Revelations

The byways of early Christian thought—namely through texts considered peripheral or ultimately excluded from what evolved into the Scriptural canon—has long been the scholarly focus of Elaine Pagels, Professor of Religion at Princeton University, and the author of numerous bestselling books. Revelations captures her plenary address at the 2013 spring meeting of the Westar Institute, a talk largely tied to Pagels' most recent titular tome, subtitled Visions, Prophecy, and Politics in the Book of Revelation. Pagels primarily deals with the context in which the last book of the New Testament was written, but her treatment is delivered in a conversational and often digressive style that is accompanied by some illustrative slides. Unfortunately, while her comments touch upon the myriad other apocalyptic works composed at roughly the same time as the Book of Revelation, her assessment is obviously not as complete as what is found in her book. On the other hand, Pagels' remarks about her own religious experiences and how they led her to make the scholarly choices that have guided her academic career make for interesting asides. Also including a somewhat lengthy introduction of Pagels by L. Michael White of the University of Texas, as well as a Q&A that followed her talk, this low-budget production serves as a useful adjunct to Pagels' 2012 book, but is by no means a replacement. A strong optional purchase. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)