The Secret Teachings of Jesus: Four Gnostic Gospels

In December 1945, two Egyptian workers unearthed a sealed storage jar containing a collection of some fifty-two ancient manuscripts, most of which reflect the teachings of a mystical religious movement called Gnosticism (from the Greek word gnosis, "knowledge"). This collection of ancient gnostic writings, now known as the Nag Hammadi library, continues to spark intrigue and debate amidst scholars and laypeople alike, as they not only illuminate and offer an increasingly clear perception of the Gnostic movement, but also introduce questions and concerns regarding the history and development of the early Christian church.

In The Secret Teachings of Jesus, Marvin Meyer, a scholar of Coptic and gnostic studies, offers a fresh translation of four Coptic (late Egyptian) texts from the Nag Hammadi library—the Secret Book of James, the Gospel of Thomas, the Book of Thomas, and the Secret Book of John. Meyer's principal goal is to forward a lively translation that is accessible to the general reader. For scholars or interested lay readers seeking to understand more about these ancient gnostic texts, Gnosticism, or the various views of gnostic teachings outside of the early church and orthodox Christianity, Meyer's text serves as an intriguing source of study.