First off, this is a huge book...860 pages huge. But if you're at all curious about what OTHER Gnostic writings had to say, then this is for you ( one warning, you may be disappointed at the variety ).
Backing up a step, if "The DaVinci Code" or Elaine Pagel's "Beyond Belief, the Gospel of Thomas" has gotten you interested into the writings of the Gnostics, you're likely aware that the Bible was purposely edited with only selected Gospels chosen by Emperor Constantine, thus beginning the Catholic Church. Constantine also then ordered all other writings of the time destroyed ( and any believers killed ). But it seems one monastic temple buried some 50 texts of other writings in Nag Hammadi and 1600 years later ( in 1945 ), they were discovered...these are the Gnostic writings, all written at or near the time of the other Gospels.
What is so fascinating is how varied the writings are, and at once it is easy to see why Constantine did NOT want this "heresy" to get out. But while the above books may peak your curiosity, this almost-complete compilation may temper that enthusiasm down. One thing to remember is that these writings spanned civiliations, from Mandaean to Cathar, and from Pagan to Jewish. So you'll see references to Adam & Eve in one writing, then have the tale refuted in another. Here, there is poetry and secret books where Christ appears as an apparition ( upon being called by the Apostles ), gives them another lecture & explanation, and then vanishes. In another, he speaks to only one person, explaining what happens to souls, what is heaven, and what happens to those who believe, don't believe, could have believed, and believed once but not now.
Add to all of this, the viewpoints of the authors, Willis Barnstone & Marvin Meyer, who run you through THIER thoughts on writing such a historical collection...what to include, how to translate the venacular of the times into today's meanings, what to leave out, how to fill in the missing pieces ( many of the discovered texts were burned before antiquity experts could step in ).
But the bottom line is that after about 400 pages, the text will begin to blur. The writings are too varied and soon you realize that the Gnostics, if one had to sum up, were truely independent thinkers. Add them to the mix of other Gospel writers and you've back with Constantine...which of the batch to choose? Given the time frame, would you create the power of a church with one ruler or with many? For many of the Gnostics, belief and religion was within each of us and not devine...thus, another challenge for you ( as the authors note ), sorting through the symbolism. Many of the traditional stories of the Bible, say some of the writings, are symbolic, converting things such as original sin to joyful discovery.
This is a different take of much of what Christianity has embedded, but remember that this was a lively time with many scribes putting down their version of what happened when Jesus arrived...the fact that the Bible emerged due to political choice should not deter you from reading other writings of the day. And after reading even half of this monstrous collection of writings, you may walk away with a mixed questioning of what really did happen.
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