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At Last – Forgery and Counterforgery!

Forgery and Counterforgery is the first comprehensive study of early Christian pseudepigrapha ever produced in English. In it, Ehrman argues that ancient critics–pagan, Jewish, and Christian–understood false authorial claims to be a form of literary deceit, and thus forgeries. Ehrman considers the extent of the phenomenon, the “intention” and motivations of ancient Greek, Roman, and Jewish forgers, and reactions to their work once detected. With the wider practices of the ancient world as backdrop…

Bart’s New Book “Did Jesus Exist?”

Large numbers of atheists, humanists, and conspiracy theorists are raising one of the most pressing questions in the history of religion: “Did Jesus exist at all?” Was he invented out of whole cloth for nefarious purposes by those seeking to control the masses? Or was Jesus such a shadowy figure far removed from any credible historical evidence that he bears no meaningful resemblance to the person described in the Bible? Bible expert Bart Ehrman confronts these questions, vigorously defends the…

NYT Bestseller “Misquoting Jesus”

The popular perception of the Bible as a divinely perfect book receives scant support from Ehrman, who sees in Holy Writ ample evidence of human fallibility and ecclesiastical politics. Though himself schooled in evangelical literalism, Ehrman has come to regard his earlier faith in the inerrant inspiration of the Bible as misguided, given that the original texts have disappeared and that the extant texts available do not agree with one another. Most of the textual discrepancies, Ehrman acknowledges, matter little…

Bart’s NYT Bestseller “Forged”

It is often said that writing in the name of another was widely accepted in antiquity. But New York Times bestselling author Bart D. Ehrman dares to call it what it was: literary forgery, a practice that was as scandalous then as it is today. In Forged, Ehrman’s fresh and original research takes readers back to the ancient world, where forgeries were used as weapons by unknown authors to fend off attacks to their faith and establish their church. So, if many of the books in the Bible were not in fact written…

NYT Bestseller “Jesus Interrupted”

Picking up where Bible expert Bart Ehrman’s New York Times bestseller Misquoting Jesus left off, Jesus, Interrupted addresses the larger issue of what the New Testament actually teaches—and it’s not what most people think. These are not idiosyncratic perspectives of just one modern scholar. As Ehrman skillfully demonstrates, they have been the standard and widespread views of critical scholars across a full spectrum of denominations and traditions. Why is it most people have never…

Critics Rave About “God’s Problem”

In times of questioning and despair, people often quote the Bible to provide answers. Surprisingly, though, the Bible does not have one answer but many “answers” that often contradict one another. Consider these competing explanations for suffering put forth by various biblical writers: The prophets: suffering is a punishment for sin. The book of Job, which offers two different answers: suffering is a test, and you will be rewarded later for passing it; and suffering is beyond comprehension…

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In "Forged", Bart takes the next step in arguing that there is deliberate fraud going on in the canon, deceitful practices undertaken to convince or bamboozle some audience into believing something, on the basis of the authority of some apostle or original disciple, who in fact did not write the book in question.–Ben Witherington

While Ehrman's provocative thesis in his book "Jesus: Apocalyptic Prophet of the New Millennium" will stir up controversy among scholars, his warm, inviting prose style and his easy-to-read historical and critical overviews make this the single best introduction to the study of the historical Jesus.–Publishers Weekly

"Jesus, Interrupted" is a special book. It is not a rant, nor a screed. It is a careful, scholarly, and considerate review of what is either known, or reasonably conjectured, about the amazing book called the Bible. If this biblical authenticity is of interest you - Jesus Interrupted is a must read.–Daniel Murphy

Ehrman, a prolific and popular author, has put his journey into words in a new book "God’s Problem. ...Ehrman actually ends "God’s Problem" on an upbeat note, a kind of call to arms for people to be good -- to themselves and to others...–San Diego Tribune

Ehrman and Plese have done a great service to students of ancient Christian texts and languages. This volume [The Apocryphal Gospels] is sure to be enthusiastically received into both personal libraries and university syllabi.–Library Journal

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Outta Here

FYI: I am heading out of town for a few days and will not be able to interact with comments on the blog during that time. �...

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