The Gnostic Gospels

Growing up in a Christian context in the US, I never thought too hard about how the gospels came to be. It was like some day they just materialized. We weren't quite sure on the details, and we definitely weren't discussing how the context in which they were written may have impacted their focus. Dr. Elaine Pagels does a great job exploring just that. Through a discussion of the Gnostic gospels found at Nag Hammadi, she brings up reasonable questions about how persecution, internal power struggles, as well as faith created the scriptures as most Christians recognize them today. Part of me wishes there was more focus on the Gnostic gospels themselves, but I think Dr. Pagels chose what she covered carefully. I never feel too "lost in the weeds."