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The scholarly Lane Pagels is maybe best known for her work exploring the themes of Christianity that emerged

from a collection of ancient texts uncovered near Nag Hammata Egypt in 1945. These are early and

Gnostic writings found sealed in an earthenware jar. And the books focused more on spiritual and

mystical knowledge than institutional religion.

And Pagel's work on them helped to reveal an early Christian landscape that was way more

diverse and esoteric than anyone realized.

But before any of all that, Elaine Pagels had a conversion experience.

This was in San Francisco at Candlestick Park,

where the evangelist Billy Graham had taken his crusade for Christ.

When I was about 14, someone invited me to San Francisco, and I didn't know what we were going to.

I didn't know who this person, Billy Graham was,

but we ended up in this massive sports stadium with 18,000 people and an evangelical preacher

who was quite charismatic.

Have mercy upon me, and Jesus touched him, and he was healed.

And he spoke very powerfully about what his faith meant to him,

and then about what you could be born again and have a new life,

and I thought that was great.

The son of man has come to seek and save that which was lost.

And there are thousands of people here tonight that are lost.

You're not lost from your parents.

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