The Johannine Gospel in Gnostic Exegesis: Heracleon's Commentary on John.

Elaine H. Pagels (b. 1943) is a distinguished American religious historian known for her groundbreaking work on early Christianity and Gnosticism. A professor at Princeton University, she gained widespread recognition with The Gnostic Gospels (1979), which examined non-canonical texts discovered at Nag Hammadi and challenged traditional narratives about Christian origins. Pagels' scholarship explores the diversity of early Christian thought, particularly the role of women and alternative theological perspectives suppressed by orthodox traditions. Her later works, including Beyond Belief (2003) and Why Religion? (2018), continue to bridge historical inquiry with personal reflection, making significant contributions to the study of religion, theology, and historical hermeneutics.