This is a well-written overview of early Christian Gnosticism as revealed by the Nag Hammadi texts. It is a short book, and serves as a great introduction to the Nag Hammadi texts as well as early Christian history. I was mildly surprised at how unbiased and well-balanced the author was in approaching the material.

My only complaint is that I actually wanted *more* information. Fortunately, the author provides extensive references in the back of the book. Oh, and contrary to the book's title, it does not contain the full text of any of the Gnostic gospels.

Anyone interested in early Christian history or, more specifically, the history of Christian Gnosticism, will find this book interesting, informative, and a good place to start.

The first major and eminently readable book on gnosticism benefiting from the discovery in 1945 of a collection of Gnostic Christian texts at Nag Hammadi in Egypt. Pagels sets forth gnosticism's principles with a concise clarity. This book is stunning in its implications, a radical and yet accessible reconsideration of tbe origins of the Christian faith.

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