Sam Harris speaks with Bart Ehrman, a New Testament scholar, about his experience as a born-again Christian, his loss of faith, the composition of the New Testament, the resurrection of Jesus, contradictions in the Bible, the concept of a messiah, and the conversion of Constantine.
Jesus' crucifixion challenged the idea that he was the Messiah and contradicted the expectations of Jews at the time.
The process of selecting the books for the New Testament involved debates and disagreements among early Christians over centuries.
The belief in biblical inerrancy is challenged by differences and contradictions within the Bible, such as conflicting accounts of Jesus' death.
Constantine's conversion in the early 4th century provided legitimacy to Christianity, but it was already growing rapidly and would have spread regardless.
Deep dives
Jesus as the Messiah
Jesus did not believe he was starting a new religion, but rather giving the correct and pure version of Judaism.
The Construction of the New Testament Canon
The process of selecting the books for the New Testament took centuries and involved debates and disagreements among early Christians.
The Doubts Raised by Contradictions
Differences and contradictions within the Bible, such as conflicting accounts of Jesus' death, challenge the belief in biblical inerrancy.
The Jewish Concept of the Messiah
Jews at the time of Jesus expected a political figure who would be anointed by God, whereas Jesus' crucifixion challenged the idea that he was the Messiah.
Conversion of Constantine
Constantine's conversion in the early 4th century is commonly believed to be the reason for the spread of Christianity, but the author argues that Christianity was already growing at a rapid rate and would have taken over the Roman Empire regardless. Constantine's conversion did, however, provide legitimacy to the faith and open the doors for elites to join.
Significance of Paul
Paul is considered one of the most significant converts in the history of Christianity. His conversion led to the realization that non-Jews could be followers of Jesus without adhering to Jewish customs. This opened the floodgates for non-Jews to embrace Christianity, contributing to its rapid growth.
Evolution of Jesus' Divinity
Jesus' divine status and the belief in his resurrection as a means of salvation developed over time. In the ancient world, there was an understanding that certain honored individuals who were taken up to live with the gods became divine. Jesus' resurrection and his exaltation to live with God led to the perception of him as a divine being, gradually evolving to the belief that he was fully equal with God for eternity.
Sam Harris speaks to Bart Ehrman about his experience of being a born-again Christian, his academic training in New Testament scholarship, his loss of faith, the most convincing argument in defense of Christianity, the status of miracles, the composition of the New Testament, the resurrection of Jesus, the nature of heaven and hell, the book of Revelation, the End Times, self-contradictions in the Bible, the concept of a messiah, whether Jesus actually existed, Christianity as a cult of human sacrifice, the conversion of Constantine, and other topics.
Bart D. Ehrman is the author or editor of more than thirty books, including the New York Times bestsellers Misquoting Jesus and How Jesus Became God. Ehrman is a professor of religious studies at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and a leading authority on the New Testament and the history of early Christianity. He has been featured in Time, The New Yorker, and The Washington Post, and has appeared on NBC, CNN, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, The History Channel, National Geographic, BBC, major NPR shows, and other top print and broadcast media outlets. His most recent book is The Triumph of Christianity.
Episodes that have been re-released as part of the Best of Making Sense series may have been edited for relevance since their original airing.
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