Rating: 
Summary: Misplaced historical references and interpretations
Review: In reading Ehrman's textbook, it became quickly obvious that the genre is New Testament criticism. Not criticism in exegetical terms, but criticism in downgrading terms. Ehrman posits many positions of his own by shrewdly engaging in verbal "gimicktry". His implicit comments regarding aspects of Christianity when compared to Greco-Roman practices are unfounded in fact. Like a courtroom lawyer, he makes statments that can't be substantiated under cross. In one section of the text he describes, Christian practices as rituals that have the same words repeated over and over again in the same manner and that they have been conducted in this way for centuries. The context being any Christian celebration of significance, but clearly aimed at the Catholic Christian Mass. Having made his comment about the duration of the same words invoked for so long during similar celebrations, he leaves the reader with an implied misdirected sense of purpose for the celebrations. He never commits to the question, "Is this a good thing or a bad thing that the same words have been used for centuries? Indeed one would wonder if Ehrman would have his readers ask the question; "Is the existence of a God, a good thing or a bad thing? His text would resound with his answer, it doesn't matter. And since it apparently doesn't matter to Ehrman, what ultimately is his point in writing this text. An impressionable young student would be ripe for noncritical acceptance of his interpretation of events in history. The text does not list specific sources for his suppositions, but rather provides a litany of whole books to read of the same genre. I doubt that this text would standup under cross by other theologians like N.T. Wright. Wright's writings counter modern historians methodologies of review of the ancient texts.
Rating:
Summary: one sided view
Review: Many readers have already commented on how Ehrman fails to provide any good information but basically his own point of view. I completely agree with these statements. Ehrman frequently uses poor and very simple analogies to "prove" his point. He rarely ever clearly backs his point with something solid. "I don't need to give every piece of data here to make my basic point" (229). I find most of the book just verbage and mostly opinion, which is unusual for a historical introduction. What I find most interesting is that he states that religious people must use a lot of faith to believe what they do, while in fact I feel the same way about him. He clearly goes into all his pursuits with an agenda while totally under the guise that he is "objective" and "neutral". The basic premise of his opinions are skepticism, which basically is no foundation for any type of opinion. Anything he disagrees with is questionable because he believes one cannot possibly know for sure. If John states that Jesus says he is the Son of God, he would state that that was due to the pre-conceptions of the disciples who attributed such words to Jesus. Besides John was written later. If Mark gave any evidence toward Jesus stating that he was God, Ehrman would state that this document was most likely changed by a later writer. His technique is basically to cast doubt into all controversial parts of the Bible. Which is fine, except that anyone can easily see that he rarely ever does any close readings of the texts, only makes generalizations. In fact he rarely ever quotes the texts. One should also note that he never quotes or paraphrases other scholars who may disagree with him.
Rating: 
Summary: To Go A Step Beyond
Review: Nearly all knowledgeable Biblical scholars realize there have been a wide range of writings attributed to Jesus and his Apostles..... and that some of these were selected for compilation into the book that became known as the Bible.....and that some books have been removed from some versions of the Bible and others have been re-discovered in modern times.
The attention focused on Gnosticism by Dan Brown's DaVinci Code may be debatable, but the fact is that increased attention on academics tends to be predominately positive.
This is great......I seldom quote other reviewers, but there is one reviewer of Pagels' books who confided that he had been a Jesuit candidate and had been required to study a wide range of texts but was never was told about the Nag Hamadi texts. He said:
"Now I know why. The Gospel of Thomas lays waste to the notion that Jesus was `the only begotten Son of God' and obviates the need for a formalized church when he says, `When your leaders tell you that God is in heaven, say rather, God is within you, and without you.' No wonder they suppressed this stuff! The Roman Catholic Church hasn't maintained itself as the oldest institution in the world by allowing individuals to have a clear channel to see the divinity within all of us: they need to put God in a bottle, label the bottle, put that bottle on an altar, build a church around that altar, put a sign over the door, and create rubricks and rituals to keep out the dis-believing riff-raff. Real `Us' versus `them' stuff, the polar opposite from `God is within You.' `My God is bigger than your God' the church(s)seem to say. And you can only get there through "my" door/denomination. But Jesus according to Thomas had it right: just keep it simple, and discover the indwelling Divinity `within you and without you.'"
Here are quickie reviews of what is being bought these days on the Gnostic Gospels and the lost books of the Bible in general:
The Lost Books of the Bible (0517277956) includes 26 apocryphal books from the first 400 years that were not included in the New Testament.
Marvin Meyers' The Secret Teachings of Jesus : Four Gnostic Gospels (0394744330 ) is a new translation without commentary of The Secret Book of James, The Gospel of Thomas, The Book of Thomas, and The Secret Book of John.
James M. Robinson's The Nag Hammadi Library in English : Revised Edition (0060669357) has been around 25 years now and is in 2nd edition. It has introductions to each of the 13 Nag Hammadi Codices and the Papyrus Berioinensis 8502.
The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls in English (0140278079) by Geza Vermes has selected works....a complete work is more difficult to achieve than the publisher's marketing concept indicates. His commentary generates strong reactions.
Elaine Pagels has 2 books (The Gnostic Gospels 0679724532 and Beyond Belief : The Secret Gospel of Thomas 0375501568) that have received considerable attention lately. For many, her work is controversial in that it is written for popular consumption and there is a strong modern interpretation. She does attempt to reinterpret ancient gender relationships in the light of modern feminist thinking. While this is a useful (and entertaining) aspect of college women's studies programs, it is not as unethical as some critics claim. As hard as they may try, all historians interpret the past in the context of the present. Obviously there is value in our attempts to re-interpret the past in the light of our own time.
If you want the full scholarly work it is W. Schneemelcher's 2 volume New Testament Apocrypha.
Also, to understand the Cathars......try Barbara Tuckman's Distant Mirror for an incredible historical commentary on how the Christian Church has handled other points of view
Rating: 
Summary: Ehrman's Assumption
Review: Prof. Ehrman, though pretending he is neither a believer nor non-believer in Jesus's divinity, is clearly, and supremely, a sceptical non-believer.
The key issue in approaching the reliability of the Gospels is
WHEN WERE THEY WRITTEN? Now, if Ehrman had presented some
facts or evidence that the Gospels were written, as he claims, "several decades"
after Jesus's death, he might make some sense from his negative conclusions about the Gospels being "mythical."
But the major weakness of his argument is that he ASSUMES they were written "no earlier than the year 65 to 95." Not once does he show convincing evidence, external or internal, for such a scepticism-producing claim. Moreover, he never
clarifies how the ACTS OF THE APOSTLES (clearly finished before
Peter and Paul died in the mid- 60's), which came before Luke's Gospel, can be reconciled with his absurdly late dates for the Gospels. And he never deals with Peter, who was a companion of Jesus for a few years, and who held on to his belief for some 30 years after Jesus left; why would Peter give his life to a "myth"? In assessing Jesus, Peter is absolutely critical.
The very key points Ehrman is supposed to be dealing with and prove he merely assumes or ignores. Incredible! No wonder he has no religious faith.
If you're looking for real objective scholarship on the Gospels, better to read E. Earle Ellis on the Making of the N.T.
Documents.
As for Ehrman, I've listened to 24 hours of his tapes on the New Testament and his scepticism is even more extreme therein.
Not very convincing to an intelligent person.
It's unfortunate some people think he's "objective."
Rating:
Summary: One Of The Top Scholars To Watch And Read
Review: Professor Ehrman is one of the top biblical scholars in the world. His work is very well balanced and rests upon a strong foundation of evidence. I have had the honor of reading both of the Editions of this book and continue to be enlightened. The New Testament : A Historical Introduction to the Early Christian Writings is appropriate for beginning and advanced readers of biblical studies. The breakdown of material is excellent. While discussing major topics, sub-topics are included to further the readers understanding of a particular issue. If one is to buy an introduction to the NT, I highly recommend Professor Ehrman's book!!!
Rating: 
Summary: A RATHER ONE-SIDED INTRODUCTION TO BIBLICAL SCHOLARSHIP
Review: This book is well written and closely argued, but as an introduction to the subject matter it fails on at least one important level: Unlike, say, John Drane's "Introduction to the New Testament" or Raymond Brown's more detailed overview from the Catholic perspective, Ehrman does not introduce us to a representative sample of scholarly thought. Instead it mainly argues the case for Ehrman's own position, and in the process it takes for granted certain assumptions that are more widely contested than he seems willing to admit. In other words, there is a tendency to cite opinions that other equally reputable scholars would contest as though they were established fact. Another difficulty with using this book as an introduction to the subject is that Ehrman does not give the reader enough assistance in investigating his influences and antecedents. He makes some quite radical assertions (e.g. challenging the traditional view that the oral traditions of pre-literate societies tend to be transmitted reliably) without the conventional footnotes quoting authorities and sources. Apart from some general further reading suggestions at the end of chapters, Ehrman's assertions along the lines that "recent research has shown" or "it is now accepted" have to be taken on his say-so alone. Actually, Ehrman's antecedents are fairly obvious to anyone who has read theology - he continues the tradition of 19th century liberals like Wrede (and their 20th century disciples like Bultmann) who drew a sharp distinction between (i) the Jesus of history and (ii) the Christ of the Church's faith, and assumes that the Bible can only inform us about the latter. And yet this view is already past its sell-by date; from the systematic reconstructions of Tom Wright at the conservative end of the spectrum to the liberal "cherry-picking" of the Jesus Seminar, the energies of the critical community are heavily focused on a "Third Quest" for the historical Jesus. There is nothing instrinsically wrong with Ehrman's scholarship, but once again it is one-sided. A more serious issue is that Ehrman goes a stage beyond Reimarus, Wrede and so on in his assumptions that first century Christian thought was at least as heterodox as we know second century thought to have been, that the ascendancy of the orthodox "brand" of Christianity was simply by a process of natural selection, and that generations of "proto-orthodox" NT redactors constantly and consciously changed and added to the texts as they went along - their intention being to filter out any ideas that seemed to challenge their prejudices and to provide ammunition in the fight against "heresy". This position is not systematically spelled out in the book under review (for that, see one of Ehrman's other books, "The Orthodox Corruption of Scripture"), but it needs stating here because these assumptions inform his whole approach to the subject. This is more radical than it may sound, because it would imply that the four canonical Gospels are not necessarily any more authoritative as insights into the historical Jesus than the Gnostic and other apocryphal writings of the second century such as the "Gospel of Thomas". In fact, the very starting point for Ehrman's main discourse is the non-uniqueness of the traditionally-supposed key points of Jesus' life: He begins by recounting the miraculous birth, life, death and resurrection of a man the readers is allowed to assume is Jesus, but then (surprise!) turns out to be Appollonius of Tyana, a mythical miracle worker whose exploits are chronicled in the "histories" of Philostratus. Ehrman's book has many good points. Its discussion of Marcan priority is the most lucid summary I have read, and its assessment of the historical background to each of the biblical Gospels and the Pauline writings is also outstanding. My problems with the book arise from its shuttered perspective. In the context of a more open discussion, and with greater care in documenting his sources, the author could have argued his own opinions just as coherently and with less danger of giving the inexperienced student a one-sided view of the issues.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Intro
Review: This book served as a wonderful intro to criticism of the New Testament. Sure, Ehrman's biased. We all are. But, after each chapter, he lists on-topic books whose authors hold strikingly different views than his own. Overall, an excellent, very thought provoking book.
Rating:
Summary: Not for mindless followers
Review: This book will raise questions and allow you to examine the Bible on a historical persepective not a faith based perspective. It is a teaching text not a bible/christian faith reinforcement text allowing a person to view the events and the history in a manner which may not have been introduced to them. In various classes there have been problems with those of the fundamentalist view point as well as rigid adherents to Christianity. It will allow a second viewpoint which is not introduced into most religious settings today. If you are seeking warm fuzzy reinforcement of beliefs then this is NOT the book for you then read and learn then I suggest those authors who reject all in favor of faith. If you are seeking to learn more about the historical background and the references found in other text of the time which may either reinforce the Christian view or not He provides references for his claims and sources.
Rating:
Summary: Getting to Know the New Testament with clarity
Review: What does Jesus mean to you and why is it important to you as a human being living 2000 years after the death of Jesus? Why is Jesus viewed and interpreted by scholars in so many different ways? How do the four Gospels of the New Testament explain the life and mysteries of Jesus as a man, prophet, messiah and divine being? These and a host of questions of this nature are clearly explained by Professor Bart D. Ehrman in his excellent book, The New Testament: A Historical Introduction to the Early Christian Writings. This is a thorough examination of the New Testament. Although the title suggests a "historical introduction", it's that and much more. Too often, scholars tend to express historical events in high brow theoretical frameworks and confusing, elaborate paradigms. As a student or just someone who may be interested in learning about the New Testament, you're presented with a lucid, terse and imaginative outline on the New Testament reading Professor Ehrman's book. All 29 chapters are presented coherently with logical historical descriptions and analysis that clearly explains every facet of what it means to analyze a complex and controversial subject. It was such a pleasure to read through the material with ease, comfort and with clear explanations. Professor Ehrman carefully walks you step by step through non-canonical and canonical sources for the "creation" of the New Testament. In addition, you're given the ideas behind each gospel and what the "author" of each gospel portrayed using a variety of historical methodologies. You're given a succinct groundwork to help you understand how you get from point A to point B of each gospel and their connections. There are no quantum jumps in theoretical ideas to confuse the reader. I have thoroughly read 13 other books on the "Historical Jesus" and reviewed 43 other ones. Professor Ehrman's book is by far the best ever written on the subject. Although the book is used as a text book for the Historical Jesus and the New Testament for undergraduate students, it could easily be read as a book on it's own. You learn not only the history of Jesus; from varying sources, but you get in depth lessons on ancient history which connects everything together so well. I would highly recommend this book over Professors E.P. Sanders', The Historical Figure of Jesus (Penguin Books, 1993), which I feel is an excellent book on the same subject. The price of the book is worth every penny. You will never read the four Gospels the same way after reading Professor Ehrman's tremendous book. This book along with his other book, Jesus: Apocalyptic Prophet of the New Millennium (Oxford University Press, 1999) can only help the reader to clearly understand the Historical Jesus from so many perspectives with clarity beyond imagination. Any reader who does NOT enjoy this book and/or comes away with a better understanding of this subject has not read other convoluted books on this subject. The reader would do well to go through the four gospels first (a few times) before reading Professor Ehrman's book so that you can appreciate his analysis as he quotes verses from scriptures in each gospel. The cliché, "read any good books lately?" certainly applies to this book.
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