Ehrman, Bart D. 1956(?)–

PERSONAL:

Born c. 1956. Education: Wheaton College, B.A. (magna cum laude), 1978; Princeton Theological Seminary, M.Div., 1981, Ph.D. (magna cum laude), 1985.

ADDRESSES:

Home—Durham, NC. Office—University of North Carolina, Department of Religious Studies, CB #3225, Saunders 101, Chapel Hill, NC 27599; fax: 919-962-1567. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER:

Writer, historian, religious scholar, lecturer, and educator. Rutgers University, Department of Religion, New Brunswick, NJ, instructor, 1984-85, assistant professor, 1985-88; Princeton Theological Seminary, instructor, 1985; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Department of Religious Studies, Chapel Hill, NC, assistant professor, 1988-94, associate professor, 1994-99, Director of Graduate Studies, 1996-99, Bowman and Gordon Gray Professor, 1998-2001, professor, 1999—, chair of Department of Religious Studies, 2000—, James A. Gray Distinguished Professor, 2003—. Duke University, visiting assistant professor, 1991, adjunct professor, 2000—. Guest on television and radio programs and networks, including CNN, National Public Radio, the History Channel, and A&E.

MEMBER:

Carolina Speakers Bureau, North American Committee of the International Greek New Testament Project, Studiorum Novi Testamenti Societas, Society of Biblical Literature (served as president and chair of New Testament criticism section), North American Patristics Society, Academy of Distinguished Teaching Scholars, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

AWARDS, HONORS:

John Lupton Foundation Grant for Course Development, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 1990, 1994; UNC Foundation Junior Faculty Development Award, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 1990; University Research Council Grant, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 1990, 1993; Faculty Fellowship, Institute for the Arts and Humanities, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 1991; Society of Biblical Literature Research and Publication Grant, 1991, 1992, 2000; Undergraduate Students' Teaching Award, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 1993; Brandes Seminar Course Development Award, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 1994, 1997; Phillip and Ruth Hettlemann Prize for Artistic and Scholarly Achievement, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 1994; Arts and Sciences Foundation Research Development Grant, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 1995; University Research Council Publication Grant, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 1997; University Research Council Research Grant, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 1997, 2000; fellow, Institute for the Arts and Humanities, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

WRITINGS:

NONFICTION

Didymus the Blind and the Text of the Gospels, Scholars Press (Atlanta, GA), 1986.

(With Gordon D. Fee and Michael W. Holmes) The Text of the Fourth Gospel in the Writings of Origen, Scholars Press (Atlanta, GA), 1992.

The Orthodox Corruption of Scripture: The Effect of Early Christological Controversies on the Text of the New Testament, Oxford University Press (New York, NY), 1993.

(Editor, with Michael W. Holmes) The Text of the New Testament in Contemporary Research: Essays on the Status Quaestionis, Eerdmans (Grand Rapids, MI), 1995.

The New Testament: A Historical Introduction to the Early Christian Writings, Oxford University Press (New York, NY), 1997, 3rd edition, 2004.

The New Testament and Other Early Christian Writings: A Reader, Oxford University Press (New York, NY), 1998, 2nd edition, 2004.

After the New Testament: A Reader in Early Christianity, Oxford University Press (New York, NY), 1999.

Jesus, Apocalyptic Prophet of the New Millennium, Oxford University Press (New York, NY), 1999.

Lost Christianities: The Battle for Scripture and the Faiths We Never Knew, Oxford University Press (New York, NY), 2003.

(Editor and translator) The Apostolic Fathers, Harvard University Press (Cambridge, MA), 2003.

Lost Scriptures: Books That Did Not Make It into the New Testament, Oxford University Press (New York, NY), 2003.

Truth and Fiction in the Da Vinci Code: A Historian Reveals What We Really Know about Jesus, Mary Magdalene, and Constantine, Oxford University Press (New York, NY), 2004.

(With Andrew S. Jacobs) Christianity in Late Antiquity, 300-450 C.E.: A Reader, Oxford University Press (New York, NY), 2004.

A Brief Introduction to the New Testament, Oxford University Press (New York, NY), 2004.

(With Bruce M. Metzger) The Text of the New Testament: Its Transmission, Corruption, and Restoration, 4th edition, Oxford University Press (New York, NY), 2005.

Misquoting Jesus: The Story behind Who Changed the Bible and Why, HarperSanFrancisco (San Francisco, CA), 2005, published as Whose Word Is It? The Story Behind Who Changed the New Testament and Why, Continuum (London, England), 2006.

Peter, Paul, and Mary Magdalene: The Followers of Jesus in History and Legend, Oxford University Press (New York, NY), 2006.

Studies in the Textual Criticism of the New Testament, Brill (Boston, MA), 2006.

The Lost Gospel of Judas Iscariot: A New Look at Betrayer and Betrayed, Oxford University Press (New York, NY), 2006.

Contributor to books, including New Testament Textual Criticism, Exegesis, and Church History: A Discussion of Methods, edited by B. Aland and J. Delobel, Kok Pharos (Kampen, The Netherlands), 1994; New Testament Interpretation Today, edited by Joel Green, Eerdmans (Grand Rapids, MI), 1996; Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible, Eerdmans (Grand Rapids, MI), 1999; and The Bible As Book, Scriptorium (Grand Rapids, MI), 2003.

Contributor to journals and periodicals, including Journal of Early Christian Studies, TC: A Journal of Biblical Textual Criticism, Perspectives in Religion, Studies and Documents, New Testament Studies, Journal of Biblical Literature, Biblica, Novum Testamentum, Vigiliae Christianae, Biblical Quarterly, Catholic Biblical Quarterly, Currents in Contemporary Christology, Princeton Seminary Bulletin, Critical Review of Books in Religion, and Biblical Theology Bulletin.

Author of courses and lectures on audio and video tape.

Editor, The New Testament in the Greek Fathers monograph series (member of editorial board, 1988—, editor-in-chief, 1997); coeditor, New Testament Tools and Studies monograph series, 1993—.

Member of editorial board, Critical Review of Books in Religion, 1994-98; Textual Criticism: An Electronic Journal, 1995—; Studies and Documents, 1995—; Pericope: Scripture as Written and Read in Antiquity, 2001—; New Testament Studies, 2004—; Journal of Early Christian Studies, 2004—; Early Christianity in Context, 2004—; member of advisory board, Electronic New Testament Manuscript Project, 1995-99.

SIDELIGHTS:

Bart D. Ehrman is a professor of religious studies at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. His works typically focus on aspects of Christian history, notably on those that deal with early Christian writings and the New Testament.

"While it is well known that ‘heretics’ such as Marcion and Tatian tampered with the text of the New Testament … the fact that their proto-‘orthodox’ opponents also changed the New Testament's text is often overlooked," explained William L. Petersen in the Journal of Religion. Ehrman's 1993 work, The Orthodox Corruption of Scripture: The Effect of Early Christological Controversies on the Text of the New Testament, focuses on these changes, which were made by the scribes copying the texts as a way to deal with specific issues they considered heretical. An example of one of these heretical notions, from the second and third centuries, is separationism, the belief that Christ and Jesus are two separate people.

"Textual critics have long been conscious that theological concerns affected the transmission of the written texts," noted Louis William Countryman in Church History. "Ehrman, however, establishes a new standard of coherence and thoroughness in dealing with these issues." Choice reviewer F.M. Gillman praised The Orthodox Corruption of Scripture as a "detailed, carefully argued, and thoroughly documented study." Petersen also lauded the work, concluding: "Ehrman's study is well written. It serves a useful purpose in demonstrating how textual variants are often the result of theological prejudices and proves once again that the ‘orthodox’ did not hesitate to revise the received text when it did not suit their needs."

Ehrman's other books focus on similar themes and have also been well received by critics and scholars. For example, Didymus the Blind and the Text of the Gospels, a revision of his Princeton Theological Seminary dissertation, was lauded by Michael W. Holmes in the Journal of Biblical Literature. "In all, this is a superior piece of work in terms of both the importance of its findings and the potential of its methodological proposals. One looks forward to more from this author." The Text of the New Testament in Contemporary Research: Essays on the Status Quaestionis, edited by Ehrman and Michael W. Holmes in honor of professor Bruce M. Metzger of Princeton Theological Seminary, is a collection of essays on various aspects relating to contemporary textual criticism of the New Testament. James A. Brooks in Religious Studies Review called the work "an excellent supplement" to New Testament textual criticism. Daniel J. Harrington in America argued that the "up-to-date handbook deserves a place in all good theological libraries." Ehrman's The Text of the Fourth Gospel in the Writings of Origen, written with Gordon D. Fee and Michael W. Holmes, uses the surviving writings of Origen, an early Greek church father, to reconstruct a text of John. In Religious Studies Review, James A. Brooks lauded the work as "of inestimable value" to New Testament scholars.

Jesus, Apocalyptic Prophet of the New Millennium is aimed at a popular audience rather than religious studies scholars. In the work, Ehrman argues that much of the popular conception of Jesus is based on misleading statements made by the church or by scholars, and that it is crucial to place Jesus in context and explore the sources of information about him. Using both canonical and noncanonical sources, Ehrman argues that Jesus is best understood as an apocalyptic preacher who believed the world was coming to an end and that God would judge and destroy the evil, a portrait of Jesus similar to that first espoused by Albert Schweitzer in the early twentieth century.

Eugene O. Bowser in Library Journal faulted Ehrman for "wrongly giving an illusion of certainty and agreement where there is none" among historical scholars, and presenting primarily only one side of the debate. A Publishers Weekly critic however, concluded: "While Ehrman's provocative thesis will stir up controversy among scholars, his warm, inviting prose style and his easy-to-read historical and critical overviews make this the single best introduction to the study of the historical Jesus."

Lost Christianities: The Battle for Scripture and the Faiths We Never Knew provides a historical recounting of some of the earliest Christian groups and their conflicts with each other as they struggled to establish their particular version of Christianity as the dominant one. "With a light, vivid style, Bart D. Ehrman dramatically recounts how early Christian groups fought with each other before the fourth-century consolidation of orthodoxy," commented David C. Albertson in the Journal of Religion. Ehrman considers the often shaky basis for making declarations of authenticity for any ancient source, noting that materials labeled canonical or apocryphal may be one, the other, or neither, since forgery and exaggeration can enter into the designation. He explores the breadth and tremendous diversity of early Christian belief and the various groups that emerged in the early days of Christianity. Finally, he looks at the literary techniques and other strategies used by the Christian groups that succeeded in defining Christian orthodoxy in their own way. Ehrman analyzes early documents and literary categories, including gospels, epistles, and apocalypses, and "presents context, history, and commentary surrounding these important early materials," remarked Sandra Collins in Library Journal. A Kirkus Reviews critic named the book "A well-crafted, scholarly tale of forgeries, burned books, doctrinal feuds, and other episodes in the making of the New Testament and the early Church." L.W. Hurtado, writing in the Journal of Ecclesiastical History, concluded that "for readers with little or no previous acquaintance with the texts and developments in view here, this will provide an informed, genial and readable introduction."

In Misquoting Jesus: The Story behind Who Changed the Bible and Why Ehrman carefully considers the plentiful evidence that the Bible has been repeatedly changed and altered throughout its history, by both accident and design, as religious leaders and biblical guardians sought to impose their favored interpretations of biblical history and scripture. Ehrman challenges assessments of the Bible as a divinely inspired and perfect text transmitted directly from God to readers. Too many discrepancies and disagreements, errors and omissions exist in extant versions of the Bible for it to be a perfect representation of God's word. An expert in textual criticism, scholarly techniques for comparing and analyzing divergent texts, Ehrman explains the processes of textual criticism and the results that have emerged in studies of the long history of the Bible. Ehrman notes numerous instances where "scribes and editors altered the text of New Testament to avoid making Jesus look bad, to refute heresies and for sociopolitical reasons, blithely altering what they supposedly accepted as God's dictation to the mortal authors of the Christian scriptures in the process," commented Tim Callahan in Skeptic. Inadvertent mistakes and deliberate changes have fundamentally altered the Bible from the form it occupied in early times, according to Ehrman. "Among the things Ehrman claims were changed or added by scribes are the Lord's Prayer, the Last Supper, and the woman caught in adultery, which he says was not part of any of the four Gospels as originally written," pointed out Mark I. Pinsky in the Orlando Sentinel. It was these errors and inconsistencies, in fact, that severely undermined Ehrman's own religious belief and led him from born-again Christianity to disbelief. In this work, fifteen centuries of "hand-copied manuscripts and their differences are synthesized into a very provocative, readable study which any Bible student will find fascinating," commented a reviewer in California Bookwatch.

Peter, Paul, and Mary Magdalene: The Followers of Jesus in History and Legend contains Ehrman's analysis and scholarly consideration of the lives of three of Christ's most important followers. His analysis of the importance of these three individuals is "uncompromising in its scholarship yet utterly engaging for general readers," observed Ilene Cooper in Booklist. He uses historical writings, New Testament texts, and other documents to define the lives of the three. He also looks at myths and legends about the trio to explore their importance to Christians and to the development of Christian belief, values, and passions. As part of the process, Ehrman considers "how to separate history from legend, whether it can be done at all, and whether it matters," commented a Publishers Weekly contributor.

In The Lost Gospel of Judas Iscariot: A New Look at Betrayer and Betrayed, Ehrman takes a new look at one of the most reviled figures of biblical times and offers up a positive, even uplifting interpretation of Judas's role in the earthly mission of Jesus. The Gospel of Judas is a relatively recent biblical discovery that consisted of a manuscript that offered a different interpretation of the story of Judas than that presented in the New Testament. Ehrman served as one of the scholars who authenticated the manuscript, which comes from the Gnostic tradition, and his interpretation portrays Judas not as a villain, but as a vitally important and irreplaceable agent in fulfilling Christ's divine destiny. The Gospel of Judas, according to Ehrman, "reveals a radical new understanding of Christ's mission and Judas's role in it," noted Library Journal reviewer C. Brian Smith. Among the twelve apostles, it was Judas alone who fully understood Christ's message, Ehrman states. Further, Ehrman notes, what is seen as Judas's betrayal was in fact an act of kindness performed in the service of Jesus and his mission on Earth. Ehrman also offers an explanation of the Gnostic tradition, the place of the Gospel of Judas within that tradition, and a thorough explication of the contents of the lost gospel. Cooper, in another Booklist review, called the book "a must for those interested in the subject of early Christianity," while a Publishers Weekly critic stated: "Ehrman's fast-paced study introduces us engagingly to the Gospel of Judas."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

America, April 6, 1996, Daniel J. Harrington, review of The Text of the New Testament in Contemporary Research: Essays on the Status Quaestionis, p. 21.

Booklist, September 1, 1999, Steven Schroeder, review of Jesus, Apocalyptic Prophet of the New Millennium, p. 35; November 1, 2004, Ilene Cooper, review of The Truth and Fiction in The Da Vinci Code: a Historian Reveals What We Really Know about Jesus, Mary Magdalene, and Constantine, p. 454; November 15, 2005, Bryce Christensen, review of Misquoting Jesus: The Story behind Who Changed the Bible and Why, p. 7; April 15, 2006, Ilene Cooper, review of Peter, Paul, and Mary Magdalene: the Followers of Jesus in History and Legend, p. 8; October 1, 2006, Ilene Cooper, "Exonerating Judas," review of The Lost Gospel of Judas Iscariot: A New Look at Betrayer and Betrayed, p. 27.

Books & Culture, September-October, 2006, Robert H. Gundry, "Post-Mortem: Death By Hardening of the Categories," review of Misquoting Jesus, p. 8.

California Bookwatch, April, 2006, review of Misquoting Jesus.

Choice, November, 1993, F.M. Gillman, review of The Orthodox Corruption of Scripture, p. 474; January, 2000, D. Ingolfsland, review of Jesus, Apocalyptic Prophet of the New Millennium, p. 951.

Church History, March, 1997, Louis William Countryman, review of The Orthodox Corruption of Scripture: The Effect of Early Christological Controversies on the Text of the New Testament, p. 81; June, 2005, Alison G. Salvesen, review of Lost Christianities, p. 347.

Internet Bookwatch, August, 2006, review of After the New Testament.

Interpretation, January, 2004, review of Lost Scriptures: Books that Did Not Make It into the New Testament, p. 108; January, 2004, reviews of The New Testament and Other Early Christian Writings: A Reader and The New Testament: A Historical Introduction to the Early Christian Writings, p. 108.

Journal of Biblical Literature, spring, 1989, Michael W. Holmes, review of Didymus the Blind and the Text of the Gospels, pp. 144-146.

Journal of Ecclesiastical History, January, 2005, L.W. Hurtado, review of Lost Christianities, p. 121.

Journal of Religion, October, 1994, William L. Petersen, review of The Orthodox Corruption of Scripture, p. 562; July, 2005, David C. Albertson, review of Lost Christianities, p. 477.

Kirkus Reviews, August 15, 2003, review of Lost Christianities, p. 1056.

Library Journal, October 1, 1999, Eugene O. Bowser, review of Jesus, Apocalyptic Prophet of the New Millennium, p. 99; November 15, 2003, Sandra Collins, review of Lost Christianities, p. 71; September 1, 2005, Charles Seymour, review of Misquoting Jesus, p. 147; April 1, 2006, John Jaeger, review of Peter, Paul, and Mary Magdalene, p. 99; October 15, 2006, C. Brian Smith, review of The Lost Gospel of Judas Iscariot, p. 67.

Orlando Sentinel, April 3, 2006, Mark I. Pinsky, "‘Gospel Truth’ Is Question for Author: Bart Ehrman Dissects What He Says Led to Mistakes in the Bible."

Publishers Weekly, July 12, 1999, review of Jesus, Apocalyptic Prophet of the New Millennium, p. 90; August 25, 2003, review of Lost Christianities, p. 58; October 11, 2004, review of The Truth and Fiction in the Da Vinci Code, p. 76; August 22, 2005, review of Misquoting Jesus, p. 59; March 13, 2006, review of Peter, Paul, and Mary Magdalene, p. 63; August 28, 2006, review of The Lost Gospel of Judas Iscariot, p. 49; November 20, 2006, Marcia Z. Nelson, "Three Authors Hit the Publishing Jackpot Bestsellers from the Academy," review of Misquoting Jesus, p. S8.

Religious Studies Review, January, 1994, James A. Brooks, review of The Text of the Fourth Gospel in the Writings of Origen, p. 62; October, 1995, James A. Brooks, review of The Text of the New Testament in Contemporary Research, p. 331; July, 1998, Casimir Bernas, reviews of The New Testament: A Historical Introduction to the Early Christian Writings and The New Testament and Other Early Christian Writings: A Reader, pp. 299-300.

Skeptic, winter, 2006, Tim Callahan, "The Word of the Lord?," review of Misquoting Jesus, p. 63.

ONLINE

Bart D. Ehrman Home Page,http://www.bartdehrman.com (February 6, 2007).

Internet Movie Database,http://www.imdb.com/ (February 6, 2007), filmography of Bart D. Ehrman.

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Department of Religious Studies Web site,http://www.unc.edu/depts/rel_stud/ (February 6, 2007), biography of Bart D. Ehrman.