Jesus Interrupted: Revealing the Hidden Contradictions in the Bible (And Why We Don't Know About Them) [Paperback]

 

 

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This work of non fiction stuck a cord with me. I too was (and to a degree am) a conservative Evangelical Christian. I grew up in the church and could easily cite a lot of scripture by heart. As I began university I felt ready to challenge anyone who argued against a strict literalist interpretation of the bible. I may have been able to quote scripture, but I had no idea how this scripture came to be, or how it developed over hundreds of years. I guess I always took for granted that God simply entered into the biblical writer's body and made them spew out God's word onto paper. As I continued my schooling however, (and took textual criticism), I realized that if I didn't critically investigate whether the book I called Sacred was really the word of God, then I was not treating God with the respect he deserves. As I learned about the actual composition of the bible, and of some of its inherent contradictions, it was devastating to my faith at first (although it gradually came back). Part of my struggle was that when I started studying the bible's composition, I felt I had been tricked all my life. Thus as I review this book, I cannot overemphasize how important it is to expose the population to the ubiquitous ignorance of the composition of the bible. I think it is fear of what we will find that discourages us from seriously studying, but it is only by confronting this fear that we can truly know God.

Now, why I like this book: At publicizing textual criticism, honest reflection, and understanding of the bible, there may be none better than Bart Ehrman. He writes well and fluently, and he convincingly brings up important issues that bible readers should be aware of. For this reason, I believe that Jesus, Interrupted is a very important book to read. If you are would like to delve into a real study of the bible and its composition, then this is a place to start. Ehrman's prose flow and his message is very accessible. Whether you agree with it or not, after you read this book, it would be very difficult not be challenged. If you are a Christian, this challenge is important because it is only through challenge we can avoid stagnation in the faith.

However, if you read this book, please don't be content to put the issues in it to rest afterword. Keep in mind that Ehrman's view is not the only one in the field, and others believe differently. I appreciate Ehrman's attempt at bringing a serious understanding of the bible to the populous. After all, if we accept the bible based on blind faith, and we refuse to entertain why we believe the bible to be true, then our foundation is weak. If I seriously contend that Lord of the Rings is my divinely inspired scripture, and if I refuse to seriously evaluate the basis for this, no one could sway me, and I just look like an ignorant fool. That being said, and while I applaud Ehrman's intentions, I don't agree with all his conclusions. While this review isn't the place for a theological debate, I do not agree, for example, that many essential Christian doctrines were simply inventions of later theologians. For that matter, Ehrman idolizes Bruce Metzger but I doubt that Metzger (were he still alive) would agree with a few of Ehrman's conclusions.

This is a very articulate, readable book which expresses a textual criticism of the bible very well. I would strongly recommend that people read it and take Ehrman's message seriously. However, don't stop there. Don't simply believe or disbelieve what Ehrman says in Jesus, Interrupted based on whether you like it or not. Read divergent views and figure it out its truth for yourself.

In this fascinating book, the author critically examines (i.e., the historical-critical approach) the New Testament in order to illustrate the many discrepancies, inconsistencies and contradictions that it contains. The information presented, he asserts, is standard fare in seminary courses on the Bible. As a result, these various problems are all well-known by priests, ministers, pastors, biblical scholars, etc., but are not likely known by Christians in general. The author also recounts the captivating history of Christian thought from its very beginnings though its many metamorphoses and on to what it is today. On the way, he discusses such topics as: who wrote the New Testament, how it got to be what it is today and why, what the historian can say about the historical Jesus and who really invented Christianity. As a bonus, the author briefly summarizes his rationale for switching from being a young evangelical Christian to eventually becoming an agnostic. The writing style is authoritative, very clear, friendly, quite engaging, occasionally humorous and accessible to a broad readership. Consequently, this excellent book can be enjoyed by anyone; however, biblical history enthusiasts will likely appreciate it the most.

Art Matters: The Art of Knowledge/The Knowledge of Art
Natural Law, Science, and the Social Construction of Reality

As a philosopher who has written on the relationship between knowledge and values, and who has a small but real reputation as a specialist on the moral theory of Aquinas and why we should reject that theory, I found this book lively and interesting.

I have long wondered about the origins of Christianity, and, as such, have done much research in the area. so much of what Ehrman says in this book is not new to me, but some of it is.

For example, I have long known that the religion Paul started had little, if anything, to do with the historical Jesus. His doctrines clearly divorced his teachings from their Jewish origins. Erhman gives a lucid account of the whole process.

We have also known about the differences in the gospels. Erhman again gives a clear account of why we have these differences. They were written by different people at different times for different audiences.

His discussion of how the New Testament is interesting but this is where he loses one star. he needed to say a bit more about the role of Constantine and the Council of Nicea and how the decisions were made. But, in a book like this, one cannot include everything.

The main theme of the book is that when one reads the New Testament historically one reads a very different book than if one reads it in bits and pieces. And when one reads the book historically, one finds that Christianity, rather than a religion coming from God is in fact a human constructed belief system, which little, if anything, to do with the historical Jesus.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Christianity- a non-divine religion.......
A decade or so ago I began to realize that the definition of the word "faith" was quite different from how I was taught. Read more

Published 13 months ago by Ronald W. Maron

4.0 out of 5 stars An eye-opener
I read this book a few months ago so I'll share just a few reflections. Many of the points that Bart makes in this book, I was previously aware of, although he elaborates on and... Read more

Published on Aug 15 2009 by Harry Bakker

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Information Book
This book takes a very historical-critical look at the Bible. There's little personal influence used in this book, just simple logic. Read more

Published on Aug 14 2009 by Daiken

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