Bart D. Ehrman's Blog, page 88

James Tabor on the 1993 Waco Disaster, Part I

The 1993 Waco Disaster—How Not to Negotiate with Apocalyptic Believers James D. Tabor, retired professor of Religious Studies, UNC Charlotte   In this three-part series James Tabor surveys what happened 30 years ago outside Waco, TX as Federal authorities violently confronted a group of apocalyptic believers who believed that David Koresh, their prophetic leader was [...]

The post James Tabor on the 1993 Waco Disaster, Part I appeared first on The Bart Ehrman Blog.

Baptism and the Macbeth Effect. Platinum post by Douglas Wadeson MD

Here is very thoughtful post by Platinum blog member Doug Wadeson, an intriguing psychological assessment of the rite of Baptism.   In relation to MacBeth.  The Bible and Shakespeare in one post?  Whoa.   What do you think?? Remember, you too can write blog posts for fellow Platinum members.  It can be on anything you want that [...]

The post Baptism and the Macbeth Effect. Platinum post by Douglas Wadeson MD appeared first on The Bart Ehrman Blog.

The Discovery of a Lifetime: A Secret Gospel of Mark?

In this thread I am discussing the discovery of the Secret Gospel of Mark in 1958.  Or was it the forgery of the Secret Gospel of Mark?  Entire books have been written on the topic.  My first foray into the fields was in my book Lost Christianities (Oxford Press, 2003).  Here is how I begin [...]

The post The Discovery of a Lifetime: A Secret Gospel of Mark? appeared first on The Bart Ehrman Blog.

Do Scholars Ever Forge Gospels?

Do modern scholars ever produce “ancient” forgeries?  In particular, have experts in the New Testament and early Christianity ever gone out on a limb and forged a Gospel, claiming to have discovered it, and tried then to convince others that it is ancient and authentic?  Yup. I’ve discussed some examples in earlier posts on the [...]

The post Do Scholars Ever Forge Gospels? appeared first on The Bart Ehrman Blog.

Why Purgatory Makes Sense

Christians have always had a wide variety of beliefs about the afterlife, and just about everyone (who chooses) is able to find biblical support for their views.  The Bible itself has an enormous range of views. Among other things, there have always been Christians who have thought that there must be varying levels of punishment [...]

The post Why Purgatory Makes Sense appeared first on The Bart Ehrman Blog.

Gold Q&A LIVE! (And Recorded) Tuesday April 11

Dear Gold Members, I will be recording  my Gold Q&A tomorrow afternoon,  April 11, 2:00 pm.  If you're free and want to watch it, come along!  I've got a full set of questions to deal with and am looking forward to it. No charge for admission, just show up.  We'll meet and greet, I'll do my [...]

The post Gold Q&A LIVE! (And Recorded) Tuesday April 11 appeared first on The Bart Ehrman Blog.

Don’t Wanna Be Left Behind? An Upcoming Lecture on the Rapture!

Interested in the "rapture"? Want to be sure you're not "left behind" when the Antichrist arises and all hell breaks out on earth?   Then come to my lecture:  April 15, 3:00 pm:   "Will You Be Left Behind? A History of The Rapture"  Check it out here.   Will You Be Left Behind? » Powered by ThriveCart If [...]

The post Don’t Wanna Be Left Behind? An Upcoming Lecture on the Rapture! appeared first on The Bart Ehrman Blog.

How Does An Author Write a Bestseller?

Almost everyone has the wrong idea about how a book becomes a bestseller.   In the crowd I run around with, the term “bestseller” tends to have a technical meaning: a book on the New York Times Bestseller List.  Every week the NY Times receives data from all the major book-selling outlets – from Amazon to [...]

The post How Does An Author Write a Bestseller? appeared first on The Bart Ehrman Blog.

The Quest for the Legendary Jesus. Platinum Guest Post by Robert Droney

Now *here* are some smart and interesting reflections about a topic most of us think is rather crucial: the quest for Jesus.  But which Jesus?   And which quester?  Here Robert Droney discusses the search for the "legendary Jesus" by one who is questioning his faith. It should generate some feedback!  So comment away! ****************************** I [...]

The post The Quest for the Legendary Jesus. Platinum Guest Post by Robert Droney appeared first on The Bart Ehrman Blog.

The First Actual Account of the Resurrection (Hint: It’s Not in the New Testament)

On this Easter Sunday I thought it would be appropriate to repost a blog from several years ago on a Gospel not in the New Testament -- a Gospel that gives us an actual narrative of the resurrection.  I often say that there is no story of the resurrection in the the New Testament -- [...]

The post The First Actual Account of the Resurrection (Hint: It’s Not in the New Testament) appeared first on The Bart Ehrman Blog.