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How Wild Can it Get? The Diversity of Early Christianity

Bart D. Ehrman

150,342 views

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Episode Outline:
0:00 Early Christianity was never just one thing
0:44 Bart and Megan catch up on teaching and Digital Hammurabi
4:09 Why it matters to study divisions in early Christianity
7:09 Why Christianity became more exclusivist than surrounding pagan religions
10:59 Why Christian groups fought over belief in ways pagans usually did not
13:22 Did the major early Christian groups exist at the same time and place?
17:57 How scholars know what these groups believed
23:39 Proto-Orthodox, Ebionites, Marcionites, and Gnostics in brief
29:24 What these competing groups still had in common
32:08 Why Proto-Orthodoxy won and became “Christianity”
37:13 Bart’s Weekly Update: preparing the Mark course
38:08 Bart Reflects on Life: academic freedom and the Hamline controversy
43:40 Final summary and reading recommendations

Episode Description

You think Christianity is diverse today? Fundamentalists? Roman Catholics? Mormons? Methodists? Branch Davidians? Episcopalians? Russian Orthodox? And on and on? In fact, the wide varieties of Christianity today pale in comparison with what you could find in antiquity, with beliefs that virtually defy belief. How could people with views that seem so far beyond the pale (that there were many gods? That the Creator was evil? That Christ never died?) call themselves Christian and claim they were following the teachings of Jesus? That's what we discuss in today's podcast.

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#EarlyChristianity
#Gnosticism
#ChurchHistory
#BiblicalScholarship
#ChristianOrigins
#HeresyAndOrthodoxy
#NewTestament
#BibleStudy

20 Comments

@oskeewootwoot 3 years ago

I just want to mention how absolutely fortunate we are in this time, where we have the opportunity to watch a discussion between someone as highly educated as Megan and Dr Bart Ehrman, one of the foremost New Testament scholars...FOR FREE, IN THE COMFORT OF OUR OWN HOMES!! That's simply astounding! As much "wrong" there is with the world, this truly is something that's good.

@ksjazzguitaryt 3 years ago

Bart's book, Lost Christianities is a treasure.

@QuinnPrice 3 years ago

Excellent insights. During my evangelical years, I was told that early believers were a type of apostle book club where they got together to discuss the gospels and Paul. Eye roll.

@michealcox7236 3 years ago

My study into the Bible (as a historical text, after leaving evangelical Christianity) began as a way to defend myself from the constant proselytizing we enjoy here in the south, but I came to have a genuine interest and fascination with the early Christian world that I had been taught nothing about in my Church of Christ upbringing. Now I continue to learn despite the fact that the people in my life have long since stopped sending me bible verses, all thanks to the work of Dr. Ehrman.

@timothymalone7067 2 years ago

Thanks for the easy banter between you. Always amazed at the variety of Megan’s glasses and hair color! Keep up the brilliant work

@davidwallace3871 3 years ago

Thank you for making your knowledge available to all of us who cannot attend your college.

@magicdog9523 3 years ago

We used Dr. Ehrman's book "Lost Christianities" as part of a history course I took on the Early Church - Great stuff.

@be1tube 3 years ago

45:00 I bought "The Other Gospels" last week to create a Wikipedia citation, and it's been great! I heartily recommend it to anyone who enjoys early Christianity or ancient religious texts.

@ajmeyers5661 3 years ago

I think Bart's comments on academic freedom are as engaging as his talk on different Christianities.

I thoroughly enjoyed this

@rogerscales2069 3 years ago

You guys are the bomb! Thanks!

@Venaloid 3 years ago (edited)

39:17 - So basically, the Muslim student knew the picture would be shown, and then waited until the picture was shown before complaining, and didn't leave beforehand despite being given the option. That's not a victim, that's an opportunistic bully.

@Chandransingham 3 years ago

Very interesting and illuminating. Having already about this, this is a great refresher. Thanks for the J K Elliott's Apocryphal NT. My local library also has the 1924 M R James. God bless.

@lostfan5054 3 years ago

I'm a Digital Hammurabi patron :) They're great!!!

@chloeelizabe 3 years ago

I've been listening to and enjoying these podcasts in random order, and this one is the first time I've seen Bart in such a silly goofy mood 🤣

@aarondavis8943 3 years ago

I LOVE this discussion. Looking forward to more! Subbed.

@rhondah1587 3 years ago

I read Phillip Jenkins’ book Jesus Wars. That book really outlines the conflicts in early xianity and it was very nasty and violent. Lots of people were murdered for their differences in the early years.