The Five Gospels: What Did Jesus Really Say?
by Robert W. Funk (based on the work of the Jesus Seminar)

From Booklist: "This new commentary on the five Gospels answers the question, What did Jesus really say? The seminar scholars began a process to discover which sayings are close to what Jesus said, which might have originated with Jesus, those that are not his (though the ideas may be), and those that were created by his followers or borrowed from folklore."

The Gospel of Mary Magdala:
Jesus and the First Woman Apostle
by Karen L. King

From Publishers Weekly: "Discovered in the 19th century and not published until 1955, this gospel shows Mary to be the apostle to whom Jesus revealed deep theological insights. In the brief text, the male apostles are afraid & despondent after Jesus' death, so Mary tries to cheer them by revealing esoteric teachings that Jesus imparted to her alone. The bulk of King's book takes up questions about the Son of Man, law, women's authority, visionary experiences and the body."

The Gospel of Mary Magdalene
by Jean-Yves Leloup

From Booklist: "Found in 1945 at Nag Hammadi in the Egyptian desert, [the Gospel of Mary Magdalene] is a short but complex Coptic text ... This volume contains English translations of Leloup's French version of the original and Leloup's extensive commentary, which discloses the theology that inspired the lost gospel."

The Gospel of Thomas:
The Hidden Sayings of Jesus
by Marvin Meyer

From Amazon: "Marvin Meyer's distinguished translation ... is considered by many to be perhaps the closest we'll ever get to reading what was actually said by the historical Jesus. In The Gospel of Thomas, you'll discover a different kind of Christ--a wandering spiritual teacher from Galilee who performs no miracles, reveals little prophecy, announces no apocalypse, and dies for no one's sins."

The Gospels of Mary:
The Secret Tradition of Mary Magdalene,
the Companion of Jesus
by Marvin Meyer, Esther A. De Boe

From Amazon: "The portrait of Mary... as a reformed whore is impressive, but it is mistaken in terms of historical accuracy and literary interpretation," [Meyer] asserts. Meyer claims that there is no convincing documentation to link Mary with the unnamed prostitute who washes Jesus' feet with her tears."

The Gnostic Bible
by Willis Barnstone (Editor), Marvin Meyer (Editor)

From Publishers Weekly: "...the bulk of the text is taken up with primary sources, which are drawn from three continents and span an astonishing 13 centuries. These are helpfully organized into various schools of Gnostic tradition: Sethian, Valentinian, Syrian, Hermetic, Mandaean, Manichaean, and--in an unusual move--relatively late Islamic and Cathar texts."

The Gnostic Discoveries:
The Impact of the Nag Hammadi Library
by Marvin Meyer

From Publisher's Weekly: "... with the unearthing of the Gnostic texts at Nag Hammadi, scholars have a better idea of Gnostic teaching in the early years of Christianity as told by its adherents. Meyer sorts through the teachings and relates them, not just to the biblical text, but even to the bestselling novel The Da Vinci Code. Meyer writes clearly, bringing the times of the early Gnostic writings to life and making them accessible."

The Gnostic Gospels
by Elaine Pagels

From Amazon.com: "... Pagels suggests that Christianity could have developed quite differently if Gnostic texts had become part of the Christian canon. Without a doubt: Gnosticism celebrates God as both Mother and Father, shows a very human Jesus's relationship to Mary Magdalene, suggests the Resurrection is better understood symbolically, and speaks to self-knowledge as the route to union with God. "

The Gnostic Gospels of Jesus:
The Definitive Collection of Mystical Gospels
and Secret Books about Jesus of Nazareth
by Marvin Meyer

From Amazon: "Marvin Meyer, premier scholar of Gnostic and other Christian literature outside the New Testament, presents every Gnostic Gospel and Jesus text with a brilliant overall introduction, introductions to each text, and notes that explain everything the reader needs to know to understand the text."

Jesus and the Lost Goddess :
The Secret Teachings of the Original Christians
by Timothy Freke

Book Description: "Why Were the Teachings of the Original Christians Brutally Suppressed by the Roman Church? Because they portray Jesus and Mary Magdalene as mythic figures. Because they show that the gospel story is a spiritual allegory encapsulating a profound philosophy that leads to mythical enlightenment."

From Library Journal: “An accomplished scholar of early Christianity... sketches the development of New Testament literature, the gradual accumulation of errors therein through the accidental or intentional revisions of copyists, and attempts to reconstruct the original text. Ehrman convincingly argues that even some generally received passages are late additions, which is particularly interesting in the case of those verses with import for doctrinal issues such as women's ordination or the Atonement.”