The Johannine Gospel in Gnostic Exegesis

work by Pagels

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July 16, 2026

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Elaine Pagels's The Johannine Gospel in Gnostic Exegesis (1973) explores how early Gnostic writers interpreted The Gospel According to John. Gnosticism was a spiritual movement in the 2nd century that viewed the material world as evil and emphasized salvation through esoteric knowledge.12

The Gospel of John, distinct from the Synoptic Gospels, presents Jesus in a divine and exalted manner. Gnostic interpretations, such as those by Heracleon, focused on understanding John's theological depth and symbolism. Pagels's work highlighted the diversity within early Christianity and the influence of Gnostic thought, particularly its dualistic worldview and emphasis on revealed knowledge for salvation. This contrasted with orthodox Christian views on the material world and the nature of salvation.3241

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Elaine Pagels
…salvation) with the publication of The Johannine Gospel in Gnostic Exegesis (1973) and The Gnostic Paul (1975). She also joined an international team of scholars that issued an English translation of the gnostic texts that had been discovered in 1945 at Najʿ Ḥammādī, Egypt. Her work exploded the myth of…
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…salvation) with the publication of The Johannine Gospel in Gnostic Exegesis (1973) and The Gnostic Paul (1975). She also joined an international team of scholars that issued an English translation of the gnostic texts that had been discovered in 1945 at Najʿ Ḥammādī, Egypt. Her work exploded the myth of…
Read More