This is highly recommended for those wanting to know how the Bible was put together and how books were judged to be holy cannon. Erdrich addresses the many early opinions on what defined a Christian and the writings by authors whose beliefs were out of the mainstream. These included the secret knowledge of the Gnostics, and the ideas that Jesus was only human or only God. He also sheds light on certain books whose authorship is not as attributed.

It’s a fascinating story, told clearly and with great scholarship.

This was from the library. I need to purchase a copy and listen to it again, strictly due to the wealth of information. ( )

A strong showing among the Great Courses series and arguably better than the book by the same name (and author). Felt like the structure was much more logical here and the approach to understanding the early battles in christianity tying into what texts were used and how, as well as the battle between literalism and symbolism, made a lot of sense. You get a clear picture of why the various factions ended up with the opinions they had and the logical consequences in theology. The religion could have looked entirely different had another interpretation won out. ( )

What I liked most about this series of lectures was the substantial context it provided about the ancient writings that were included or rejected from the canon we now know as the Bible. Ehrman maintains an objective tone, though you can tell he doesn't support some of the interpretations that are common today. I found his approach to be thoughtful and enlightening. A few most notable insights for me included that the 27 books we know as today's New Testament were originally selected by one man (and supported because of the consistency they provided). It's also noteworthy that our current Bible is based on over 5,000 partial writings that contain as many differences as there are words. The early divisions of Christianity included some potential options that could have produced a very different set of beliefs, such as if the Gnostics has become the dominant system. For me, this course reinforced my appreciation for the Bible as an orthodox source, while at the same time showing how much the current doctrine was defined by those desired to and succeeded in shaping it along the way. ( )

Ehrman writes clearly and well about the other writings of the early Christians who lost out to the proto-orthodox Christians. Wonderful stories about lost and then recovered manuscripts, particularly Morton Smith and the Secret Gospel of Mark. ( )