I’ve enjoyed getting readers’ opinions on topics over the past few months, and now I’d like to hear what you think about another, which strikes me as unusually important.  It has to do with the afterlife. The traditional Christian belief, of course, is that when a person dies, their soul either goes to heaven to be rewarded for eternity or to hell to be punished, for the same length of time.  (“Length of time” and “time” itself no longer make much sense in eternity, of course.  Eternity is infinite, not long.  Though admittedly eternal ecstasy or torment sure seems long….). Many Christians today are moving away from an idea of hell, to think either in terms of temporary punishment, or annihilation, or …. something else. Many others, including me, do not think there is an afterlife at all.  Like the other animals, we simply cease to exist. Here I am NOT asking for your opinions about whether there *is* an afterlife or about what it is *like* if you do.  (If you don’t know, I [...]

One question I get a lot:  where did the Bible’s chapters and verses came from.   Here's a quick answer taken from my textbook on the NT (The New Testament: A Historical Introduction to the Early Christian Writings, Oxford University Press; 7th ed., 2020.  Since the answer is so brief, I’ll attach another couple of paragraphs drawn from a nearby page in the book, dealing with another somewhat related and even more important (for many people) problem: when did scholars start to think that the differences in our manuscripts were a VERY big deal? QUESTION: About the numbers of the verses, who put them?  Who divided the text in verses and chapters, and when? RESPONSE: (from my book) Given the fact that ancient manuscripts did not use punctuation, paragraph divisions, or even spaces to separate words, it will come as no surprise to learn that the chapter and verse divisions found in modern translations of the New Testament are not original (as if Paul, when writing Romans, would think to number his sentences and call them [...]

This next week I'm heading out to San Diego for a debate on March 24 with a Catholic Apologist named Jimmy Akin on the question of whether the Gospels of the New Testament are historically reliable.  I've never debated a Catholic apologist before!  This should be fun. I also (obviously) haven't done a live event in over two years.   So, this will be interesting as well as fun. The event will be live streamed if you're interested, and even if you're not.  Here's the announcement, with ticket information, in case you might want to attend or listen in: Jimmy Akin vs Bart Ehrman - Campaign (catholic.com) MOREOVER (only distantly conntected):  It turns out I'll be free for breakfast that morning.  I'm happy to do a blog event ((as in live, and in person!) if anyone feels like shlepping out to Del Mar.   I'm thinkin' March 24 at 8:00 am.  Anyone interested?  Just send me an email at [email protected]   There'd be no obligation other than showing up, ordering what you want, eating what you order, and [...]

I have often been puzzled by how defenders of the Christian faith attack me and my views by taking the biographical route, pointing out the course of my faith journey, identifying a flaw in it, and then drawing the conclusion that if I had not thought X or been convinced by Y then I would have seen the truth and not been led astray. The way this narrative usually works is this:  “If Ehrman had not been raised a fundamentalist he would have realized… x, y, and z … and he then never would have left the faith”  OR “If Ehrman had not held X view he would not have been so easily swayed when he realized it was wrong” OR “The problem is that Ehrman appears to have thought Y and that’s not at all what true evangelicals think” and so on and on. The reason I find this puzzling is that people get their notions of how I was raised or what I thought from things I’ve written and said and in most [...]

In view of our coming fund raiser for Ukraine on Sunday (Fundraiser for Ukraine. Lecture on "Who Killed Jesus? And Why?" | The Bart Ehrman Blog) a long-time blog member and one of my blog advisors, Doug Wadeson, has provided this moving and informative recollection of his times there. ******************** We are all distressed by the events in Ukraine.  My wife and I feel a particular connection to this situation as we have visited Ukraine a number of times and still have friends there.  A missionary friend ran a language college in Simferopol, Crimea although his ultimate goal was to teach Christian values to people raised in officially atheistic communism.  Each year he sponsored a symposium bringing together Ukrainians, Russians, Americans and Europeans in an east-meets-west sort of multidisciplinary meeting where we each presented a paper for discussion and debate, on any number of subjects, but with a particular worldview in mind, usually Christian or atheist.  As a medical doctor I offered to participate.  He also arranged for me to speak at various medical facilities [...]

Several people have informed me that they will not be able to attend the Ukraine Fundraiser on Sunday March 20, 4:00-5:30 Eastern Time, LIVE but would like to make the donation and receive a RECORDING,  so: Anyone who registers for the event, whether they come to it live or not, will be sent the recording to have for posterity.  The recording will also include the Q&A that follows the lecture. You can make your donation on the blog Home page (scroll to bottom), and you can register & get the Zoom link here. Remember, this is 100% a fundraiser for CARE, which is doing heroic work to help Ukrainians who have had to flee their country, so give what you can. I am personally matching donations up to $10,000.  

There are blog members who would love to come to the lecture I'm giving as a fundraiser for Ukraine on Sunday, but simply can't afford the donation (for the information about the event itself, see below).  And so this post is for TWO groups of people. If you yourself can afford to come and would like to donate a "ticket" or several tickets to the event for someone or someones who cannot, please click here to do so. If you can NOT afford the donation amount but would like to come to the lecture click here to register and on the Donation Amount, simply enter $0 or the amount you are able to give.   The blog is not meant to be exclusive but to be open to all.  Many thanks to all for being on it and supporting our causes. Note: for those who wish to donate, but can't attend the lecture live, we will be recording the the talk and will make that available to all donors. Here now is the original announcement again. [...]

Most of us are feeling depressed, frustrated, anxious, stressed, fearful, and helpless in the face of what is happening in Ukraine.  Even though there is nothing we as individuals can do to halt the Russian advance and is horrific consequences, we can at least do something to help those in the throes of the humanitarian crisis. I would like to do a fundraiser to provide funds for one of the great charities dealing with the situation, one that the blog has always supported..  We will send all the money we raise directly to Care International.  They are doing fantastic work in the crisis and desperately need the funding. Our event will be on Sunday March 20, 4:00-5:30 Eastern Time.  It will be a Zoom lecture that I give on "Who Killed Jesus?  And Why?"   It will involve a 45  minute lecture and a 45 minute Q&A.  We are asking all attendees for a minimum donation of $45 dollars. If you choose to come, please consider giving more -- as much as you can and wish.  [...]

Two years ago and then last year I was scheduled to do give lectures on a tour in Italy, starting in Rome and going to Naples, Pompeii (!), and Sorrento.  I was eager to do it -- great places!   But alas, it was cancelled both times.   BUT, it's back on, as I've announced.  AND there is still some room for travelers.  Interested?  My topic is the relationship of Christianity and traditional Roman religions and cultures in the early centuries CE:  “Christians and Pagans.” The tour company, Thalassa, is terrific; it will be a small and intimate group and we will have tons of time to talk, discuss, and hang out together.   They are now accepting registrations for the trip.  Below is a poster for it, with a link for more information.  Here is part of what I say about my lectures. When Christianity arrived on the world stage in the first century AD, Rome and the Empire it founded were predominantly “pagan” – filled with a large number of polytheistic religions worshiping the Greek [...]