Revelations: Visions, Prophecy, and Politics in the Book of Revelation
Written by Elaine Pagels
Narrated by Lorna Raver
4.5/5
()
Currently unavailable
Currently unavailable
About this audiobook
Elaine Pagels explores the surprising history of the most controversial book of the Bible.
In the waning days of the Roman Empire, militant Jews in Jerusalem had waged an all-out war against Rome’s occupation of Judea, and their defeat resulted in the desecration of the Great Temple in Jerusalem. In the aftermath of that war, John of Patmos, a Jewish prophet and follower of Jesus, wrote the Book of Revelation, prophesying God’s judgment on the pagan empire that devastated and dominated his people. Soon after, Christians fearing arrest and execution championed John’s prophecies as offering hope for deliverance from evil. Others seized on the Book of Revelation as a weapon against heretics and infidels of all kinds.
Even after John’s prophecies seemed disproven—instead of being destroyed, Rome became a Christian empire—those who loved John’s visions refused to discard them and instead reinterpreted them—as Christians have done for two thousand years. Brilliantly weaving scholarship with a deep understanding of the human needs to which religion speaks, Pagels has written what may be the masterwork in her unique career.
Elaine Pagels
Elaine Pagels is a preeminent academic whose impressive scholarship has earned her international respect. The Harrington Spear Paine Professor of Religion at Princeton University, Pagels was awarded the Rockefeller, Guggenheim, and MacArthur Fellowships in three consecutive years. She is the author of The Gnostic Gospels, Beyond Belief, and Revelations.
Related to Revelations
Related audiobooks
The Crusades: An Enthralling Overview of an Event in Christian History That Took Place in the Middle Ages Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Zondervan Essential Companion to Christian History: Audio Lectures Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Book of Revelation: The History and Legacy of the Apocalyptic Final Book of the Bible Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Who's Who in the Age of Jesus Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Summary of Bart D. Ehrman's Misquoting Jesus Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWide as the Waters: The Story of the English Bible and the Revolution it Inspired Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Summary of Jonathan Harris's The Lost World of Byzantium Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsGod's Battalions: The Case for the Crusades Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5From Jesus ‘til Now: A Timeline of Captivating Stories That Lead You Inside Church History Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsChurch History Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Summary of Paula Fredriksen's When Christians Were Jews Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBelisarius & Antonina: Love and War in the Age of Justinian Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsJerusalem: The Holy City Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Great Catholic Saints: Explore Life Lessons from Augustine to Xavier Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5St. Paul: The Apostle We Love to Hate Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5From Jesus to Christianity Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Dawn of Christianity: How God Used Simple Fishermen, Soldiers, and Prostitutes to Transform the World Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Summary of Max I. Dimont's Jews, God, and History Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFor the Freedom of Zion: The Great Revolt of Jews against Romans, 66-74 CE Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5Foxe's Book of Martyrs Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Apocrypha Collection: The Ancient Lost and Hidden Knowledge - All the Apocryphal Books of the Bible Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsChristianity: The First Three Thousand Years Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Abrahamic Religions: A Very Short Introduction Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Puzzle of Christianity Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Albigensian Crusade: The History and Legacy of the Catholic Campaign against the Cathars in France Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5When Christians Were Jews: The First Generation Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Social History For You
Magic: A History: From Alchemy to Witchcraft, from the Ice Age to the Present Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5We Did That? Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Summary of Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Prisoners of Geography: Ten Maps That Explain Everything About the World Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5First Women: The Grace and Power of America's Modern First Ladies Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Humans: A Brief History of How We F*cked It All Up Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Invention of Murder: How the Victorians Revelled in Death and Detection and Created Modern Crime Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Golden Thread: How Fabric Changed History Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Generations: The History of America's Future, 1584 to 2069 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Witchcraft: A History in Thirteen Trials Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Reformation: A History Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Quackery: A Brief History of the Worst Ways to Cure Everything Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Marriage, a History: How Love Conquered Marriage Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5American Midnight: The Great War, a Violent Peace, and Democracy’s Forgotten Crisis Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Culture: The Story of Us, From Cave Art to K-Pop Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Escape Artist: The Man Who Broke Out of Auschwitz to Warn the World Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Madness and Civilization: A History of Insanity in the Age of Reason Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mobituaries: Great Lives Worth Reliving Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Queer City: Gay London from the Romans to the Present Day Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Bowling Alone: Revised and Updated: The Collapse and Revival of American Community Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Cannibalism Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Day the World Came to Town: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5On Account of Race: The Supreme Court, White Supremacy, and the Ravaging of African American Voting Rights Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Untold History of the United States Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Ugly History of Beautiful Things: Essays on Desire and Consumption Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Three Women Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Lies My Teacher Told Me for Young Readers: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Reviews for Revelations
16 ratings2 reviews
- Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5I can't begin to explain how bad this book is. The author is more interested in creating a narrative than interpreting the Bible. She attempts to explain away any divine inspiration for the texts by using highly questionable historical references and making huge assumptions about each authors intent and state of mind. Much of the author's narrative borders on heresy. Don't waste your time on this book, especially if you are a new believer. I would give it a zero Stars if that was possible.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Pagels is one of my favorite writers on the history of Christianity. She makes you think and if you were raised in this tradition makes you struggle with your faith or have second thoughts on your unbelief. With one foot rooted in the divine and one in the mundane all too human impulses of historical actors and persons, you get both the flesh and the spirit with her writings.
4 people found this helpful