The Gnostic Gospels

Elaine Pagels

Informative on the history of early Christianity and the philosophical differences/battles during that time. Of course, the reason this scholar is writing a book as opposed to publishing in academic journals is so she can engage in opinion and interpretation. If you keep in mind that this threads throughout the book and underpins it and differentiate when she is speaking as a scholar vs. when she is opining, then you can learn a lot when that is her intention and think about her opinions when that is her intention.