Thanks to the incredible generosity of members of the blog, I am happy to announce that there are a limited number of free three-month memberships available.  These have been donated for a single purpose: to allow those who cannot afford the membership fee to participate on the blog for three months, during our ongoing crisis. I will assign these memberships strictly on the honor system: if you truly cannot afford the membership fee, but very much want to have full access to the blog, then please contact me. Do NOT reply here, on the blog, as a comment.  Send me a separate email, privately, at [email protected].  In your email, please provide me with the following information: Your first and last name. Why you would like to take advantage of this offer.  I don't need or want a full account of your history or financial affairs, just an idea of why you would like a free membership just now. Country of citizenship (we're required, as a non-profit, to ask) Your preferred personal email. Your preferred user [...]

Last month I invited Blog Members who had published something in some way connected to the blog to tell all of the rest of us about it.  Many have done so!  If you, too, would like to make your written work known, please read very carefully the instructions in the original post: https://ehrmanblog.org/have-you-written-something-you-would-like-to-advertise-on-the-blog/   Today I publish the second batch.  They are of various kinds and all sound interesting.  I have a stockpile of others submitted, and will get to them gradually over time.  For now: enjoy these! Each one includes the name of the work, the author’s name, a description of what the piece is, and a link that can show you how to get a copy.  I will post these periodically in batches of about this size.   Novel. Kristie Almighty: Across the Street, by Katie Younger Available at: https://www.amazon.com/Kristie-Almighty-Across-Katie-Younger/dp/B0851LLWXK/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=kristie+almighty&qid=1592158391&sr=8-1 This is a novel I completed ten years ago. It is based on my years as a Fundamental Baptist who was originally raised Catholic. The characters were influenced by my time spent at a college [...]

One of the most interesting interviews I've done in recent years was for a feature-length documentary that has now appeared and available for viewing (e.g., Amazon Prime) called "The Search - Manufacturing Belief."  It was the brainchild of Patrick Payne, who also produced and directed it. This is how it is described on the Documentary Channel: Juxtaposing reason with mythology, philosophy with religion, and science with mysticism, filmmaker Patrick Payne interviews thought leaders from across this spectrum to build a penetrating, provocative and personal inquiry into the question of awe, objective truth and trust in the 21st Century. I thought it might be worthwhile to have a kind of personal introduction to the film, and so I asked Patrick to provide us with some insight into how it came into being and what it's about. Patrick is on the blog and he will be able to respond to any questions or comments you have.  Here is what he has to say: ************************************************************************* The Search - Manufacturing Belief An exploration of the spiritual experience and the [...]

Over the past three months we have offered free temporary memberships to people who would like to belong to the blog but cannot afford a membership during this time of crisis.  We have had nearly three thousand people take us up on that offer, and many have expressed real, heartfelt gratitude. I would like to implement a similar program now but, with a different approach.  This may involve you.  From the beginning, none of the money from blog membership fees or direct donations has gone into any of our pockets; it doesn't even pay for operating expenses.  And it never will.  Everything that comes in goes directly out to charities dealing with those in serious need. I would like to be able to continue providing free memberships but do so without affecting the blog’s revenue – or even better, to increase it.  As many of you know, for a long time now, twice a year I have asked for donations for free one-year memberships for those who cannot afford one themselves.  That has been terrifically [...]

Every now and then I learn of someone on the blog who has a PhD  or is ABD in one of the related fields, such as New Testament, Early Christian Studies, Hebrew Bible, Early Judaism, Rabbinics, Roman Religion, Greek Religion, Ancient (Greek or Roman) History, Semitic Philology, etc. etc., and/or is teaching in one of those fields in a college or university. Are you one of them?  If so, please send me an email, at [email protected].  I'm interested in knowing what your research is and/or has been, and I don't know how else to contact you, other than this!

Some of you have expressed dismay that comments/questions you submitted on Randy Alcorn's book review of my book Heaven and Hell (from June 21) did not get posted.  So sorry.  There were some technical difficulties and problems on this end, and when they were resolved Randy found himself confronted with about a hundred comments, some of them with multiple points / questions, and it was more than a mere mortal could handle. Moreover, a number of the comments / questions were along the same lines.  So, instead of responding to each comment / question individually he has written two additional posts to explain himself and his position.  I will post these separately, though they are related to each other, the first one here today. I will also go ahead now and post your comments / questions that have come in from the beginning.  Randy will not be able to respond directly to them, but he appreciates very much your concerns and questions.  If you have questions / comments for me, instead of him, feel free to [...]

I have contacted everyone that has registered for Sunday's webinar on "Do We Have The Original New Testament?"  and sent an invitation to the Zoom webinar.  If you did register, but did not get the email or invitation, both sent out today (Thursday 6.25.20), please zap me an email, with the subject line YOU MISSED ME!!!

Last week I invited Blog Members who had published something to tell all of the rest of us about it.  Many have done so!  If you, too, would like to make your written work known, please read very carefully the instructions in the original post: https://ehrmanblog.org/have-you-written-something-you-would-like-to-advertise-on-the-blog/   Today I publish the first batch.   There are seven (a good biblical number) and of various kinds.   I chose these on very scientific principles: they were the first seven I received! Each one includes the name of the work, the author’s name, a description of what the piece  is, and a link that can show you how to get a copy.  I will post these periodically in batches of about this size.   *****************************************************************************   Manifest Insanity, Or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Think for Myself, by Diogenes of Mayberry (my author pseudonym; I am a member of the blog under my real name) https://www.amazon.com/Manifest-Insanity-Learned-Worrying-Myself-ebook/dp/B00GTJ3U3A/ref=la_B00GUB3ZEQ_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1385104266&sr=1-1 An irreverent social commentary that traces the history of Judeo-Christian doctrines and how they have evolved over the centuries, impudently contradicting [...]

Have you published a book, an article, an essay, or a poem (or something else) -- either privately, or on the internet in some form, or with a journal/publishing company -- that you would like more people to know about?  Something you would like to share with other members of the blog?   I have decided to allow blog members to make their work known to others who might be interested. I will not be publishing the works here, or reprinting them.  I will be allowing blog members to write brief descriptions of what they have produced, with a link that allows other blog members to have access either to the work itself or to a site that describes it and/or allows them to access (or purchase) it.   For now this offer applies only to *written* materials (not artwork or other visual forms). This is how it will work.   First, requirements. You must be a member of the blog The writing needs to be related in SOME broad way with the interests of the blog. I [...]

Today is the LAST DAY to put in a bid to join my small webinar on "How We Got the New Testament"!  If you missed the post, here 'tis:  https://ehrmanblog.org/a-bart-ehrman-webinar-how-we-got-the-new-testament/ I will be taking bids until 11:59 pm this evening. After that you will find yourself in the outer darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.

I have decided to hold a small and intimate webinar in order to raise money for the Bart Ehrman Blog.  Every penny that the webinar brings in will go directly to two of the blog’s charities, The Food Bank of Central/Eastern North Carolina and Doctors without Borders, split equally between them.  It will be held on Sunday May 31 at 4:00 pm.  It will last for an hour and fifteen minutes. The topic of the seminar will be “How We Got the New Testament.”  Among the topics to be covered will be: Who decided which books would be included in the New Testament?  Who gave them the authority to decide?  How did they decide?  What were their criteria?  When were their decisions finally made?  What do we know about the books that were left out?  And why didn’t these other books “make it”? I will say at the outset, here, that the answers are not what most people seem to suppose. In the webinar I will deliver a talk for about 40-45 minutes; the rest [...]