Why Religion?: A Personal Story - Rilegato

“A minimalist work of great majesty, akin to a shimmering Agnes Martin Painting, whose stripped-down aesthetic allows light to pour forth from her canvas.” (New York Times Book Review)

“Searing and wise. . . . tender and wrenching, sketched with exquisite detail.” (Boston Globe)

“An intimate, evocative memoir.” (Ron Charles, Washington Post)

“A wide-ranging work of cultural reflection and a brisk tour of the most exciting religion scholarship over the past 40 years. . . . Pagels is as fearless as she is candid.” (Washington Post)

“In clear, unsparing prose, Pagels enmeshes personal mourning, scholarly rigor, and one of the smartest modern testaments to the consolations as well as the inadequacies of spirituality. A small revolution in memoir to match the one she led in theology decades ago.” (New York magazine)

“Lucid, inspiring personal testimony.” (National Book Review, “5 Hot Books” )

“Looks back on a rich life of learning, writing, loving, seeking truth and, inevitably, suffering. . . achingly beautiful . . . Readers of all faiths and none can learn from her brilliance and courage.” (Dallas Morning News)

“You don’t have to be religious yourself to enjoy her thought-provoking work.” (Bustle)

“Beautiful . . . Pagels treats readers to the examined life behind her intellectual feats with extreme grace and depth. This luminous memoir strips religion to its elementary particles: love, suffering, and mystery.” (Publishers Weekly (starred review))

“Engaging both head and heart . . . this brilliant book . . . stimulates intellectual curiosity and thought while giving equal weight to Pagel’s emotional life.” (Booklist (starred review))