Bart D. Ehrman is a prominent American scholar specializing in New Testament studies and early Christianity. He’s especially known for making academic research about the Bible accessible to the public and for his work exploring how the New Testament was formed, how it has changed over time, and what that means for historical and theological understanding.
He teaches at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and is a prolific writer and speaker, often engaging in public debates about religion, the Bible, and historical accuracy.
Quick Profile:
• Full Name: Bart Denton Ehrman
• Born: October 5, 1955
• Position: Professor of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• Background: Initially a fundamentalist Christian, later became an agnostic/atheist
• Expertise: Textual criticism of the New Testament, the historical Jesus, early Christian writings
Key Themes in Ehrman’s Work:
1. Textual Criticism
• Studies how the biblical texts were copied, altered, and transmitted over centuries
• Famous for the book Misquoting Jesus, which explores how scribes changed the New Testament
2. Historical Jesus
• Separates the Jesus of history from the Christ of faith
• Did Jesus Exist? argues for the historical existence of Jesus while critiquing myths
3. Forgery & Pseudepigrapha
• Forged examines books in the Bible that were likely not written by who they claim
4. Suffering and Theology
• God’s Problem explores why there’s suffering if God is loving and all-powerful
Notable Books:
• Misquoting Jesus
• Jesus, Interrupted
• Forged
• How Jesus Became God
• Heaven and Hell: A History of the Afterlife
ABRAHAMIC THEOLOGY 