An Official Employee Publication From the Office of University Relations

The Department of Religious Studies plans several events this spring to celebrate its 100th anniversary.

Elaine Pagels will speak on her best-selling book, The Gnostic Gospels, at 7 p.m. April 26 at Plymouth Congregational Church, 925 Vermont St. The free public lecture will be followed by a book-signing. Pagels is the Harrington Spear Paine professor of religion at Princeton University.

As a young researcher at Barnard College, Pagels changed the historical landscape of the Christian religion by exploding the myth of the early Christian Church as a unified movement.

Her findings were published in The Gnostic Gospels, an analysis of early Christian manuscripts that were unearthed in Egypt. The book received the National Book Critics Circle Award and the National Book Award.

Pagels earned a doctorate with distinction from Harvard University and received a MacArthur Fellowship. In preparation for Pagels’ visit, KU faculty will offer a seminar on The Gnostic Gospels.

Paul Mirecki, associate professor of religious studies, and James Seaver, professor emeritus of history, will present the seminar from 7 to 8:30 p.m. March 29 in 109 Smith Hall. Seating is limited, so registration is encouraged.

For more information or to register, contact Karen Hummel at (785) 864-4663 or khummel@ukans.edu.