Elaine Pagels, Nag Hammadi, and Dan Brown
Elaine Pagels is a primary source of inspiration and content for Dan Brown. Most of her scholarship has been devoted to the Nag Hammadi texts, discovered in Upper Egypt in 1945. These texts are mostly fragments of the writings discarded by the Church in the process of canonizing the Bible. In 1979 Pagels’ “The Gnostic Gospels� was published. Her subsequent books have each taken up a theme or issue that can be recognized as “Gnostic.� In 2003 Pagels’ “Beyond Belief: The Secret Gospel of Thomas,� continued her life’s work to promote the Nag Hammadi texts as equally valid documents for the Christian religion, alongside of the books of the Bible.
Dan Brown’s “Da Vinci Code,� popularly spins and embellishes the stories that are told by those who have read the Nag Hammadi texts.
Although these texts were accidentally discovered in 1945, they have been known and used by groups from the third century forward. These groups have stated that the Church has excluded them and their religious documents. Few, if any of Pagels’ points are new scholarship. Dan Brown masterfully retells ancient stories. Modern Scholarship has been handicapped by the intense pressure upon scholars to publish something new. As one reads Pagel’s “Beyond Belief,� this pressure is discovered in her presenting of her views, as if she and others, who have been reading the Nag Hammadi texts since the 1970’s, are making new discoveries.
Actually, members of the Church should applaud Pagels and others for reprising these old stories and for highlighting these fragments of discarded books. Over time, most Christians have become ignorant to the process of forming the canon of the Holy Scriptures of the Christian religion. A fine “primer� would be Rose Publishing’s booklet, “How We Got the Bible,� -go to www.rose-publishing.com.
The Church, collectively, over a long period of time, determined the canon of scriptures known as The Bible. Millions of Bible students from hundreds of people groups worldwide study diligently. These students would be able to notice a difference in content/message between The Bible and the Nag Hammadi texts. In most, there is a qualitative/stylistic difference as well. Another significant difference is the facts of preservation. The Bible has been preserved remarkably in number of whole copies and thousands of fragments, in contrast to the relatively few whole copies and fragments of the Nag Hammadi texts. If a devout Bible student took the time to read the Nag Hammadi texts, he/she would discover significant differences between them and the books of The Bible.
If you read Pagel’s “Beyond Belief,” you may discover her bias. When she cites one of the Nag Hammadi texts, she capitalizes the title, “Gospel of Thomas,” “The Gospel of Truth,” or “The Gospel of Philip.” When she cites one of the New Testament books, she does not capitalize. She writes, “John’s gospel.” This may an indication of the personal choice she has made concerning which ancient documents shall be her revered scriptures. If you read the Nag Hammadi texts, you will have to make a choice as well. Pagels thinks that you can choose all of the texts, the New Testament and the Nag Hammadi. You may discover, along with many others, that these two collections of writings are most difficult to embrace together.
Below is a listing of the 52 texts/fragments found at Nag Hammadi in 1945. Read them for yourself, and before making any rash judgments, read the entirety of The Bible as well. Here is a listing of the Nag Hammadi texts/fragments, including a rewriting of Plato’s “Republic.� I wonder if the Nag Hammadi discovery should move us to disregard Plato’s “Republic� as it has been published for centuries, replaced by this alternative copy? Here are the Nag Hammadi texts:
1. The Prayer of the Apostle Paul
2. The Apocryphon of James
3. The Gospel of Truth
4. The Treatise on the Resurrection
5. The Tripartite Tractate
6. The Apocryphon of John
7. The Gospel According to Thomas
8. The Gospel According to Philip
9. The Hypostasis of the Archons
10. On the Origin of the World
11. The Exegesis on the Soul
12. The Book of Thomas the Contender
13. The Apocryphon of John
14. The Gospel of the Egyptians
15. Eugnostos the Blessed
16. The Sophia of Jesus Christ
17. The Dialogue of the Saviour
18. The Apocryphon of John
19. The Gospel of the Egyptians
20. Eugnostos the Blessed
21. The Apocalypse of Paul
22. The Apocalypse of James
23. The Apocalypse of James
24. The Apocalypse of Adam
32. Fragment of the Perfect Discourse
33. The Paraphrase of Shem
34. The Second Treatise of the Great Seth
25. The Acts of Peter and the Twelve Apostles
26. The Thunder, Perfect Mind
27. Authoritative Teaching
28. The Concept of Our Great Power
29. Plato’s Republic 588A-589B
30. The Discourse on the Eighth and Ninth
31. The Prayer of Thanksgiving
35. The Apocalypse of Peter
36. The Teachings of Silvanus
37. The Three Steles of Seth
38. Zostrianos
39. The Letter of Peter to Philip
40. Melchizedek
41. The Thought of Norea
42. The Testimony of Truth
43. Marsanes
44. The Interpretation of Knowledge
45. A Valentinian Exposition
46. Allogenes
47. Hypsiphrone
48. The Sentences of Sextus
49. The Gospel of Truth
50. Unidentified fragments
51. Trimorphic Protennoia
52. On the Origins of the World