Loading...In a previous post I dealt with the question of How Books Sell, and tried to explain that trade books that make it big, if they make it big, do so by receiving substantial media attention. When Reza Aslan had that immortal (not to say immoral) interview on FOX, it sealed the deal. His book went up to #1 on the New York Times Bestseller list – every author’s dream. Without the interview, it wouldn’t have happened.
In this post I want to deal with a correlative question that may have been on precisely no one’s mind: Why Sell Books? Well, it’s on my mind, anyway. And it’s on my mind because invariably when a scholar publishes a book for a popular audience, his/her colleagues (some of them) in the field get all sniffy and huffy about it. What you often hear them say (when they don’t know you’re listening) is: “Oh, he just wants to sell books!”
Your description of the cascade of events that followed after Jesus was declared to be “God” by His disciples reminds me of Lorenz’s classic “Butterfly Effect.”
Rant on! I am on your side.
After ‘misquoting Jesus’ and ‘Forged’ I am really looking forward to this book.
Do the management of Ivy League universities frown upon academics who write for popular audience? Surely they would love to advertise on the fact that they have staff members who are bestselling authors, as this is one way to attract prospective undergraduate students. It also promote media interest on the university indirectly.
No, Ivy League professors do write popular books. Most notably, in my field, are Elaine Pagels at Princeton and Karen King at Harvard. I keep trying to persuade my friend Dale Martin at Yale to do one. Maybe sometime I’ll succeed!
Dale at Yale is extremely intelligent. I very much hope he writes a trade book – more people need to hear what he has to say!
I’ve watched all of Dale Martin’s early Christianity videos on the Yale Online Youtube series; he should write a trade book!
I would love to see Dr. Martin write a book for popular audiences. Keep at him!
Yes, I think it boils down to jealously for many. Other simply don’t like what you’re saying or feel threatened. If they actually read your books they would see you’re writing because you love to teach and to promote critical thinking (encouraging people to think for themselves).
As always, you nailed it beautifully. Writers write and sell books precisely for the reasons above. Just like singers sell their records, painters sell their paintings, doctors sell their services and so on. Thank God it’s that’s the way it’s supposed to be! Wouldn’t it be awful if doctors thought that their knowledge is only suitable for debate among other doctors and didn’t educate their patients? Or if Michelangelo sculpted the David only for other Renaissance geniuses to appreciate? Or if the Beatles and Rolling Stones just sang for each other? The thought that a scholar like you can’t write a trade book is quite medieval!
I also think it is easy for any reader to appreciate how important and precious history of Christianity is to you as you reveal in your books the depth of your knowledge, but especially as you introduce us to your personal journey with it.
I am sure all of us here plus the thousands of people (and that’s a lot of people!) that buy your books are very grateful that you make this information available to us.
Thanks you very much for writing!
Gabriela.
Bart, you’re fine! My Dad’s accounting text was geared to the community college/downtown “business” school market and the nose-in-the-air, broomstick-you-know-where crowd made the same comments. My observation (obviously biased) is that it comes mostly from those whose book(s) didn’t even sell enough to cover the first printing cost, much left make anything for the publisher. That isn’t to say that they didn’t have anything valuable to say. Just that it did not sell. Their “judgment” (if you can call it that) is their problem.
Sincere thank you for your books, blog and foundation. I’ve gained tremendous knowledge through your efforts. I regularly contribute to the foundation to give back just a little for how much value I get from your work. I’m sure others do as well- and I hope that number grows.
I’m halfway through “How Jesus Became God” and can’t wait to see how it ends. No spoiners please! 😉
I appreciate your contributions! May your tribe increase!
But I can’t resist one spoiler. He does.
Hey Bart, what’s going on in your crazy state of North Carolina?!?!?!? I see that at least one athlete at your university passed a class with a one paragraph final essay and then I just read an article about some pastor in your state who tried to buy sex from a hooker for $20. Are those bible belt values in decline? 🙂
Well, some would argue that we’ve had those values for a long time. The athlete, at least, wasn’t in my class. As for the pastor, well, there are some like that everywhere!
what you do is great take my case for example i live in Egypt and i have never knew the history of the bible and NT before reading your books, its like you giving me private lessons
how would i know all of this info if you did not write books and keep on teaching your students in the college
you are great
Dr. Ehrman you write books for general audiences and then books for scholarly audiences, on the same topic (like Forgery). Do any other scholars do both?
I think its an absolute blessing that you write to these general audiences. Without you, where would I be in my knowledge? I sure wouldn’t get these *facts* from pastors! Especially the ones that never attended seminary.
These pastors always get frustrated with me when I discuss certain historical *facts*. Then I tell them I need to study from an expert/scholar, i.e. PhD. You are not one. This is serious business to me! Then I always leave the conversation telling them if they ever break their leg don’t see the nurse to repair it. Especially not the secretary behind the counter at the doctor’s office. Great people, they know things, but their not experts. Make sure its a licensed medical doctor who performs your surgery. Just making sure you know this “common sense” thought. Ha!
Yes, there are other scholars who do both. From a conservative Christian point of view, for example, there is N. T. Wright. From a liberal Christian point of view there is John Dominic Crossan. And others.
“Real scholars don’t write books for popular audiences.” That’s the problem! Too many scholars are ensconced in their ivory towers and their knowledge does no one any good (except maybe other scholars). That’s one thing I appreciate about your writings – get this knowledge out to the people!
just received my copy of How Jesus Became God and I can’t put it down! after two chapters, possibly your most important book so far! can’t recommend it enough … should be required reading for many! I appreciate your efforts to write books for the popular audience. thanks for your important work!
I think you get this kind of thing whenever there is a sense of competition among those in the same profession. I’m sure university employment is laden with the same kind of hyper-competition that most other professions are. We are all forced to compete for the recognition and compensation that being competent provides, even cutting one another to get there. Wouldn’t it be nice if scholars and scientists and technicians were free to cooperate fully with one another? I can only imagine the state of the world if the goal was to elevate humanity to the highest level possible rather than to beat one another at some false game of winner-take-all. I love your work and integrity you bring to it. I only wish more scholars were willing to share what they know with the rest of us. Thank you for that.
Professor Moriarty (:D), thank you for your new wonderful book.
P.S. We know that you are a sincere person and you don’t write only for money. It can be felt by reading the books, especially this one.
All right, I made a tactical error. I ordered the book instead of the the Kindle version so it hasn’t arrived yet but is supposed to be arriving today. I’ve got books I bought 40 years ago so I still trust a book in my hand more than a computer file on the cloud.
–
Please tell Dale Martin that he can’t complain about how little the general public knows about the origins of Christianity if he won’t write a trade book explaining those origins. Although on second thought there probably aren’t too many of the general public interested in the New Testament that aren’t aware of his on line lectures. It always makes me laugh when he says to be sure to have your Bible with you “because I will lie to you.” The class doesn’t have enough appreciation for his sense of humor. Maybe those are 08:00 classes that were recorded.
If scholars’ ideas never make it out of academia into popular culture, then those scholars are just a private debating society whose relevance does not extend beyond themselves (and some like it that way).
Fiished the book, of course have lots of questions. Still dont get 1 cor 15 but ill leave that for now, was really shocked on pg 274 in discussing John 1 you write.” The poem is decidedly not saying Jesus preexisted his birth” I never heard this one, are you saying the Logos was not a person and became Jesus at the incarnation? You say Jesus did not exist before the incarnation, it was the logos that existed.? What exactly existed, was it a person?(of course I mean what you think the writer of John meant not a personal belief)
Going through a second time as I write this, maybe a blog on some of the question your getting from the book.
Yes, the Logos pre-existed, definitely. When it became a human, that was the human Jesus. The human Jesus was the incarnation of the Logos, and the human Jesus, technically speaking, didn’t exist until the Logos became incarnate. Hope that helps.
thanks for the reply…but what you wrote in the book seem radical to me. Is the Word personified from the beginning or just an esoteric abstract thing that really is not person till the incarnation?
It completely depends on how you define “person.” That became a highly technical term in the debates over the Trinity in the fourth century and later. And it means something distinct to many people today. The Word did not have a body, but it did exist as an intelligent being before being incarnate (in the view of the Gospel of John). So if “intelligent being” is what you mean by “person,” then yes, I’d say the Word was a person before becoming incarnate in Jesus.
Thanks for reply interesting stuff any books that give more detail you can think of?
About Christology? Lots and lots! A good starter is James Dunn, Christology in the Making. A more recent book is Larry Hurtado’s Lord Jesus Christ. The latter has extensive bibliography.
I have no doubt that your objective in writing these “popular” books is to educate more people about what you have discovered. I applaud your efforts to do so and bringing the light of truth to early Christian history is very important. For those who think you do it for the money, I say it is just envy speaking because they do not have the skills required to communicate to the general public. It is a rare professor who does and I know…I took 268 units of college credit…three Master’s degrees…alas, no PH.D. My major regret in life. Anyway, turn a deaf ear to the nay sayers. I hope this book goes viral and makes the NY Times best seller list. I encourage all of my friends to buy it. I absolutely love your writing and your sense of humor.