Miracles and Wonder

The Historical Mystery of Jesus

This title was previously available on NetGalley and is now archived.
Buy on Amazon Buy on BN.com Buy on Bookshop.org
*This page contains affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site at no additional cost to you.
Send NetGalley books directly to your Kindle or Kindle app

1
To read on a Kindle or Kindle app, please add kindle@netgalley.com as an approved email address to receive files in your Amazon account. Click here for step-by-step instructions.
2
Also find your Kindle email address within your Amazon account, and enter it here.
Pub Date Apr 01 2025 | Archive Date Apr 15 2025

Talking about this book? Use #MiraclesandWonder #NetGalley. More hashtag tips!


Description

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From a renowned National Book Award–winning scholar, an extraordinary new account of the life of Jesus that explores the mystery of how a poor young man inspired a religion that reshaped the world.

“This a brilliant and necessary book. Sober, wise, respectful, and fearless." —Jon Meacham, author of The Soul of America

"Pagels’ story is for believers and non-believers alike.” —Tara Westover, author of Educated

"The depth of spirituality she uncovers is profound.” —The New York Times Book Review


Early in her career, Elaine Pagels changed our understanding of the origins of Christianity with her work in The Gnostic Gospels. Now, in the culmination of a decades-long career, she explores the biggest subject of all, Jesus. In Miracles and Wonder she sets out to discover how a poor young Jewish man inspired a religion that shaped the world.

The book reads like a historical mystery, with each chapter addressing a fascinating question and answering it based on the gospels Jesus's followers left behind. Why is Jesus said to have had a virgin birth? Why do we say he rose from the dead? Did his miracles really happen and what did they mean?

The story Pagels tells is thrilling and tense. Not just does Jesus comes to life but his desperate, hunted followers do as well. We realize that some of the most compelling details of Jesus's life are the explanations his disciples created to paper over inconvenient facts. So Jesus wasn't illegitimate, his mother conceived by God; Jesus's body wasn't humiliatingly left to rot and tossed into a common grave—no, he rose from the dead and was seen whole by his followers; Jesus isn't a failed messiah, his kingdom is a metaphor: he lives in us. These necessary fabrications were the very details and promises that electrified their listeners and helped his followers' numbers grow.

In Miracles and Wonder, Pagels does more than solve a historical mystery. She sheds light on Jesus's enduring power to inspire and attract.
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From a renowned National Book Award–winning scholar, an extraordinary new account of the life of Jesus that explores the mystery of how a poor young man inspired a...

Advance Praise

“This is a brilliant and necessary book. Sober, wise, respectful, and fearless, Elaine Pagels’ account of her exploration into the history and meaning of Jesus is akin to having a long, rich, and illuminating conversation with a friend who’s read everything and is eager to share what she’s learned.”

—Jon Meacham, winner of the Pulitzer Prize

“This is a brilliant and necessary book. Sober, wise, respectful, and fearless, Elaine Pagels’ account of her exploration into the history and meaning of Jesus is akin to having a long, rich, and...


Available Editions

EDITION Other Format
ISBN 9780385547468
PRICE $30.00 (USD)
PAGES 336

Available on NetGalley

NetGalley Reader (EPUB)
NetGalley Shelf App (EPUB)
Send to Kindle (EPUB)
Download (EPUB)

Average rating from 5 members


Readers who liked this book also liked: