Lost Scriptures: Books that Did Not Make It into the New Testament
by Bart D. Ehrman
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This is a companion anthology paired with Ehrman's 'Lost Christianities'. It provides an array of the varied writings of 'Lost Christianities' - those early Christian groups whose understanding of Jesus did not win the day, whose views did not make it into the canon of the New Testament.Tags
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In my view, Bart Ehrman is the most important New Testament scholar of this generation. I have heard him speak, have listened to his tapes and have read his books. He absolutely exudes competency, always pointing out that he is looking at his subject from the point of view of a historian. In the case of "Lost Scriptures," this means he will not be an advocate for or against any particular book that did not make the cut. Instead, he will try to put each book in its historical perspective considering the political tone of the times: "We should not overlook the circumstance that in some times and places these 'other' writings were in fact sacred books, read and revered by devout people who understood themselves to be Christians...for the show more New Testament itself is the collection of books that EMERGED from the conflict, the group of books advocated by the side of the disputes that eventually established itself as dominant and handed the books down to posterity as 'the' Christian Scriptures...moreover, the victors in the struggles to establish Christian orthodoxy not only won their theological battles, they also rewrote the history of the conflict; later, readers, then, naturally assumed that the victorious views had been embraced by the vast majority of Christians from the very beginning." show less
I don't know how to rate this book since there is minimal, but appropriate, comment by the author. It is essentially a representative collection of documents written around the time of the Christ event (50-300 C.E.) many of which were discovered after the current canon was "established." All of these writings were excluded from current canon usage either because they were not available during the selection process, they were hidden, they were censored, or they were part of the canon of branches of Christianity that died out and were lost.
This book is a companion and sequel to Ehrman's book The Lost Christianities which gives the historical background of the fits and starts, successes and failures of the early believers. I would show more strongly recommend reading that book first, and there are frequent references to it in the footnotes. The current book is a collection of the writings from that time and includes much from the recently discovered Nag Hammadi library and other recently found sources as well as other writings passed over for one reason or another.
Ehrman is a biblical archaeologist and as such deals with facts, translations and examples. It is not a book of faith and belief, and Ehrman gives only a brief contextual introduction to each translation. The translations contain letters, gospels and apocalyptic writings not found in the current canon, and those who hold the current biblical canon as "inerrant" may well be shocked when they venture outside of their familiar comfort zone to realize what's out there and what got left behind. Highly recommended to open minded readers who want to see the bible in its historical context. show less
This book is a companion and sequel to Ehrman's book The Lost Christianities which gives the historical background of the fits and starts, successes and failures of the early believers. I would show more strongly recommend reading that book first, and there are frequent references to it in the footnotes. The current book is a collection of the writings from that time and includes much from the recently discovered Nag Hammadi library and other recently found sources as well as other writings passed over for one reason or another.
Ehrman is a biblical archaeologist and as such deals with facts, translations and examples. It is not a book of faith and belief, and Ehrman gives only a brief contextual introduction to each translation. The translations contain letters, gospels and apocalyptic writings not found in the current canon, and those who hold the current biblical canon as "inerrant" may well be shocked when they venture outside of their familiar comfort zone to realize what's out there and what got left behind. Highly recommended to open minded readers who want to see the bible in its historical context. show less
Excellent resource on important writings that offer alternative explanations to the events and people around the Christian mythos.
Fascinating reading. Just don't take it as Gospel!
A collection of non-canonical Christian writings, some complete and some fragmentary; many with new translations by Ehrman. Ehrman provides a brief description and historical context of each one. An excellent resource for anyone interested in early Christian writings beyond the Bible.
Companion volume to Lost Christianities.
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Author Information
137+ Works 22,104 Members
New Testament scholar Bart D. Ehrman grew up in Lawrence, Kansas and graduated from Wheaton College in 1978. He earned his Masters of Divinity and PhD from Princeton Theological Seminary and has taught at Rutgers University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he is the James A. Gray Distinguished Professor. He has published show more more than 20 scholarly and popular books, including three New York Times bestsellers, plus numerous articles and book reviews. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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Common Knowledge
- Original publication date
- ca. 100; 2003
- First words
- First words of the reconstructed Gospel of the Nazoreans — It is written in a certain Gospel that is called "according to the Hebrews" (if in any event anyone is inclined to accept it, not as an authority, but to shed some ... (show all)light on the question we have posed) that another rich man asked [Jesus], "Master, what good thing must I do to have life?"
General Introduction
Even though millions of people world-wide read the New Testament — whether from curiosity or religious devotion — very few ask what this collection of books actually is or where it comes from, ho... (show all)w it came into existence, who decided which books to include, on what grounds, and when. - Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)On the anniversaries of martyrs, their acts shall also be read.
Classifications
- Genres
- Religion & Spirituality, Nonfiction, History, General Nonfiction
- DDC/MDS
- 229.9205209 — Religion The Bible Apocrypha, pseudepigrapha, intertestamental works Apostolic epistles and canons; Clementines
- LCC
- BS2832 .E37 — Philosophy, Psychology and Religion The Bible The Bible New Testament Special parts of the New Testament
- BISAC
Statistics
- Members
- 1,500
- Popularity
- 15,398
- Reviews
- 6
- Rating
- (3.63)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 7
- ASINs
- 5