Freethought & Rationalism Archive

Toto · 02-07-2011, 08:23 PM

Forged - Writing in the Name of God--Why the Bible's Authors Are Not Who We Think They Are (or via: amazon.co.uk)

available Mar 22, 2011

http://www.bartdehrman.com/books/forged.htm

Quote:

Library Journal

"Ehrman provides evidence here that the ancient world, in fact, generally condemned forgeries as much as the modern world does. He then goes on to discuss works that were wrongly claimed to have been written by Peter or by Paul as well as other forgeries, including some in the last two centuries. He distinguishes between the use of a pen name to hide the writer's identity and a forgery that claims to be the work of someone else. Most of the forgeries Ehrman discusses served Christian anti-Jewish propaganda, although some were antipagan, while the so-called Gospel of Nicodemus was an attempt to correct the very anti-Christian Acts of Pilate. Ehrman uses other forgeries as well to support his conclusion that "Christians intent on establishing what was right to believe did so by telling lies."

review

Quote:

After quoting a number of classical authorities to show the ancients disapproved of forgery - "even forgers condemned forgery" - Ehrman cites examples of the practice as it was used to advance the cause of the Christians and their opponents alike.

In the first several centuries after Jesus' ministry, the followers of the Nazarene engaged in fierce theological polemics with Jews, Gnostics, pagans and other Christians. They resorted to forgery, fabrication and character assassination to disparage their adversaries and bolster their own ranks, Ehrman writes.

....

Ehrman's beef is not so much with ancient forgers but with present-day believers who uncritically accept Biblical writings as genuine and consider it a sacrilege to question the Bible's authenticity. "Forged" is just the latest bombshell Ehrman has lobbed at his former co-religionists. He writes from the perspective of history's suppressed and silenced - that is, the heretics - in such titles as "Misquoting Jesus," "Lost Christianities," "Lost Scriptures" and "The Orthodox Corruption of Scripture."

ApostateAbe · 02-07-2011, 08:49 PM

Pfft. He's just another shill for the church's version of history, in bed with the Christian apologists.

Toto · 02-07-2011, 08:58 PM

He's just letting the masses know what the specialists have been saying for years. This may allow a few Christians to take baby steps towards dealing with reality.

judge · 02-07-2011, 09:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Toto

He's just letting the masses know what the specialists have been saying for years. This may allow a few Christians to take baby steps towards dealing with reality.

I'd be interested to see who really buys this book. I kinda doubt it will be evangelical christians.

The people who get excited by Ehrmans senstationalism* aren't, in my experience, christians.
The people who love this stuff are non christians.

Steven Carr · 02-08-2011, 12:08 AM

Whatever did happen to the well-established maxim used by True Historians of giving ancient documents the benefit of the doubt?

Joan of Bark · 02-08-2011, 03:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ApostateAbe

Pfft. He's just another shill for the church's version of history, in bed with the Christian apologists.

Huh??? Have you read anything by Ehrman?

Read God's Problem: Why the Bible Fails to Answer our Most Important Question: Why We Suffer, (or via: amazon.co.uk) and then post here about his role.

Joan of Bark · 02-08-2011, 03:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steven Carr

Whatever did happen to the well-established maxim used by True Historians of giving ancient documents the benefit of the doubt?

Does benefit of the doubt include uncritical acceptance of everything?

mountainman · 02-08-2011, 03:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Toto

Forged - Writing in the Name of God--Why the Bible's Authors Are Not Who We Think They Are (or via: amazon.co.uk)

available Mar 22, 2011

http://www.bartdehrman.com/books/forged.htm

Quote:

.... the so-called Gospel of Nicodemus was an attempt to correct the very anti-Christian Acts of Pilate.

The very anti-Christian Acts of Pilate here is conjectured to have existed on the basis of the authority of Eusebius who explicitly says that it was "full of every kind of blasphemy against Christ, ". Does anyone know what reason Ehman provides whereby the copy in our possession of gNicodemus is deemed to be some second "Christian Version", and not the text described by Eusebius?

Doug Shaver · 02-08-2011, 06:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ApostateAbe

in bed with the Christian apologists.

Can you name one Christian apologist who approves of what he's doing?

DCHindley · 02-08-2011, 08:52 AM

I think Abe may be speaking of Ehrman's fatal error of assuming an Historical Jesus. Of course, all right thinking critics must think of Jesus as a myth or legend. There is no other option, amen. :talktothehand:

DCH

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doug Shaver

Quote:

Originally Posted by ApostateAbe

in bed with the Christian apologists.

Can you name one Christian apologist who approves of what he's doing?

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version	Search this Thread: Advanced Search

02-07-2011, 08:49 PM	#2
ApostateAbe Contributor Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: MT Posts: 10,656	Pfft. He's just another shill for the church's version of history, in bed with the Christian apologists.

02-07-2011, 08:58 PM	#3
Toto Contributor Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Los Angeles area Posts: 40,549	He's just letting the masses know what the specialists have been saying for years. This may allow a few Christians to take baby steps towards dealing with reality.

02-08-2011, 12:08 AM	#5
Steven Carr Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: England Posts: 5,629	Whatever did happen to the well-established maxim used by True Historians of giving ancient documents the benefit of the doubt?

Freethought & Rationalism Archive

The archives are read only.