During this Easter season, New Testament scholar and skeptic Bart Ehrman has been making headlines again. He just released his latest book, Love Thy Stranger: How the Teachings of Jesus Transformed the Moral Conscience of the West. Last week, New York Times columnist Ross Douthat interviewed Ehrman on his podcast about his book and why he doesn’t believe in God.
Sarah Eekhoff Zylstra sat down with New Testament scholar Michael J. Kruger, one of Ehrman’s former students, to talk about Ehrman’s arguments. Kruger has found that, unlike Ehrman, the study of biblical manuscripts has strengthened his faith.
In This Episode
00:01 – Bart Ehrman’s background and teachings
01:29 – Michael Kruger’s formative experience with Bart Ehrman
03:14 – Ehrman’s evangelism of atheism
04:31 – The revolutionary nature of Jesus’s teachings
07:59 – Ehrman’s positive take on Christian ethics
09:35 – Ehrman’s critique of Christian consistency
20:39 – The problem of evil and Ehrman’s atheism
27:36 – Ehrman’s doubts about the Gospels
46:40 – Ehrman’s impossible standards
49:52 – Michael Kruger’s personal faith journey
Resources Mentioned:
- Surviving Religion 101 by Michael J. Kruger
- Dominion by Tom Holland
- Review of Jesus Interrupted
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