Revelations: Visions, Prophecy, and Politics in the Book of Revelation

I have read Elaine Pagels' work before (Gnostic Gospels) and have admired her work. I am not an expert in this aspect of history, but her works read well and she shows much knowledge of the material. She also places the issues addressed in an historical context. Here, she explores the Book of Revelation, written, she says, by John of Patmos (an island off the coast of Turkey). She asks a number of questions in this book and strives to answer each (Page 3): "Who wrote this book? Why--and how--do so many people still read it today?" Pagels suggests that John began writing the book in 90 AD, probably after having fled his homeland in Judea. Pagels discusses revelatory works, showing how John's book fit into this tradition. She also notes that, from the documents from Nag Hammadi, John's was not the only work of revelation. Why did his become part of the Biblical canon and not some other? She discusses the history and politics of the time and how the emerging church hierarchy wanted a definitive "Bible." She outlines the logic that ended up locating John's Book of Revelation within the canon. This volume is well written, albeit a bit short. But it takes on a big subject and does not disappoint.

Elaine Pagels is learned, interesting, and careful. Unfortunately, her work on the Book of Revelation has a number of flaws. First, it is not well-edited. Ms. Pagel repeats herself several times, including offering a nearly identical synopsis of the Book of the book in separate chapters. This is the sort of thing that careful editing should catch. And sometimes the footnootes do not have much to do with the tesxt they are supposed to annotate. For example, Pagels notes that Revelation barely made it into the New Testament canon, while the footnote offers nothing about its inclusion -- where, when, and by how many votes it happened to be incorporated into the canon? There were come church councils that voted on the Canon (Pagels mentions the Council of Carthage). What happened there? By what process was it decided to include Revelation in the cannon. Second, this book is only loosely about the Book of Revelation itself. While the first two chapters are devoted to that Book, the remaining chapters include only tangentially related subjects, such as the fights in the early church and the conflicts between its bishops. These are interesting digressions, but they do not have much to do with Revelation. It is almost as if Ms. Pagels wrote six separate essays and justified their inclusion in one book by the fact that Revelation gets a mention in each of them. If her primary subject was Revelation itself, she would have been better off devoting her time to intepreting the book and noting the contemporary context of its writing. If her subject was the historical reaction and interpretation of that book, she should not have stopped at the fourth century. If I were to have one overarching criticism of her book, it is that it is a bit unfocused. Moreover, the quality of her text varies considerably. Her chapter on other extant apocalyptic literature is really excellent. While the Book of Revelation has been called the happy hunting ground for cranks, a reading of Ms. Pagel's analysis of similar writings makes it clear that John the Divine himself was not one of them. He was just a Jewish-Christian writer penning a particularly vivid example of a rather common literary genre. I would note, however, that her excellent exposition of precursors and contemporaries casts doubt on one of her conclusions -- that Revelation is largely to be interpreted as a cryptic reference to then-current events. Apocalyptic literature, Pagels' examples demonstrate, did have a large prophetic component, and a considerable "end of days" component, and these are often neither closely related to, nor cryptic references about, purely contemporary events. Moreover. the claim that John was writing in "code" because of fear of the authorities is suspect. What Roman magistrate bothered read this sort of stuff? Even Celsus, much less Pliny, demonstrated minimal familiarity which what are now the New Testament books. And if John was writing about the failings of some of his Christian contemporaries, what was there for him to worry about if he called them out by name? John just liked to be cryptic, like a number of other apocalyptic writers, because that is the way they wrote. Nor should it be discounted that writing Revelations may have been fun. It probably gives a fair amount of pleasure to a partisan to see his enemies blown up and thrown into the outer darkness. And the sheer power and imaginativeness of the narrative suggests a certain playfulness. Revelation may not be the best book of the Bible, but it is almost surely the most fascinating. Some of Ms. Pagels' claims are rather tenuous. For example, she argues that John was a Jewish follower of Jesus who was was writing against the "gentilizers" in the early church, particularly Paul and his followers. Pagels even suggests that John was not Christian, at least he did not call himself by the name "Christian." But John regularly mentions the church, and he nowhere mentions Paul. Nor does he have any direct criticism (or any obvious cryptic criticism) of gentile church members; much less does he suggest that gentile converts are not welcome in the church. Indeed, some of the churches in Asia Minor that he writes to had large gentile congregations, and he surely knew this. And the dates proposed by Pagels for Revelation's writing are suspect. Pagels believes that the book was written circa 95 A.D., although she acknowledges that some scholars would place it 30 years earlier. But Tacitus wrote that Nero blamed "the Christians" for the great fire at Rome, so the name "Christian" was surely widely known and used at the time. For John not to use it in the 90's would seem strange. Perhaps Revelation is a composit, which might account for the difference in tone between its first few chapters and the rest of the book and between the portions which seem to relate to current events and portions which relate to pure prophesy. Finally, Pagels does not spend nearly enough time on the text of Revelation itself. Although she contends that it relates principally to contemporary events, and analyzes the passages about the beast and the number of the beast and the destruction of God's enemies in some detail, she performs next to no exigesis of those passages which are more purely prophetic, such as Armageddon, the four horsemen (the third horseman being problematically denominated as "inflation" rather than the underlying famine which caused that inflation, which is what it primarily refers to), the Star Wormwood, the angel standing in the sun, the last trumpet, etc. While she is good about Revelations' roots, she is less helpful as a guide to the branches. Revelation is a treasure-trove of haunting and powerful images, which is probably why it is a happy hunting ground for cranks. If one is going to demystify it, it is very important to examine what the author was trying to mean rather than what the naked image conveys whoever happens to be reading it. This requires a careful exposition of the text, and Pagels does not always provide it. It is hard to criticize Pagels too much. It is generally a well-written book and a useful corrective for those who do not know much about Revelation. But for those who came to the book expecting to learn something new and revelatory about it, it is a bit problematical. Where it is really good, it does not have much to do with Revelation. And where it has a lot to say about Revelation, it is not particularly good.

The reviews of this masterful text cover background well. Well, except for the one who did not read it and would profit from the lengthy unbiased review of Paul's role in the early church. Revelations has had an important role in society in art and literature. That it is frightening to some today is balanced by those who believe they are chosen whether by faith alone or by works. The historical perspective of the series of "revelation" texts, many of which were removed from the accepted New Testament by the time of Constantine or before, helps us put the concepts in proper perspective. This fulfills the challenge given by Daniel Dennett that we include the study of Religion in all schools. While his approach is from that of a cognitive psychologist and philosopher, Pagels' is that of a historian. There is a new awakening of understanding of the gnostics in our recent scholarship. Her book avoids weighing us down with the heavy reasoning of the scholars; that she gives us ample references now gives the curious the opportunity to hoist the texts mentioned. The last few political campaigns and the wars throughout the world often seem to be related to how each group interprets the coming Armageddon. Judging others is part of the culture of Revelation and helps explain how so many religious wars and wars against heretics and fornicators have continued. Pagels list of actors is huge. I coupled this to two recent books. John Barry's "Roger Williams" points out how the marriage of religion and state resulted in persecution of Arians and others who debated the meaning of scripture. Not unlike Constantine era. "The Swerve" by Greenblatt points out how Monks in Europe saved Lucretius' essay, much like those in Egypt saved the Nag Hammadi texts. That these mystics and cloistered people of god were able to gather and save ideas inimical to the state and religious leaders is remarkable. This is a worthwhile text.

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As one who has read all of Elaine Pagel's previous books except the one about the Gospel of Judas, I was naturally curious to see how she would emerge from her encounter with the bizarrely macabre yet strangely compelling Revelation of Saint John the Divine. Knowing that few explorers have tackled that tangled thicket and managed to emerge unscathed, but with an abiding faith that if anyone could, it would be Pagels, I ordered a copy of Revelations: Visions, Prophecy, & Politics in the Book of Revelation some months before the official publication date. Four days ago, that copy arrived, and I have just this moment finished reading it. Generally speaking, the book is well written. It does a fine job of providing an overview of the subject for intelligent readers who are curious to know more but prefer not to have their brains cluttered with too many facts. Others of more academic presuasion, alas, might have appreciated, and indeed even looked forward to, a somewhat longer, more detailed effort. No doubt, somewhere in the process that led to publication of the final product, an editorial discussion took place during which someone pointed out that academic volumes seldom become best-sellers, and that thick, scholarly-looking tomes often discourage buyers. Unfortunately, when good scholarship butts heads with good business, profit usually wins. In this case, the result was a disappointingly short volume of 246 pages (a mere 177 pages of double-spaced text followed by 69 pages of endnotes and index), which, in its brevity, fails to treat a significant number of issues that would seem crucial to any meaningful understanding of the complicated and colorful Revelation that a man named John, while on the Aegean island of Patmos, claimed to have received directly from Heaven. For example, since the Book of Revelation is unquestionably an apocalyptic work, one would naturally expect Pagels to have included a lengthy exploration of the pre-Christian origins of apocalyticism, a conflict which began around the second century BCE between Jews who held to a prophetic world view--that the world was created by God and that human suffering is part of God's greater plan for humanity--and Jews who were beginning to embrace an apocalyptic world view, which departs from the prophetic view to argue that human suffering is caused by God's enemy, the Devil, or Satan, and that only a final battle between God and Satan could set things right. One might also have reasonably expected to find some discussion about the view, held by some scholars, that John of Patmos' Revelation, in its original form, was penned around 66-69 CE as a more jewish-oriented apocalypse, and that it was subsequently edited and reworked into a more Christian document prior to being published in the closing years of the first century. Then there is the question of whether the man known as John the Presbyter, identified by Bishop Papias of Hierapolis (c.55-130CE) as being someone distinct from Jesus' disciple John of Zebedee, could have been the same person we have come to know as John of Patmos. This is at least a possibility because, according to Andrew of Caesarea writing in the mid-sixth century, the earliest person known to have "borne entirely satisfactory testimony to" the Book of Revelation was Bishop Papias. Clearly Papias was a contemporary of John of Patmos and knew of his work. Could he have known and endorsed the work because he personally knew its author? What about other evidence suggesting that John the Presbyter was one and the same as John of Patmos? But perhaps the most intriguing matter, and certainly one well known to many readers, is the enigmatic question of the number of the Beast, which according to Revelation 13:18, is 666. ("Here is the key, and anyone with intelligence may work out the number of the beast. The number represents a man's name, and the numerical value of its letters is six hundred sixty-six.") Although this is one of the most widely known and controversial aspects of the Book of Revelation, Pagels manages to dismiss it in just two sentences: "Historians familiar with the numerological system Jews called gematria, which assigns a numerical value to each letter and calculates the relationship between the numbers, have offered various suggestions to interpret this mysterious number. Some still debate its meaning, but many now agree that the most obvious calculations suggest that the `number of the beast' spells out Nero's imperial name." (Pagels, Revelations, p.33) What was this "gematria," how did it work, and what are the various suggestions which historians have given towards interpreting this mysterious number? And, if historians offer various suggestions about interpreting the number, what then is Pagel's reaction to, say, the erudite scholars of the New English Bible, who flatly state, without hedging or qualification, that, "In Hebrew, the letters of the name `Nero Caesar' have numerical values which total 666." ? (New English Bible, p.325n18) There are other glaring omissions in her text as well. Even simple but potentially useful details are left out, like the fact that the earliest known manuscript fragment of Revelation is the one known as papyrus P-47, which dates between 220-260 CE. And there is also no mention of either Millenarianism or verses supporting that philosophy which are found in Revelation 20 and 22. ("These [souls] came to life again and reigned with Christ for a thousand years, though the rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were over. This is the first resurrection...." and "for the hour of fulfillment is near....", etc.) Pagel's views on this matter could have been illuminating, especially in light of the fact that some believers in the so-called Rapture cite these verses in support of their beliefs. Yet, there is no mention of any Rapture, or the beliefs surrounding it, in this volume. This may be a good way to avoid controversy, but it does little for scholarship. Since, for many, the Book of Revelation and belief in the Rapture go hand-in-hand, this is a serious omission indeed. Pagels also fails to inform her readers that the Book of Revelation was not formally accepted into the Catholic canon until the Synod of Hippo in 393 CE. On the other hand, to her credit, she does an excellent job in recounting the story of Bishop Athanasius, the obsessive and almost certainly unbalanced fourth century Egyptian fanatic whose misguided, self-serving, narrow-minded machinations played a significant role in defining both the scriptural canon and the rigidly exclusive orthodoxy that would ultimately become the Roman Catholic Church. And her brief observations concerning the origins of monastic life, both in Egypt and elsewhere are certainly interesting and informative. All things considered, Pagel's Revelations: Visions, Prophecy, & Politics in the Book of Revelation, is something of a disappointment, especially to readers who are fully aware that its respected author is capable of much better things. This having been said, it would seem that although Pagels certainly possesses the potential and qualifications needed to create a meaningful study of the Book of Revelation and still emerge unscathed from its tangled thicket, unfortunately she, like so many others, somehow became lost along the way. The result is a volume which pays far more homage to commercial exploitation than it does to good scholarship. (To beg a moment of editorial privilege--dare one suspect that the author had a multi-volume deal with the publisher which obliged her to produce something, and she produced this volume merely to fulfill the obligation even though her heart wasn't really in it? Excuse me, but that was my first reaction after reading the last page.)

Revelations is one of the most complex and often baffling books in the Bible. It contributes so many images that have become part of our culture: The Beast, The Scarlet Woman, 666, The Four Horsemen, etc. that one would assume that its message is universally understood. This is not the case at all. Even though most interpret it to be a prediction of the Final Days of the World, few agree on how literal or figurative it is meant to be. Even the author is a mystery: traditionally believed to have been the work of the Apostle John, that now appears unlikely from the differences in language and tone. Elaine Pagels is the ideal person to attempt to shed some light on these mysteries. Her long career studying the development of early Christianity from clues in early texts, particularly the Nag Hammadi Scrolls, has resulted in a series of carefully and clearly written scholarly works like The Gnostic Gospels, Adam, Eve, and the Serpent, and Beyond Belief: The Gospel of Thomas. Her newest work meets if not exceeds the high standards she has already set for her work. Revelations was written shortly after the Roman conquest and destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in AD 70. The horrifying and sometimes gruesome descriptions of plague and conflict were written by its author both to record the horrors of the immediate past and also to serve as warnings against the false teachings of Christians he deemed heretical. Revelations was only one of a number of books called by the same title that circulated among Christian groups during the late Roman Empire, but its vivid imagery and the ease with which its imprecations could be used to target whichever enemy one wished made it valuable, first to the Roman Emperor Constantine who legalized Christianity and used the image of the Dragon as his emblem, and later by early Church authorities who wished to standardize religious beliefs and practices. Foremost among these leaders of the emerging Catholic Church was Bishop Athanasius of Alexandria, who had heavily influenced the Nicene Creed and who was determined to make his version of Christ's teachings into universal orthodoxy. It was Athanasius who inserted Revelations at the end of the list of books which were to be considered inspired and collated into the New Testament. Like the other works by Pagels Revelations will illuminate a dark time in religious history and help us better understand the process by which modern Christianity started to develop.

In this short book, Princeton professor of religion Elaine Pagels explores the question of why John of Patmos' book was included in the Biblical canon and explains why Revelation retains a powerful hold on the Christian imagination today despite the controversy that surrounded it historically. Revelations is a secular, academic analysis of the historical interpretations of the book of Revelation. Those looking for faith-based study of the book will be disappointed. With that caveat, here's my review. I'm a self-confessed Revelation fan. As a young teenager I remember browsing through it when bored by the sermons in church. I recognized the many phrases and passages that appeared in the hymns we sang but never heard any explanation of this book from the pulpit in our Presbyterian church. In 2000, I led a study of Revelation in an adult class at church, using Bruce Metzger's book, Breaking the Code. So I was interested in reading Pagels' book on the subject, especially since I have read a couple of her other books. Apocalyptic literature takes its name from the Greek word for "unveiling" or "revelation". It focuses on prophesies relating to God's plan for the end of this world. Although the book of Revelation is the only book of the New Testament that is wholly apocalyptic, there are apocalyptic passages found in the four gospels as well, notably the "little Apocalypse" of Matthew. The Old Testament book of Daniel is full of apocalyptic style prophesies as are many of the books of the prophets. The first chapter of Revelations contains an excellent summary of the content of the book of Revelation for those who are not familiar with it. The apocalyptic books and passages of the Bible are difficult enough, but the apocalypses found at Nag Hammadi written in the first few centuries after Christ are almost impenetrable (and I've tried to read a few of them). Pagels has a gift for making these arcane and obscure writings understandable to the interested reader and deftly brings excerpts from several of them into her text. An important distinction between the Biblical canon and the Nag Hammadi texts is their differing view of the relationship between God and self. As the author observes: "Orthodox adherents of monotheistic traditions draw clear boundaries between themselves and God...Yet...many of the sources found at Nag Hammadi do encourage spiritual seekers to seek union with God, or to identify with Christ in ways that fourth century "orthodox" Christians would censor". In other words, you can become one with God through your own spiritual knowledge and effort. Although Pagels notes that this viewpoint would eliminate the need for clergy and thus was rejected by the early Church fathers, for those of us coming from a traditional Christian theological perspective, it also eliminates the need for Christ as the intermediary, intercessor and redeemer of mankind. Pagels is writing from an academic and historical point of view, not a theological one. The book covers an interpretive history of Revelation over the first few centuries of the church and finds parallels between the time of Roman persecution of Christians when the enemies of the church were identified as Rome to the time when Christianity became accepted by Constantine after which the enemies of the church depicted in Revelation were more identified with those holding heretical, non-orthodox theological views. It also discusses the controversy surrounding its adoption into the Biblical canon. I agree with the author that Revelation has an enduring appeal because its metaphors and symbolism are powerfully relevant to everyone in every age on both a metaphorical and personal levels. It "appeals not only to fear but to hope" as Pagels rightly concludes, because it contains the promise of justice. There's another reason for its appeal that Pagels doesn't discuss but that I picked up from Metzger. Revelation is a uniquely visual book. It was written to be read aloud (and it wouldn't take as long as you might imagine) in worship in the house churches of the day as encouragement and admonition to the faithful. Its imagery Is vivid and lingers in the imagination. That's one reason why, next to the Psalms, more hymns are written using texts from Revelation than any other book of the Bible. I personally believe that Revelation became part of scripture because of the Providence and plan of God and not merely because of the result of the success of those holding to "orthodox" Christian theology. But again, readers should remember that this viewpoint is outside the perspective of Pagels' book. I recommend Revelations to anyone with some knowledge and interest in early Christian history and the Bible.

Ever wonder how a fringe group of religious fanatics in an insignificant backwater country came to dominate the western world? Pagels not only demystifies the book of Revelations, but explains how early followers of Jesus were able to spread their faith via the Roman empire. Also there is extensive discussion of the Nag Hammadi settlements and texts that have relatively recently been discovered and translated, and how they fit into the rise of Christianity.