Jesus, Interrupted
Revealing the Hidden Contradictions in the Bible (And Why We Don't Know About Them)
by Bart D. Ehrman
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Jesus, Interrupted
“The Bible is the most widely purchased, extensively read, and deeply revered book in the history of Western Civilization,” writes Bible expert Bart Ehrman. It is also, he feels, the most thoroughly misunderstood. And so, picking up where he left off in his New York Times bestseller Misquoting Jesus, Ehrman searches for the truth behind the New Testament in Jesus, Interrupted.
Ehrman’s own story sets the stage: he was a devout Christian whose studies of the New Testament led him to the realization that his belief that the Bible was an inerrant revelation from God was “flat-out wrong.” And so he seeks to explain how “historical-critical” scholarship on the Bible forced him to change his views.
He begins by showing how the Bible is filled with discrepancies, many of them irreconcilable contradictions. He explores many of these discrepancies, using as a key example the fact that Jesus actually dies on different days in Mark and John.
Ehrman explains that only eight of the 27 books of the New Testament are known certainly to have been written by the people traditionally thought to be their authors, and that these various authors have widely diverging views of about who Jesus was and how salvation works. Was Jesus in doubt and despair on the way to the cross, as he is in Mark? Or was he calm and in control, as he is in Luke? Did Jesus perform signs to prove who he was, as John says, or did he refuse to perform such signs, as told in Matthew?
Ehrman looks at some of the books that didn’t make it into the Bible, including the Apocalypse of Peter and the Gospel of Thomas, and he examines various heresies, exploring the diversity of early Christian belief. The fact is, he argues, the Gospels represent a later understanding of who Jesus was, and not a historical account of his life.
Erhman emphatically states that the observations in Jesus, Interrupted are not his own idiosyncratic perspectives, but rather the standard and widespread views of critical scholars across a full spectrum of denominations and traditions, the results of two centuries of Bible studies that have drawn on archaeological discoveries, advances in our knowledge of the ancient Hebrew and Greek languages in which the books of Scripture were originally written, and many deep penetrating historical, literary and textual analyses.
And while Ehrman acknowledges that some people reading Jesus, Interrupted may be uncomfortable with the information it presents, he maintains that historical understanding of the Bible does not have to lead to a loss of faith. But it does lead to an understanding that Christianity is a religion about Jesus, not the religion of Jesus, and ultimately to the realization that the Bible is a human book after all.
Softcover: 304 pages
Publisher: Harper San Francisco ( March 03, 2009 )
Item #: 33-8925
ISBN: 9781615235780
Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 8.25 x 0.68 inches
Product Weight: 11.0 ounces
Vindicating
July 20, 2010
I am not a theologian or bibilcal scholar, just an average person who has found myself on the edges of the faith community for several years. Mr. Ehrman's work educated me and also gave credibility to questions and concerns that I have had about Christian beliefs since I was a child. I am not really sure where this book leaves me on my spiritual path, however, I no longer feel isolated in my questioning. Thank you Mr. Ehrman!!
Reviewer: Shelley
A wonderful explanation of what I already knew
July 07, 2010
I have known for a very long time the Bible was not the "inerrant" word of "God." Human nature being what it is, there's no way anyone could translate from one language to another without making some errors. Also, a lot of times a word used in one language cannot be strictly translated into another. A more modern example of how far from the original texts we have come are the countless "versions" of the Bible available in bookstores. And still no one has a clue. I've lived in the Deep South for a long time and struggle constantly with people who think that some supernatural being had a secretary who took dictation and produced the Bible. I have never been able to convey all the knowledge I had to the contrary. Dr. Ehrman has given me the perfect tool! It has never been my intent to try to "convert" someone away from their religion. My goal is always to get people to think about and question what's being taught to them, not just believe everything they hear because it's coming from a church leader. Church leaders have been messing with Christianity from day one, so they are the least likely to be giving you the real truth (even there Dr. Ehrman gives me good evidence). I don't honestly expect people to believe anything I tell them, at least not down here, but maybe I can steer them towards this book.
Reviewer: Lori P
Another Winner!
June 26, 2010
Professor Ehrman continues to re-inforce my humble personal beliefs with his and other scholars' research.
"Misquoting Jesus" and "God's Problem" are two more enlightening works important to those who don't buy into the estabtablished "norms" of the faith. Thanks to you, Dr. Ehrman, for speaking to those of us who have thrown off the blinders.
Reviewer: V H
Another Winner for Ehrman
June 22, 2010
Bart Ehrman has written several books on the New Testament and the history of Christianity and all of them are excellent. This one focuses on the discrepancies in the Bible (especially the New Testament) and how the historical-critical approach has shed light on who wrote the Bible, why these 27 books and no others are in the New Testament, and why this matters. As other reviewers have stated (and as Ehrman himself states in the book), it is not an exhaustive list of the discrepancies or the issues covered - just enough examples to make the points he is trying to make. He goes to great pains to show how the historical-critical method differs from the devotional method of examining the Bible. The main thing I took away from reading this book is that the Bible can not be considered inerrant because it is a human collection of human books with some obvious flaws. It is still the most important book in Western history and should be studied; just not with the blinders on that so many seem to prefer.
Reviewer: Tim G
Who says there are no gnostics?
April 30, 2010
We all know the real problem with this book--it's too short. As Mr. Ehrman admits several times in this book, there are a great many things he could not go into here, either because there is no room, or he covered it in his other books. But he does nicely reveal to the non-seminarian what the secret knowledge that all clergy hide while preaching (or implying through their preaching) that the Bible is sacrosanct and contains without question all you need to know about Christianity. There are a great many other things not mentioned here, but that would be better covered in forums and anywhere where open and honest Biblical discussion could be held without histrionics (Good luck with that!). If nothing else, this book could inspire another reading of the New Testament with a new eye, which is quite an accomplishment in itself.
Reviewer: Kord H
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