The instant New York Times bestseller interpreting the controversial long-lost gospel

The recently unearthed Gospel of Judas is a source of fascination for biblical scholars and lay Christians alike. Now two leading experts on the Gnostic gospels tackle the important questions posed by its discovery, including: How could any Christian imagine Judas to be Jesus' favorite? And what kind of vision of God does the author offer? Working from Karen L. King's brilliant new translation, Elaine Pagels and King provide the context necessary for considering its meaning. Reading Judas plunges into the heart of Christianity itself and will stand as the definitive look at the gospel for years to come.
Read more Read less
Previous page
  1. Print length
    198 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publication date
    February 26, 2008
  4. Reading age
    18 years and up
  5. Dimensions
    7.74 x 5.24 x 0.59 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    014311316X
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0143113164
  8. See all details
Next page
Amazon First Reads | Editors' picks at exclusive prices

Frequently bought together

Reading Judas: The Gospel of Judas and the Shaping of Christianity
$14.56
Get it as soon as Thursday, May 16
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
+
Beyond Belief: The Secret Gospel of Thomas
$15.47
Get it as soon as Thursday, May 16
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
+
Revelations: Visions, Prophecy, and Politics in the Book of Revelation
$16.49
Get it as soon as Thursday, May 16
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
Total price:
To see our price, add these items to your cart.
Details
Added to Cart
Choose items to buy together.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Elaine Pagels is the Harrington Spear Paine Foundation Professor of Religion at Princeton University. She is the author of several books, including Reading Judas: The Gospel of Judas and the Shaping of Christianity, the New York Times bestseller Beyond Belief: The Secret Gospel of Thomas, and The Gnostic Gospels, winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award and the National Book Award. Professor Pagels lives in Princeton, New Jersey.

Karen L. King is an American academic specializing in Gnosticism and early Christianity. She was the Winn Professor of Ecclesiastical History at Harvard Divinity School from 1998 to 2008, and succeeded Harvey Cox in 2009 to become the first woman appointed to that school’s distinguished Hollis Chair, the oldest endowed chair in the United States.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Penguin Publishing Group; Reprint edition (February 26, 2008)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 198 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 014311316X
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0143113164
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 18 years and up
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 6.2 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.74 x 5.24 x 0.59 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 172 ratings

About the authors

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Previous page
  1. Elaine Pagels

    Elaine Pagels

    Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
    Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

    After receiving her doctorate from Harvard University in 1970, Elaine Pagels taught at Barnard College, Columbia University, where she chaired the department of religion. She is now the Harrington Spear Paine Professor of Religion at Princeton University. Professor Pagels is the author of several books on religious subjects and was awarded a MacArthur Fellowship in 1981. She lives and teaches in Princeton, New Jersey.

    See more on the author's page
  2. Karen L. King

    Karen L. King

    Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
    Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

    Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more

    See more on the author's page
Next page

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
172 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Jayme
5.0 out of 5 stars Justifying Judas
Reviewed in the United States on March 29, 2008
Verified Purchase
In Reading Judas: The Gospel of Judas and the Shaping of Christianity, Pagels and King explore the "Gospel of Judas" and the context in which it was written, to create a framework for the translation of the gospel in the second half of the book. Rather than ignore the gospel as heresy, they ask readers to consider the political forces at work. They argue that the gospel presents Judas not as a betrayer of Jesus, but as his greatest disciple. This challenges readers to reconsider traditional views of Judas, Jesus and the Church, perhaps even to forgive Judas and open their eyes to a larger view of Christianity.

Pagels and King explain that through the "Gospel of Judas" we can see that it is not the suffering of Jesus and the persecution of Christians that brings holiness. Rather, Christians must come to understand that Jesus did not die as a blood sacrifice but as a leader showing the way. The physical life is something to be overcome, not mourned.

Essentially, Pagels and King strive to overcome the bias with which we may approach the "Gospel of Judas." We must understand the context to see that the author is not simply trying to be inflammatory but reacting to the religious wars of his time. The book is very approachable, written for those who are not biblical scholars with a heavily annotated translation to help the reader in digestion of the gospel. Pagels and King offer a thorough explanation of the events leading to the gospel's conception as they explore other Christian works which lend support to its radical statements in the second section.
20 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Seeker
4.0 out of 5 stars Reading Judas: The Gospel Of Judas
Reviewed in the United States on September 1, 2011
Verified Purchase
The Gospel of Judas is an excellent, profound commentary concerning the revelaton Judas was given. Elaine Pagels is a premeire historian on Gnostic text, she is featured in many gnostic books. This is a CD set which makes it easier to hear and repeat to better understand the depth of information provided. If you are seeking to understand and know deep spirtual kowledge, this cd set should be part of your library.
2 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Irish4TW
5.0 out of 5 stars Dream Team
Reviewed in the United States on June 7, 2015
Verified Purchase
I am fascinated by the unearthing of these "termas" and the brilliant translations and contexts for understanding that Elaine Pagels and Karen King (the "tertons") bring to them. This is a scholarly but highly approachable translation and discussion of a gospel that takes on the ultimate contradiction - the existence of evil, pain and human suffering in the presence of an all powerful deity. The writer wrestle's with Jesus' crucifixion, and comes to resolution of the dilemma not through resurrection, but by de-personifying the divine itself.

There is never an agenda in the work of these two women, other than to translate as reliably as is possible, in both the written word and the context for understanding the written word. I am very grateful to them both, and consider this work to be an important contribution to our understanding of the early Christians' world.
4 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
M. JEFFREY MCMAHON
5.0 out of 5 stars Another Christian Voice in Judas
Reviewed in the United States on March 27, 2007
Verified Purchase
Taking off where she has left off in her other books about the origins of Christianity, Pagels, with co-author King, has written a terse 150-page analysis accompanied by Judas' Gospel to argue that there are other books, gnostic included, that offer a diverse unorthodox view of the Christian faith. Her main point is that those in political power were motivated to assert control and unity over the land and that the Bible as we know it was formed by that motivation. Of course, this is not a traditional Christian view. Pagels asserts that Judas has a contrarian voice, that he is specifically, appalled by the apostles' betrayal of Jesus' teaching and that Judas, rejecting blood sacrifice, sees Christianity as based on spirit, not the body.

Pagels does an excellent job of showing the tumult that existed during Christianity's origins as splinter groups jockeyed for power and for their interpretation of Jesus to be the one true interpretation. A good companion to this book is Misquoting Jesus by Bart Ehrman.
25 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Leland R. Heflin
5.0 out of 5 stars Elaine Pagels is an extraordinary New Testament scholar!!!
Reviewed in the United States on November 29, 2022
Verified Purchase
No writer on "Christian history" is better than Ms Pagels
Helpful
 Report
Timothy M. Bauer
3.0 out of 5 stars Good Overview
Reviewed in the United States on February 10, 2024
Verified Purchase
Panels and King offer a good overview of this recently discovered text. They make clear that early in the conversations about Jesus life that there were many views of how to understand it. The Gospel of Judas represents one voice from Gnosticism. This book includes the full text of the Gospel of Judas, or as much as was preserved and can be deciphered.
Helpful
 Report
Michael Lehrman
4.0 out of 5 stars I read everything Elaine Pagels writes about early christianity and ...
Reviewed in the United States on December 18, 2014
Verified Purchase
I read everything Elaine Pagels writes about early christianity and this lives up to her other works. It is interesting and thought provoking.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Keaton
5.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent Connection with the Past
Reviewed in the United States on December 13, 2017
Verified Purchase
This book was a well written history about the different events and personages coincident with the Gospel of Judas. The translation of the Gospel text in the second half of the book was easy to follow and the supporting comments were very helpful. These two authors are top-notch.
7 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report

Top reviews from other countries

QG
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in Canada on March 25, 2016
Verified Purchase
interesting book, read it with passion
One person found this helpful
 Report
Mrs. Marilyn J. Sutcliffe
5.0 out of 5 stars A very moving gospel.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 23, 2013
Verified Purchase
Thsi was a very moving read. Elaine Pagels and Karen King have done a first class job of translating and interpreting this gospel which is both scholarly and compassionate in its treatment of the gnostic gospel of Judas. It shows the words of Judas in light of the background events of the first century of Christianity which most of us are inclined to view as a time of deep brotherhood and agreement within the early christian community. This book reveals the full extent of the divisions and traumas within this community which tore them apart in many ways. One feels a deep understanding and empathy with Judas as revealed within this gospel, whether or not Judas was the author of it( unlikely). If you value an open and developing mind and spirit, you will benefit greatly from the experience of reading this book.
3 people found this helpful
 Report
Ortwin L.
5.0 out of 5 stars but bits & pieces are more than beneficial & life[-changing for me - can really recommend as a very worthwhile exposure
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 23, 2018
Verified Purchase
Unable to get my head round it as such being diyslexic, but bits & pieces are more than beneficial & life[-changing for me - can really recommend as a very worthwhile exposure!
Report
Catherine Berry Stidsen
3.0 out of 5 stars Devoted Friend or Demonic Foe
Reviewed in Canada on October 4, 2007
Verified Purchase
For years, Judas Iscariot has been portrayed as the betrayer of Jesus. Supposedly for thirty pieces of silver he sold out the man he thought was Israel's messiah. Now, the discovery of the Gospel of Judas presents him as the man who understood Jesus better than all others, was his devoted friend and confidant and did what he did at Jesus' own request to make clear to those around him and to those in the future just who this man Jesus was.

I found this book very hard going. I read all the preliminary material before attempting to read the gospel itself which has many lines missing from it. I am wondering if I might have gained more from the book if I had read the gospel itself first and then moved on to the introduction and the very careful and extensive footnotes.

The authors have surely gone to great pains to make this material available to those who wonder how much the stories of Jesus have been co-opted to shore up an institution which often seems to be anything but what Jesus thought religion and religious persons were all about but it is hard going even for someone like myself who has been reading about and interested in such things for the past forty plus years. Kudos to the authors for having made the attempt. Perhaps a more popular version will appear in the not too distant future.
5 people found this helpful
 Report
Retired Engineer
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in Canada on November 24, 2014
Verified Purchase
Excellent
Report