The Best Books About Early Christianity

I’m fascinated by this era of history, particularly the story and role of Mary Magdalene and her moral exclusion from Christianity. There are many incredible books about her Gnostic gospel, along with the quasi-memoir Mary Magdalene Revealed by Megan Watterson (a dear friend). Elaine Pagels offers an incredible overview in The Gnostic Gospels. Meanwhile, if you want insight into how the gospels spread—via scribes and translators—then I encourage you to read Bart Ehrman, as he provides some clues as to how the church adopted their anti-Semitic and misogynistic views.

Please, as always, drop recommendations in the comments, I am always all ears for more books to read. The link below will take you to a shelf I curated on Bookshop with my picks—I earn an affiliate commission there, but it is ALWAYS MY PREFERENCE that you shop at and support your local bookseller, so no pressure to buy via Bookshop. This is the easiest way for me to organize and keep picks updated. Happy reading!