I grew up calling it the Apocalypse, the final book of the New Testament. To be quite honest about it, I never really got much out of it. It never made any sense, and I thought the author had to be high on something to come up with the images recounted in the Book of Revelations.
Elaine Pagels tackles the what, and why of this book, and the why not also. She first tells what it is about, then relates it to the Roman era in which it was written, the religious factions at work and the politics of getting this book into the New Testament. It is all very interesting; it makes you wonder; you shake your head; laugh a little; and then hear your self saying, "Oh, well!"
And then Pagels concludes with the refreshing notion that many other books of questionable origin did not make it into the NT, and people were forbidden to read them. In fact, the books were burned, but a few survived. Some of it is indeed bad ideas, but some others can give spiritual insight and strength to beleaguered and questioning people. Questions should be asked, truth sought, and vision appreciated. Pagels concludes:
"Living in an increasingly interconnected world, we need such universal visions more than ever. Recovering lost and silenced voices...reminds us that even our clearest insights are more like glimpses 'seen through a glass darkly' than maps of complete and indelible truth.... these sources invite us to recognize our own truths, to find our own voice, and to seek revelation not only past, but ongoing."
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