First published 2009
Bart Ehrman begins his scholarly journey as an ultraconservative believer studying original biblical texts in Greek. As he examines ancient manuscripts, he uncovers a shocking reality: scribes have been altering the New Testament for fifteen centuries. These copyists, working by hand before the printing press, made both accidental mistakes and deliberate changes influenced by the theological and political conflicts of their times. Ehrman traces how these alterations shaped fundamental Christian doctrines about Jesus's divinity and the Trinity. He shows readers the detective work scholars use to reconstruct original biblical passages from corrupted copies. The discoveries force Ehrman to abandon his conservative faith as he realizes that many cherished biblical stories stem from scribal modifications rather than divine inspiration. His research reveals that what modern readers consider the exact words of Jesus and Paul are actually the product of centuries of human interference.
Genres: history, atheism, non-fiction, christianity, academic
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: academic-journey, loss-of-faith
272 pages · Kindle Edition · HarperCollins Publishers