Miracles and Wonder

“Pagels, rehabilitating aspects of Christianity on terms that a secular scholar can respect, revels in the contradictions and the inconsistencies not as flaws to be explained away but as signs of the faith’s capaciousness.” —Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker

“The ‘quest’ for Jesus . . . has taken on many forms. Pagels takes the historical approach. . . . The depth of spirituality she uncovers is profound.” —The New York Times Book Review

“[Pagels’s] vast knowledge has always been tempered by deep humility. . . . [Here is] an opportunity to hurry along with a scholar of tremendous graciousness and think together about some of the most profound and inspiring stories ever told. Regardless of what you believe — or don’t believe — this is an author hoping to convince you of nothing but the “outburst of hope” conveyed by the multitudinous voices of Jesus’s early followers.” —The Washington Post

“Using the tools of the historian as well as the literary critic, she tries to unearth the [gospel] writers’ concerns and influences. . . . recontextualizing the old stories gives them an unexpected poignancy.” —The Atlantic

“A thoughtful and useful study of Jesus as divine being and exemplary human at the focus of Christian devotion. . . . Readers will find [Pagels’s] book a revelation. . . . Full of insight and learning.” —The New York Review of Books

“Miracles and Wonder explores mysteries about Jesus with detective zeal. . . . illuminating and essential work.” —Los Angeles Times

“Pagels’s book advances a refreshingly honest reminder about why the stories of Jesus . . . haven’t gone away.” —Los Angeles Review of Books

“[T]his title is notable not just for the depth and breadth of Pagel’s scholarship but for the way she becomes part of the story. There is almost a yearning to her quest for answers that personalizes her writing. . . . Part history, part mystery, all enlightening.” —Booklist (starred review)

“No matter how familiar readers are with the gospels, the stories Pagels has woven together offer new takes on who Jesus was and what it means to bring facts to faith with clarity and curiosity.” —Library Journal

“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 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 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’s 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