Revelations

Revelations by Elaine Pagels

My rating (out of 5 stars):

3 stars—I liked it.

Description from Goodreads.com:

“In this startling and timely book, Pagels returns The Book of Revelation to its historical origin, written as its author John of Patmos took aim at the Roman Empire after what is now known as "the Jewish War," in 66 CE. Militant Jews in Jerusalem, fired with religious fervor, waged an all-out war against Rome's occupation of Judea and their defeat resulted in the desecration of Jerusalem and its Great Temple. Pagels persuasively interprets Revelation as a scathing attack on the decadence of Rome. Soon after, however, a new sect known as "Christians" seized on John's text as a weapon against heresy and infidels of all kinds-Jews, even Christians who dissented from their increasingly rigid doctrines and hierarchies.

In a time when global religious violence surges, Revelations explores how often those in power throughout history have sought to force "God's enemies" to submit or be killed. It is sure to appeal to Pagels's committed readers and bring her a whole new audience who want to understand the roots of dissent, violence, and division in the world's religions, and to appreciate the lasting appeal of this extraordinary text.”

My Thoughts:

Religious history is one of my favorite topics. Pagels style is very objective and detailed. Here she offers compelling detail on the historical interpretations of the book of Revelation. At times I felt there was too much detail on certain points, but overall I enjoyed learning more about this subject from an educated source.