Loading...The only book I’ve written because I wanted to use the title is Peter, Paul, and Mary Magdalene: The Followers of Jesus in History and Legend. It was a blast to write. One could argue that in one respect or another these three were historically the most significant followers of Jesus (whether they were in their own day or not is another question). In my view they are the only followers of Jesus that we can say with relative certainty that they *claimed* to have seen him raised from the dead (a controversial view on all sides). And most intriguing, there are lots of extraordinary legends about them that survive and that, in fact, are still believed by many people today, for example that Peter was crucified upside down; Paul was beheaded; and Mary was a prostitute. And those are just among the more tame accounts.
It’s also interesting to figure out what we can actually know about them historically. Hence my book, which devotes six chapters to each figure.
Here is how I describe the book in the introduction. This will take two posts.
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Dr. Ehrman, what James, the brother of Jesus? Do you not consider him an important follower? Surely he certainly would have known had his brother been raised from the dead.
Yes I do. But, in a book you can’t do everything.
I like that Lee Hayes, Pete Seegers, Peter, Paul and Mary and most of the sixties peaceniks never threatened us. They said WE must fix things. No “or else” threats. No magic. Just appeals to our better nature. 😉
Hi Bart
You seem to think that only few deciples of jesus saw him after his death but in 1 corinthians 15 Paul says that all the apostles saw jesus he surely had talked with Peter about other deciples?
That’s right. Every statement in every source (think modern politics!) has to be critically examined to determine if it is probably correct or not. I do not think that there is good evidence that all the disciples of Jesus claimed to have seen him after his death, even though that became the common view already by the time of Paul. I discuss this matter in my book How Jesus Became God.
Greetings Dr Ehrman, does your book Peter, Paul and Mary Magdalene talk about Peter and if he started the Catholic Church? I’m trying to find out if the Catholic Church was the original church as the church claims it is. I’m also trying to find out about Ignatius of Antioch and if his martyrdom was true.
Thankyou
Yup, I do talk about it (and show why it’s doubtful if Peter even ever came to Rome; he certainly did not start the church there or become its first leader). Ignatius may well have been martyred but the account of his martyrdom that we now have is legendary. We do have seven authentic letters from his hand (and six that are later forgeries.)