jennao, Author at The Bart Ehrman Blog

About jennao

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So far jennao has created 106 blog entries.

Jesus and the Trolley Problem – Platinum Post by Douglas Wadeson MD

I'm pleased to post this new Platinum Post by Platinum member Douglas Wadeson for all you other Platinums. This one's a bit of a brain teaser. Good luck working it out. And may you never have to in practice! ****************************** In philosophy a standard thought experiment is the ‘Trolley Problem.’ There are variations, but the basic premise starts with a runaway trolley car that is heading down the track towards a group of five people. There is a switch in front of you which will divert the trolley to a sidetrack on which there is only one person. Should you pull the switch, knowing that your action will cause that one person to die, but the five will live? (No, yelling at the five to get off the track isn’t allowed!) Some would argue that allowing five to live is the better choice, so pull the switch. Others would say that pulling the switch makes you an active participant in the death of the one, so that is not morally right. Yet others would counter [...]

jennao2026-11-12T18:04:07-05:00November 13th, 2026|Public Forum|

December 2026 Gold Q&A

Gold and Platinum Members, our final Q&A of 2026 is upon us. Bart will be answering your questions live on Sunday December 6h at 3pm Eastern and we hope you'll join us. As always, during the first half of the Zoom session, Bart will answer your pre-submitted questions. Send yours to [email protected] no later than Thursday December 3rd so we can add it to the queue. During the second half, live attendees will be invited to take the floor and ask your question to Bart live. If you’d like to participate in the live Q&A: Prepare your question in advance Keep your question to roughly 20 seconds or less Be ready to ask it live during the session Meeting Details: Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84158352394?pwd=hmVCUelxOIsRHlo6luDyJMmCV6Is6R.1 Meeting ID: 841 5835 2394 Passcode: 420972 I'll email the replay out to all Gold and Platinum members after the event, usually within a day. We hope to see you there. – Jen

jennao2026-11-12T16:07:54-05:00November 13th, 2026|Public Forum|

Next Platinum Lecture on November 14th

Platinum members, as you know, one of the benefits of your subscription is a quarterly lecture by Bart followed by a Q&A. These lectures provide an opportunity to dig deeper into a particular topic and offer an opportunity to ask your questions to Bart directly. mark your calendars for our next Platinum lecture, which is scheduled to take place on Saturday November 14th at 2pm Eastern. The topic for this quarter's lecture is: The World Jesus Was Born Into: What Do We Know about Nazareth? Can't make it live? I'll send the recording out to all Platinum members shortly after the event. Here's the info you need to join live us on November 14th. When: Saturday November 14th at 2pm Eastern Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87488828498?pwd=qpZuae7Da52zGVR6BuVU2o17AnU9NZ.1 Meeting ID: 874 8882 8498 Passcode: 063466 We hope to see you there!

jennao2026-11-05T15:13:23-05:00October 23rd, 2026|Public Forum|

November 2026 Gold Q&A

Gold and Platinum Members, our November Q&A is coming up. Join Bart live on Saturday November 7th at 3pm Eastern as he answers your questions. Bart will spend the first half of our Zoom session answering your pre-submitted questions. Send yours to [email protected] no later than Thursday November 5th so we can add it to the queue. Then we’ll open things up. During the second half, you’re invited to come on the microphone and ask Bart a question live. If you’d like to participate in the live Q&A: Prepare your question in advance Keep your question to roughly 20 seconds or less Be ready to ask it live during the session Meeting Details: Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82830700496?pwd=X00BfdDVOTY6Vh36zDPQacEDXDArji.1 Meeting ID: 828 3070 0496 Passcode:875235 And if you’re unable to make it live, I always send the recording of the event to all Gold and Platinum members shortly after the event. We hope to see you there. – Jen

jennao2026-10-16T00:10:55-04:00October 16th, 2026|Public Forum|

Where Christianity Started, And Why – Platinum Guest Post by Peter van Kan

I am pleased to publish this Platinum post by Peter van Kan, in which he explores why Jesus would come to think he was the messiah, and makes the case that he is best understood as a Jewish mystic, largely misunderstood by the writers of the Gospels. Interesting thesis! What do you think? Feel free to comment and give your opinion. ****************************** In this article I aim to narrow down where in history the junction ‘christianity or no christianity’ lay. Having found the place, the obvious next question is: why did history take the christianity direction? Not Before going into the issues, let me clarify that I take a lot for granted here. ‘Granted’ meaning: concluded by biblical scholars, genealogist, archeologists, etymologists and other gists. There was no Abraham and there was no Moses. And if there had been people by such names, they did not remotely resemble their namesakes pictured in the OT. God did not have a special bond with Hebrews or Jews. Or any other people for that matter. [...]

jennao2026-10-08T09:08:23-04:00October 9th, 2026|Public Forum|

A Blog Dinner in Denver, CO on November 19. Interested?

Happy news! Jen Olmos and I will both be in Denver this November for the annual meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature, and we'd love to get together with some fellow blog members while we're there. So, we're thinkin' Blog Dinner on Thursday, November 19? Wanna come? For those who haven't attended one of these before, the idea is simple: a small group of us gets together for a good meal, good conversation, and a chance to meet one another in person. We can talk about the Bible, early Christianity, the blog, or whatever else comes to mind. No agenda, no lectures, and certainly no final exams to end it all. The only requirements are: You're a member of the blog You get there You pay for whatever you choose to consume You're willing to talk or at least listen (either or both is acceptable) (and zero is expertise required) If you'd like to join us, please send an email to at [email protected] (do not make reply with a comment here on the blog). We'll [...]

jennao2026-09-22T14:54:07-04:00September 25th, 2026|Public Forum|

October 2026 Gold Q&A Announcement

NOTE: This Q&A was originally scheduled for Monday October 12th. It has been rescheduled to Monday October 19th at 7pm Eastern. Gold and Platinum members, we've set the date and time for our next monthly Gold Q&A. It's happening on Monday October 12th at 7pm Eastern. As usual, Bart will take the first 30 minutes to answer presubmitted questions. You are invited to submit your questions ahead of time to [email protected]. For the second half of the call, you're invited to raise your hand and ask your question live. We've had some especially great questions these last few months, so come up with your best! October Q&A Info: When: Monday October 19th, 2026 at 7pm Eastern Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81400681523?pwd=hO5f5EPxAD9fkLE2NmfOqsHfqB8nOR.1 Meeting ID: 814 0068 1523 Passcode: 766157 Don't worry if you're unable to make it live. I'll send the recording out the following day. Hope to see you there!

jennao2026-10-12T15:21:34-04:00September 11th, 2026|Public Forum|

Platinum Lecture on October 1

Platinum members, we've got our next quarterly lecture on the calendar. It's an opportunity for Bart and just Platinum blog members get together on Zoom. Our topic for this quarter is: Matthew and the Rise of Anti-Judaism As always, there will be time at the end for questions…be prepared! Can't make it live? Don't worry. We’ll record the lecture and send it out for all Platinum members to watch after the event. Event Info: When: Thursday October 1 at 7pm Eastern Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88260423137?pwd=aSwenEJvbTcsaOou6Alyqt8lINpIx8.1 Meeting ID: 882 6042 3137 Passcode: 425313

jennao2026-09-01T09:15:38-04:00August 28th, 2026|Public Forum|

September 2026 Gold Q&A

Gold and Platinum Members, our September Q&A is coming up. Join Bart live on Tuesday September 8th at 7pm Eastern as he answers your questions. Bart will spend the first half of our Zoom session answering your pre-submitted questions. Send yours to [email protected] no later than Monday September 6th so we can add it to the queue. Then we’ll open things up. During the second half, you’re invited to come on the microphone and ask Bart a question live. There’s no theme this month, so anything goes: the New Testament, the historical Jesus, early Christianity, Bart’s books and research, or that burning question you’ve been meaning to ask him for ages. If you’d like to participate in the live Q&A: Prepare your question in advance Keep your question to roughly 20 seconds or less Be ready to ask it live during the session Meeting Details: Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89058506667?pwd=nId19nGbXjmM2YHR4BWCzPaQPbraYg.1 Meeting ID: 890 5850 6667 Passcode: 948441 And if you’re unable to make it live, I always send the recording of the event to all Gold and Platinum [...]

jennao2026-08-24T14:58:39-04:00August 21st, 2026|Public Forum|

Understanding Jesus: A Swedish Podcast Interview

When my book Love They Stranger came out a few months ago, I was honored to be interviewed for a Swedish podcast about my major theses and how I support them. It was one episode in a multi-part series, and has now just recently been aired. I thought it was a particularly interesting back and forth, and the producers have given us permission to share it here on the blog. I hope you enjoy it! (My host begins by welcoming his audience in Swedish -- but have no fear! He has very fine English and breaks into it at about the 1.30 mark.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxkCnMyBqaQ

jennao2026-07-28T12:15:49-04:00August 1st, 2026|Public Forum|

August 2026 Gold Q&A Announcement

Gold and Platinum Members, the date for the August Q&A is in the books. Bart will be answering your questions live on Saturday August 15th at 3pm Eastern. During the first half of the session, Bart will answer questions submitted in advance. Please send your question to [email protected] no later than Thursday August 13th. For the second half, we’ll open the floor to live questions from attendees. In previous months, we asked participants to keep their questions focused on a particular topic. This time, anything goes: early Christianity, the New Testament, Bart’s career, his current research, or whatever else you’ve been curious about. To participate in the live portion: Prepare your question in advance. Keep your question to roughly 20 seconds or less. Be ready to ask it live during the session. Meeting Details: Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82211439353?pwd=uMPLO78OcufLHQKWn3p2WGTexjvbyP.1 Meeting ID: 822 1143 9353 Passcode: 273919 And if you’re unable to make it live, I always send the recording of the event to all Gold and Platinum members shortly after the event. We look forward to seeing [...]

jennao2026-07-17T09:38:49-04:00July 17th, 2026|Public Forum|

Pro-Roman Jews in First-Century Palestine? Guest Post by Christopher Stanley

I am please to publish this guest post by Christopher Stanley, a scholar of the New Testament and Early Christianity who enjoyed a long career at St. Bonaventure University (after receiving his PhD in NT at Duke!) The post deals with a topic most of us haven't thought about before. In the Jewish uprising against Rome that led to the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple in 70 CE, were there *some* Jews who were actually opposed to the revolt and sympathized with the Romans? The answer may be surprising. This is a topic of Chris's recent research and a novel that he has published, as he'll explain in this intriguing post. --------- Anyone who has read Bart’s books is aware of the gulf that often separates scholarly interpretation from lay readings of the New Testament. Some of the differences are apparent, such as questions about the authorship or historical reliability of the Gospels. Others are less obvious. A topic that arguably belongs under the latter heading is the New Testament authors’ engagement with their political [...]

jennao2026-06-28T06:33:22-04:00July 1st, 2026|Public Forum|

July 2026 Gold Q&A Announcement

Gold and Platinum Members, your next monthly Q&A is on the calendar. Bart will be answering your questions live on Saturday July 11th at 12pm Eastern. For July, we are continuing with the split format. Bart will spend the first half of our Zoom session answering your pre-submitted questions. Please email your questions to [email protected] no later than Thursday July 9th. For the second half of the hour, we’ll be opening things up to live attendee participation, giving you the opportunity to ask Bart questions in real time on a specific topic. For July, Bart has chosen: The Acts of the Apostles If you’d like to participate in the live Q&A: Prepare your question in advance Make sure your question is specifically focused on the Gospels Keep your question to roughly 20 seconds or less Be ready to ask it live during the session Meeting Details: Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81209150304?pwd=9Y5Dett5sOHbvefD9Oc7xcSzjbfibo.1 Meeting ID: 812 0915 0304 Passcode: 372721 And if you're unable to make it live, I always send the recording of the event to all Gold and [...]

jennao2026-06-26T10:59:24-04:00June 26th, 2026|Public Forum|

June 2026 Gold Q&A Announcement

Gold and Platinum Members, a new month is quickly approaching, which means it's time to schedule our next Q&A. It will take place on Sunday June 21st at 2pm Eastern. For May’s Q&A, we tried a new format, and your feedback was overwhelmingly positive. So we’re bringing it back again this month. Bart will spend the first half of our Zoom session answering your pre-submitted questions. As always, you can email your questions to [email protected]. Be sure to get your questions in by end of day Thursday June 18th. For the second half of the hour, we’ll be opening things up to live attendee participation, giving you the opportunity to ask Bart questions in real time on a specific topic. For June, Bart has chosen: The Letters of Paul If you’d like to participate in the live Q&A: Prepare your question in advance Make sure your question is specifically focused on the Gospels Keep your question to roughly 20 seconds or less Be ready to ask it live during the session Meeting Details: Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81230541341?pwd=JT80bFn6uO6fOw2jBpHtjPNsC5itMz.1 [...]

jennao2026-05-28T22:25:44-04:00May 29th, 2026|Public Forum|

May 2026 Gold Q&A Announcement: We’re Trying Something New!

Happy May, Gold & Platinum Members! We’re trying something a little new with our monthly Gold Q&A, which is set to take place on Wednesday May 13th at 7pm Eastern. (Find full details on how to join below.) As always, you’ll still have the opportunity to submit questions for Bart in advance via email, and he’ll spend the first half of our Zoom session answering a selection of those pre-submitted questions. As always, you can email your questions to [email protected]. Be sure to get your questions in by end of day Monday May 11th. For the second half of the hour, we’ll be opening things up to live attendee participation, giving members the opportunity to ask Bart questions in real time on a specific topic. For May, Bart has chosen: The Gospels If you’d like to participate in the live Q&A: Prepare your question in advance Make sure your question is specifically focused on the Gospels Keep your question to roughly 20 seconds or less Be ready to ask it live during the session Our hope [...]

jennao2026-05-04T14:34:31-04:00May 1st, 2026|Public Forum|

The Seven Sleepers of Ephesus: Platinum Post by Douglas Wadeson, MD

Now here's a post on an intruiging topic involving an amusing tale that roughly no one has heard of. But Platinum Member Doug Wadeson has looked into it: here we can all learn something of interest.... ****************************** I have spent most of my life going to various churches and yet I never heard the story of the Seven Sleepers of Ephesus. Have you? It is an old Christian tale which is set in the year 250 CE (AD). However, I first learned of it in the Qur’an! Muhammad makes reference to the story in chapter (sura) 18 entitled The Cave. Muhammad often borrows stories from the Jews and Christians, so it is not unusual for him to use this story as well. I’ll get to his version in a bit. Here is the story as cited in the Catholic Encyclopedia of 1913: --- The story is this: Decius (249-251) once came to Ephesus to enforce his laws against Christians — a gruesome description of the horrors he made them suffer follows — here he found [...]

jennao2026-04-23T10:07:06-04:00April 27th, 2026|Public Forum|

May 2026 Platinum Webinar Announcement

One of the benefits of being a Platinum member of the blog is an invitation to attend Bart’s quarterly lectures. These lectures offer an opportunity to go deeper into topics that don’t always make their way into regular posts and to pick Bart's brain on the topic during the Q&A. The next lecture will be on the Gospel of Thomas. It's a text that has long intrigued scholars and readers alike. Bart is looking forward to diving into it with you. Details: Date: Sunday, May 24, 2026 Time: 3:00 pm Eastern Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82670328885?pwd=OLFAJwJltQl36WUOsTBgP0BX33XvA9.1 Meeting ID: 826 7032 8885 Passcode: 725078 As always, I will send the replay out after the event for those who cannot make it live. Hope to see you there! - Jen

jennao2026-04-23T22:54:10-04:00April 24th, 2026|Public Forum|

Does God Care What We Wear? A Platinum Post by Douglas Wadeson, MD

I'm pleased to provide this guest-post by Doug Wadeson to all you fellow Platinum members (only), on a topic of perennial interest to anyone who prefers to wear clothes. And remember, you TOO can provide a post on any topic you're interested in connected with the blog. You don't need to be an expert! Simply any thoughts, ideas, interests you have will work. Have any? Go for it! ****************************** In a recent Platinum Post I examined the food regulations in Judaism, Christianity and the Qur’an. Muhammad mostly agrees with the Jews about food, except for camel (Moses: Nay! Muhammad: Yay!). My contention is that God has far more important things to worry about than food. But what about clothing? Does God care what we wear? If you see a man wearing a yarmulke (or kippah) on Friday night it’s a pretty fair bet that he’s a Jew. If you see a woman wearing a hijab it’s a pretty fair bet that she is Muslim (unless it’s just a pretty scarf). Some Christian sects also require [...]

jennao2026-04-16T09:48:57-04:00April 20th, 2026|Public Forum|

Rethinking Faith Podcast Interview About Love Thy Stranger

I have been doing a lot of podcast interviews for the release of my book, Love Thy Stranger: How the Teachings of Jesus Transformed the Moral Conscience of the West. Most of these podcasts have been terrific fun, with good and engaging questions. Here for, your viewing pleasure, is one that I especially enjoyed, with an interviewer who "got it"!

jennao2026-03-30T13:29:52-04:00April 4th, 2026|Public Forum|

April 2026 Gold Q&A: Get Your Questions In!

Gold and Platinum members, we're nearing the end of March, which means it's time to schedule April's Gold Q&A. But wait! If you didn't see my email earlier this week, the March Q&A has been rescheduled from its original date on March 29th to April 6th at 7pm Eastern (click to see the updated announcement). You can submit your questions for this Q&A through Friday April 3rd. To make up for the reschedule, we will be hosting a second Gold Q&A at the end of the month on Sunday April 26th at 3pm Eastern. Please get your questions for this Q&A submitted by end of day Thursday April 23rd. April 26th Gold Q&A Details: Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83905244519?pwd=0Lu7vACqQo6eiLubWoY8FOZ8o0lYNJ.1 Meeting ID: 839 0524 4519 Passcode: 591716 As always, you can submit your questions for Bart to [email protected]. Please keep your questions short and to-the-point. Questions of these sort are more likely to be selected. We hope to see you at one or both of the Q&As in April.

jennao2026-03-27T09:08:28-04:00March 27th, 2026|Public Forum|

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