Miracles and Wonder

Praise

“Few scholars on the planet have entranced, enthralled, and educated readers about early Christianity as much as Elaine Pagels. Now she turns her gaze to the very core of the Christian faith, the mysterious life of Jesus himself. Miracles and Wonders will delight readers with Pagels’ endless curiosity, keen insights, and poignant reflections.”
—Bart D. Ehrman, author of Misquoting Jesus and host of the Misquoting Jesus podcast

“This 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 has read everything and is eager to share what she’s learned.”
—Jon Meacham, author of the #1 New York Times bestseller, The Soul of America

“Provocative, gracious, reverent: a great historian of religion gives us an account of the life of Jesus, one of history’s most towering figures. Scholarly and inquisitive, but also contemplative and respectful, Pagels’ story is for believers and non-believers alike.”
—Tara Westover, author of the #1 New York Times bestseller, Educated

“With her vast learning worn lightly, easily, Elaine Pagels offers a luminous and profound historical meditation on Jesus and the gospels. Interpreting a jumble of ancient sacred stories with utmost care and respect, she discerns the patterns that finally bring hope and even redemption to an afflicted world — a major reason these stories live and inspire faith.”
—Sean Wilentz, George Henry Davis 1886 Professor of American History at Princeton University

“With Miracles and Wonder, Elaine Pagels, one of our nation’s greatest historians of religion, has penned an intimate and deeply researched history of the life and significance of Jesus. With clarity and care, she unsettles and reorients the reader. She shows us that the enduring power of Jesus rests in the “outburst of hope” that emanates from the stories about him. Hope we so desperately need in our own dark and trying times.”
—Eddie S. Glaude, Jr., author of Begin Again: James Baldwin’s America and Its Urgent Lessons for Our Own