Product Description

Bart Ehrman, author of the highly popular books Truth and Fiction in The Da Vinci Code, Lost Christianities, and the New York Times bestseller Misquoting Jesus, here takes readers on another engaging tour of the early Christian church, illuminating the lives of Jesus' most intriguing followers: Simon Peter, the Apostle Paul, and Mary Magdalene.
What does the Bible tell us about each of these key followers of Christ? What legends have sprung up about them in the centuries after their deaths? Was Paul bow-legged and bald? Was Peter crucified upside down? Was Mary Magdalene a prostitute? In this lively work, Ehrman separates fact from fiction, presenting complicated historical issues in a clear and informative way and relating vivid anecdotes culled from the traditions of these three followers. He notes, for instance, that there is no evidence to suggest that Mary Magdalene was a prostitute (this legend can be traced to a sermon preached by Gregory the Great five centuries after her death), and little reason to think that she was married to Jesus. Similarly, there is no historical evidence for the well-known tale that Peter was crucified upside down.
A serious book but vibrantly written and leavened with many colorful stories, Peter, Paul, and Mary Magdalene will appeal to anyone curious about the early Christian church and the lives of these important figures.

"An informed but breezy look at the myths surrounding Jesus' most influential followers.... This book contains valuable historical scholarship. It also encourages readers to approach the Scriptures with fresh and enlightened eyes."
--Christian Science Monitor

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #77654 in Books
• Published on: 2008-03-24
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 304 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780195343502
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
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From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. There is a bit of irony in the subtitle of this terrific book. Ehrman, chair of the Department of Religious Studies at UNC–Chapel Hill and author of several well-received volumes including Lost Scriptures and Lost Christianities, struggles with the very issue of how to separate history from legend, whether it can be done at all and whether it matters. He contends "it is often easier to know how the past was remembered than to decide what actually happened." By shifting focus from the tales to the tellers, Ehrman enters the ongoing discussion of biblical literalism and reliability, insisting that we're not arriving at satisfactory answers because we're not asking the right questions. Drawing widely from history, scripture and extra-biblical writings, he studies the many stories of the lives of the first-century "Peter, Paul and Mary," arguing that inclusion of some accounts in the canon should not elevate these texts above the others, some of which were accepted early on by the church but later excluded from the canon. As with his other works, Ehrman presents his case clearly and succinctly. So, are the biblical stories more reliable than those outside the canon? The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind. (May)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
*Starred Review* Prolific biblical historian Ehrman has titled his book with a wink and a nod to the beloved folksingers, but he makes the point that they sang about injustice, oppression, and other issues that were also concerns of early Christians. Here he presents three of the best known and most important of Jesus' followers and does so in a way that is uncompromising in its scholarship yet utterly engaging for general readers. Ehrman uses New Testament texts, other historical writings, and, interestingly, legends and myths to define his subjects; in the latter case, he examines the stories that sprang up around this trio, noting that they all expressed the "beliefs, concerns, values, priorities, and passions" of Christians. Ehrman has quite a lot to work with in his discussions of Peter and Paul--whose lives are well documented--and he delves deeply into the characters of both men as well as their beliefs, arguments with one another, and roles in the early church. As for Mary, he notes that though little is actually known about her, she has become the "media star" of the group. (Ehrman also covered this aspect of Mary in his book Truth and Fiction in The Da Vinci Code, 2004.) Throughout, Ehrman asks questions and makes readers think about the answers. This interactive technique, paired with a highly readable, entertaining style, will garner a wide popular audience for a book whose subject often leads to work that is dense and arcane. Ilene Cooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

"An informed but breezy look at the myths surrounding Jesus' most influential followers.... This book contains valuable historical scholarship. It also encourages readers to approach the Scriptures with fresh and enlightened eyes."--Christian Science Monitor
"With penetrating insight, backed up by first class scholarship and communicated in comprehensible English, Bart Ehrman examines in a new light the interpretive process that gathered around Jesus and his followers both before and after the gospels were written. In so doing he opens new wide vistas into the origins of Christianity and sets the stage for a dramatic rethinking of the Christian creeds. It is a terrific book for open minds seeking truth in ancient religious formulas, but a frightening book for those who think they already possess infallible or inert truth." --John Shelby Spong, author of The Sins of Scripture: Exposing the Bible's Terrible Texts of Hate to Reveal the God of Love, and Bishop, The Episcopal Church
"Bart Ehrman has done it again! He has marvelously succeeded in producing a riveting but historically credible account of three of the most important early followers of Jesus, shedding important new light on the very foundations of early Christianity. Ehrman is a master at telling his story, at separating fact from fiction, and carefully weighing all the evidence. He has done more than any scholar of our time to share the fascinating results of responsible historical investigations with the wider public." --James D. Tabor, author of The Jesus Dynasty: A New Historical Investigation of Jesus, His Royal Family, and the Birth of Christianity
"Drawing widely from history, scripture and extra-biblical writings, he studies the many stories of the lives of the first-century 'Peter, Paul and Mary,' arguing that inclusion of some accounts in the canon should not elevate these texts above the others, some of which were accepted early on by the church but later excluded from the canon. As with his other works, Ehrman presents his case clearly and succinctly."--Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Provides intriguing information on these New Testament personages. One will read accounts, for instance, in which Peter brings a smoked tuna back to life and in which Mary Magdalene travels to France to become an early missionary. Both stories are fictional but, Ehrman emphasizes, help show something of the ideas present in the early church period."--Library Journal
"Bart Ehrman offers a startlingly fresh look at three of the prime early followers of Jesus--startling in its emperor's-new-clothes intelligence and Ehrman's envigorating dare for his readers to confront him with the fact that he's often skating merrily on thin ice, but ice all the same. I read him always with addictive pleasure in his brilliance and his generous-hearted eagerness to tell us all he knows, which is very much indeed."--Reynolds Price, author of The Good Priest's Son: A Novel, A Serious Way or Wondering: The Ethics of Jesus Imagined, and Kate Vaiden

Customer Reviews

Fascinating - Not To Be Missed

With captivating strength and clarity, New Testament scholar Bart Ehrman has written another winner. He exudes competency, frequently reminding us that his conclusions are those of a historian. In "Peter, Paul, and Mary Magdalene," this means he will not be an advocate for or against any specific theology - instead, he will give us his best assessments from all available sources about these three historic personalities.

I was subjected (through age 20) to more than my share of fundamentalist preaching, yet values at home were more those of inquiry and evidence toward the world in general. Ehrman's approach to the Bible is more to my liking than reiteration of a dogma I've already heard, documented by passages of scripture preselected to prove that certain view. Consider a book where all aspects of the early development of Christianity are subjected to scrutiny. Issues of dogma are extensively discussed, but not endorsed nor advocated. Instead, they are examined for consistency within the whole context of Biblical and non-canonical sources and the political setting in which the early church solidified its views.

Few seminary graduates that have studied Biblical Textual Criticism have seen fit to share this type of information with their flocks. Ehrman fills this gap - every page chock full of information you would not find compiled anywhere else. This is his forte.

Mary Magdalene is incredibly popular, despite being mentioned in the Bible only thirteen times. One of the Bible's best stories is that of Jesus and the adulterous woman, mistakenly identified by many as Mary Magdalene. The Pharisees brought her to Jesus, asking what they should do with her. Of course, it was a trap. If he said she should not be punished, he would be going against scripture. If he recommended punishment, his message of mercy and love would be compromised. While writing something (speculations abound as to what) in the sand, he invited the sinless one amongst them to cast the first stone. Later when he looked up, they were gone, except the woman. Jesus told her to "Go and sin no more."

What a great story - adding suspense and pathos to many a sermon. It's a shame that it was a late addition - not present in the oldest and best Greek manuscripts of John's gospel, nor in any of the gospels. Not only that, its writing style was different and it included many words and phrases not used elsewhere in John. But it was such a wonderful and well-known story, more than one scribe decided to add it to the New Testament - and in several differing locations.

Ehrman compares the teachings of the historical Jesus with the theological views of the apostle Paul: Jesus proclaimed the imminent arrival of the Son of Man, and urged his followers to repent and return to a faithful adherence to God's law. Paul, on the other hand, insisted that following the Law would have no bearing on one's salvation, that in fact one could be saved only through faith in Christ's death and resurrection. Notwithstanding the broad similarities between these two men, both of them first-century apocalyptic Jews, their differences are striking. Do Jesus and Paul represent the same religion? Or has Paul transformed the religion OF Jesus into the religion ABOUT Jesus?

For all three of our characters, Ehrman goes to great pains to point out the difference between historical accuracy on the one hand and the eventual legend on the other - both being important. The former tells us what Biblical scholars think actually happened. The latter tells us what future generations wanted to believe as the stories changed to accommodate evolving theologies - and their corresponding legends.

For example: In our later sources, but not in our earlier ones, Mary Magdalene progressively becomes more important in Jesus' life, with eventual hints of possible intimacy. Reversing the chronological order:
Sixth century - Pope Gregory in his 33rd Homily took individual parts from several stories in the gospels and made a composite out of Mary Magdalene, portrayed her as a repentant prostitute.
Fourth century - "Greater Questions of Mary:" In this gnostic book, Jesus takes Mary up to a mountain where she observes a sensuous event involving Jesus.
Third century - "Gospel of Phillip:" In this gnostic gospel, we are told Jesus loved Mary more than the other apostles and frequently would kiss her.
Second century - "Gospel of Mary:" Another gnostic gospel where Jesus loves Mary and the other apostles equally, but He has granted Mary special revelations unknown to the others.
Gospel of John (latest gospel) - Here, Mary is never mentioned during Jesus' lifetime, but she discovers his empty tomb and he appears to her first after rising from the dead.
Gospel of Luke - Mary is assumed (not specifically named) to be among the women at the tomb, since she is named as one of the women from Galilee who followed Jesus to Jerusalem.
Gospel of Mark (earliest gospel) - Mary is not named until the end. She and other women find Jesus' tomb empty and flee out of fear, telling no one what they have seen.

Ehrman's point is that that the later (legendary?) sources suggest an intimacy that was not there at all in the earlier sources - not even a hint. Were Jesus and Mary married, as advocated in "The Da Vinci Code?" - no evidence whatsoever, not even in the non-canonical literature.

Although Mary Magdalene is always a major star in a stage or film production, history does not support the way she is usually portrayed. In Luke 8, she is one from whom seven demons have been exorcised. That's the only reference to Mary's relationship with Jesus during his ministry. She became a figure of paramount importance only because she was one of the women who observed the crucifixion, watched his burial, and came on the third day to anoint his body, only to find the tomb empty. In a couple of our sources, the resurrected Jesus appeared to her first, even before he appeared to Peter.

The critical theology of Christianity is based on Jesus' death and resurrection, and Mary was there. From this came her legacy, earning Mary eighty-five pages of commentary by Ehrman - much of it based on sources from outside the Bible.

Together with similar analyses of the lives of Peter and Paul, this book provides a unique perspective of early Christianity. Perhaps not for all readers, but if you are one of those curious Christians or non-Christians who wish to be exposed to a scholarly and historical account about these three most favored New Testament characters - this is your book. Literal Bible interpreters welcome!

Interesting but uneven
Bart Ehrman's bibliography includes some thoughtful and accessible work on the diversity present in early Christianity, particularly his duel "Lost Christianities" and "Lost Scriptures." While these books made him popular, his critical work reviewing the many absurdities of Dan Brown's "Da Vinci Code" -- "Truth and Fiction in the Da Vinci Code" -- launched him into a truly popular sensation. That is all to the good. Professor Ehrman's scholarship is generally excellent and he offers readers many helpful insights into an important topic.

That said, his newest work, "Peter, Paul, and Mary Magdalene," whose stated goal is to review what is known of the lives of these three early followers of Jesus appears a rather uneven text, much of it derivative of his previous books. At its essence the book might be summed up as follows, "A bit, quite a bit, and almost nothing." Of Simon Peter we can know almost nothing independent of the Christian Scripture. While Ehrman can tease out some useful biography - a fisherman, lower class, married, denied Jesus thrice, head of the Jerusalem Church along with Jesus' brother James - there is little here that cannot be found on a Wikkipedia search. Reviewing the various writings attributed to Peter, Ehrman rejects them all as not from the Apostles own hand, some more convincingly than others. He does, however, do a good job showing what followers of Peter generally held to among the sects of the early church, mostly Jewish Christians ascribing to abstinence seeing Jesus as a Jewish Messiah.

On Saul of Tarsus we know more, so Ehrman can offer a more substantive biography, though again he often diverges into speculation. As with his work "Misquoting Jesus," we here see an excellent case made as to why many of the letters attributed to Paul likely do not come from his own hand. While the whole of the case does not need to be repeated here, it generally goes to contradictory points within the letters, thus while Paul praises a woman as "first among the apostles" in Romans, he says they should be silent in Corinthians. Even in this, Ehrman makes a good case that within letters we have later additions such as in Corinthians where we are told women should "be silent" in one place and "cover their heads" when they prophesize and pray in another, the latter he argues being an addition by a later scribe opposing female participation. As with Peter, much of the analysis relies on speculation based on what we can suppose about someone of Paul's class and period. That said, Ehrman does a good job teasing through the sources, particularly showing the effort to "harmonize" Peter and Paul in Acts and the alterations of Paul's theology in that later work.

As for Mary, what the author describes as a current "popular favorite," the short answer is we can know almost nothing. The text offers few tidbits and Ehrman can refute a few aged myths such as her status as a prostitute, but as for real biography, we can know so little because she gets little attention in the early sources we have and the questionable reliability of the later sources. Still, we at least can, in his short biography, understand the reasons why this is true.

Many other reviewers here and in other places attack Ehrman taking his textual methodology as an attack on their faith and literalist ideology. One sharing their view - and one might add rather closed minded approach - may well want to avoid this work. Unlike the Jewish textual methodology, which has for thousands of years sought to tease out and understand contradictions within their text, Christian history tends to favor a "don't ask, don't tell" approach, often enforcing it with a heresy trial and a burning at the stake. Thus we see a fair bit of resistance to scholars like Ehrman who point out contradictions between the gospels that make it hard to believe they should be taken literally - Jesus dying in one after the Passover in most, on the Passover in another one (John); Changes in Jesus last words in one to the other; etc. Such theologically based attacks should not shy readers away from the author's work. While those who have read his other books may find little new here, for those unfamiliar and looking for an introduction to the subject, Ehrman's produced an interesting and relatively short work for their perusal.

As always, Ehrman gets you thinking
Bart Ehrman has written a number of analyses of early Christian church writings, trying to help the reader to understand historical context and how this shaped what was included, and excluded, from scripture. In Peter, Paul and Mary Madalene, he keeps up this tradition. His discussions of reading the books of the New Testament horizontally, as opposed to vertically, to show the contrasts between them, should be required reading. Such highlighting may offend literalists, but that is the nature of religious discourse if questioning is not allowed. Finally, Ehrman's writing style makes such reading easy to do. On top of being easy to read and well-informed, Ehrman is genuinely funny. Comments regarding, for example, the six people in the English speaking world who have not yet read The Da Vinci Code come at you from nowhere and help to keep everything moving and entertaining as well as enlightening.