I think that he is a wonderful, amazing scholar, well representative of the state of higher Biblical criticism and New Testament studies in North America, and indeed, throughout the World.  What do our more conservative Christians here think of Professor Ehrman?  And, have any of you read his popular books, textbooks, or watched his Great Courses videos or YouTube?

Sorry, not a christian. Glad to find someone else who likes Bart. Have have read one of his books: "Misquoting Jesus' . He articulates some of the things had been thinking about for decades. Plus far more than I had ever considered. Loved it.

Because Ehrman is former Christian Biblical scholar, I suspect he mat not be very popular with Christian apologists.

(February 15, 2019 at 6:42 pm)fredd bear Wrote: Sorry, not a christian.  Glad to find someone else who  likes Bart. Have have read one of his books: "Misquoting Jesus' . He articulates some of the things had been thinking about for decades. Plus far more than I had ever considered. Loved it.

Because Ehrman is former Christian  Biblical scholar, I suspect he mat not be very popular with Christian apologists.

I grew-up with idiots such as Josh McDowell, and swallowed their regurgitated vomit, hook, line and sinker.  A lot of right-wing nut-jobs say that the "leftist" university system in the United States (and, I presume elsewhere) is into indoctrinating students.  Having a BS and a MBA, the latter from the University of Iowa, I can say that such claims are just utter falsehoods.  Most professors that I had simply taught the core canon of their subject areas, with little to no of their personal views, even as scholars, thrown in.  Professor Ehrman, in that regard, does an amazing job of helping people like me "connect the dots", and go from what is commonly known about the New Testament to more of a scholarly "informed knowledge" as to who Jesus actually was, likely, a Jewish apocalyptic prophet, who believed in a flat earth and saw the end of the World coming during his lifetime, a far cry from the "Lord, liar, lunatic" nonsense that I subscribed to in my youth.

I sympathise:

In a devout Irish catholic family,  I was educated  (if you'll forgive the expression ) in a De La  Salle Academy of applied brutality.

Having an IQ above room temperature, I asked questions. Me: Dad, what's  X Y Z ?   "Shut up" he would explain. At school, say a question on the trinity. Response" Oh, that's a mystery of faith, we just believe" Don't think the notion of 'cognitive dissonance 'was even around in the 1960's 

I left that alleged school without having finished  high school.  Finished at night. That was the beginning of 13 years of part time study (I worked full time) ending with a diploma in Human Resource Management, and later a BA.

I parted company with the Church in 1967, when I was conscripted. I could no longer accept some of the especially fatuous claims of the Church. Took me another 20 years before I realised I was an atheist.

I have different take on Jesus; a very ordinary, devout wondering Rabbi of his time.   The organisation he founded was a minor Jewish  sect which would have faded away after about a generation. However the figure** of Paul arrived and invented Christianity by eliminating the Mitzva concerned with ritual. eg circumcision and food laws. Despite Jesus' claim that he not not come to change the law  by "a jot or a tittle" (English translation)  Matthew 35, I think

PLUS by simply checking the Jewish prophecy about Messiah, it would have been transparently clear that Jesus was not the Messiah.
EG  He; Is NOT divine, a warrior priest in the tradition of David, he will not die and will usher in a period of world peace.  There's a lot  more.

The intellectual  sleight of hand by apologist christians on these matters is one reason I have no time for that species

** scholars already agree that several  of the epistles are forgeries, and the are doubts about others. Paul is sounding more and more apocryphal.

I've read Ehrman and found him quite deceitful, he bets around the truth like a dog chasing it's tail. He wants nothing more than to mislead people because he doesn't like Christianity and he has no reason not to. He is totally untrustworthy, despite and deceit with a touch of hatred thrown in is his game. This is all I have to or need to say on the subject of a BE.

GC

(February 15, 2019 at 6:35 pm)Jehanne Wrote: I think that he is a wonderful, amazing scholar, well representative of the state of higher Biblical criticism and New Testament studies in North America, and indeed, throughout the World.  What do our more conservative Christians here think of Professor Ehrman?  And, have any of you read his popular books, textbooks, or watched his Great Courses videos or YouTube?

As a conservative Christian, I like Bart Ehrman, he’s a good scholar, capable of articulating his ideas in simple speak. I’ve read several of his books, including a textbook we used in a NT History class.

He provides a good counter perspective to conservative and liberal Christian scholars, and had done a good job arguing against the Jesus Myth hypothesis.

(February 16, 2019 at 3:29 am)Godscreated Wrote: I've read Ehrman and found him quite deceitful, he bets around the truth like a dog chasing it's tail. He wants nothing more than to mislead people because he doesn't like Christianity and he has no reason not to. He is totally untrustworthy, despite and deceit with a touch of hatred thrown in is his game. This is all I have to or need to say on the subject of a BE.

GC

At the 300+ major universities across North America, do you believe Professor Ehrman's views to be atypical?

I think he's excellent, as do real scholars as opposed to the the oxymoronic biblical scholars.

Yes, I'm aware that's a no true Scotsman fallacy. I guess I'm wrong . 

(February 16, 2019 at 5:24 pm)fredd bear Wrote: I think he's excellent, as do real scholars as opposed to the the oxymoronic biblical scholars.

Yes, I'm aware that's a no true Scotsman fallacy. I guess I'm wrong . 

No true Christian would ever renounce his/her faith..  I can't tell you how many times that I have heard that.

(February 16, 2019 at 10:52 pm)Jehanne Wrote:

(February 16, 2019 at 5:24 pm)fredd bear Wrote: I think he's excellent, as do real scholars as opposed to the the oxymoronic biblical scholars.

Yes, I'm aware that's a no true Scotsman fallacy. I guess I'm wrong . 

No true Christian would ever renounce his/her faith..  I can't tell you how many times that I have heard that.

Well, these ARE the people who think it's just dandy to use "god did it" as an argument with an atheist.