Noted scholar of the history of religions, Elaine Pagels describes her own spiritual life as one of music, nature, friendship, and love. The author of books including The Gnostic Gospels, The Gospel of Thomas, and the memoir Why Religion? shares about her life -- why she took up the study of religion as an academic discipline, how she navigated the death of her six-year-old and her beloved husband within a single year, and how she sees life and faith today. Some tidbits: "Bach and Aretha Franklin came out of the church ... What matters to me is not what you believe, but how you relate to reality ... That openness to something unexpected is what transforms people." Website: https://www.elaine-pagels.com. Amazon author page: https://tinyurl.com/pagelsamazon.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices