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Reviews
Lost Christianities: The Battles of Scripture and the Faiths We Never Knew by Bart D. Ehrman
siria's review against another edition
2.0
This is an okay introduction to the history of the construction of the Christian canon, and a discussion of some of the theological ideas held by various ancient Christian sects which didn't survive antiquity. I did learn some things which were new to me—about the Marcionites and Ebionites—but never really got into the book otherwise.
Ehrman's not a particularly good writer on a technical level (I don't think it's necessary to be that repetitive even in a work of popular history on a sensitive topic), and I itched to go through the introductory chapter with a red pen and strip out all of the rhetorical questions. Some of the presentation also seems more designed for hooking readers than scholarly accuracy—I'm uneasy about how/when he uses the word "forgery" in an ancient context, and (admittedly working from my knowledge of comparable medieval religiously-motivated texts) think the array of motivations he provides for these "forgers" is incomplete. I also know just enough to know that his discussion of Christianity's gradual assumption of dominance within the Roman Empire is either outdated or so simplistic as to be inaccurate.
Ehrman's not a particularly good writer on a technical level (I don't think it's necessary to be that repetitive even in a work of popular history on a sensitive topic), and I itched to go through the introductory chapter with a red pen and strip out all of the rhetorical questions. Some of the presentation also seems more designed for hooking readers than scholarly accuracy—I'm uneasy about how/when he uses the word "forgery" in an ancient context, and (admittedly working from my knowledge of comparable medieval religiously-motivated texts) think the array of motivations he provides for these "forgers" is incomplete. I also know just enough to know that his discussion of Christianity's gradual assumption of dominance within the Roman Empire is either outdated or so simplistic as to be inaccurate.
mrbozmarov's review against another edition
3.0
Ehrman is a wonderful writer, and does a good job of expressing the beliefs and ideas present in the texts he is describing throughout. However, his own personal scholarly pre-commitments bias much of his analysis. This is a great read for understanding the history of those forms of Christianity that were deemed heretical by the early church. However, it is a biased and flawed read for understanding the history and theology of the Porto-orthodox. Ehrman attempts to do too much. Had he stuck with simply describing the “Lost Christianities” rather than also comparing them to his strawman version of the Proto-Orthodox, it would be a 5 star book.
whofalls's review against another edition
3.0
A great introductory to early Christianity, its diversity and the creation of the New Testament. It is written for lay persons and doesn't assume the reader is coming in with vast amount of relative knowledge. It is a bit repetitive by design, but certainly easy to read.
karschmidtholloway's review against another edition
5.0
Even though I was expecting less analysis of texts and more detailed discussion of the theologies of the various early Christian groups, I should have known better. I know what Ehrman's expertise is in, and I really should have known he was going to tell this story though the manuscripts. And regardless, it was an incredibly informative book that I think does a good job of telling the story in an accessible and objective tone. Not that he doesn't make his own opinions clear, but he's not disdainful of those that disagree, and I appreciate his respect for other arguments on this topic.
the_games_a_foot's review against another edition
5.0
This book was very well thought out, organized, and executed. Dr. Ehrman has enough knowledge, being an acknowledged expert in the field of Early Christianity, to easily go over a lay reader's head or a students. Yet, this work is accessible as some scholarly works are not. The numerous examples of surviving texts and their content to prove points show that while much, too much, has been lost to the tides of time; we have managed to reclaim some of a shared past as a race.
I have read some of the reviews for this book, and some are quite negative. That is the right of the reader, as always. I am able to see where they get their objections, but I heartily do NOT endorse it. One thing in particular that irritated me was the accusation that Dr. Ehrman engaged in fruitless forays into "what-if" territory. While I do acknowledge that he does make use of the what-if scenario at several points in both the early chapters and then in the final chapter, he doesn't base his thesis claims in them. He uses them as a tool to get the reader to step away from the reality of the current world and think about what might have changed if things had gone another way.
It is not fruitless to do this-- it often leads to insights to the thinking of a culture that believed that what they believed was true and their perception of the world, their emotions, intellect, living, and writings would have reflected this belief. The key to what-if scenarios is to not make assertions off of them that is not backed up by the facts available or interpretation of these facts. Dr. Ehrman does not engage in the fallacy of using this fantasy world to validate his claims.
I know I will be visiting this book time and again as I go through my graduate schooling in religious studies. It will be a staple on my book self for years to come. Thank you Dr. Ehrman.
I have read some of the reviews for this book, and some are quite negative. That is the right of the reader, as always. I am able to see where they get their objections, but I heartily do NOT endorse it. One thing in particular that irritated me was the accusation that Dr. Ehrman engaged in fruitless forays into "what-if" territory. While I do acknowledge that he does make use of the what-if scenario at several points in both the early chapters and then in the final chapter, he doesn't base his thesis claims in them. He uses them as a tool to get the reader to step away from the reality of the current world and think about what might have changed if things had gone another way.
It is not fruitless to do this-- it often leads to insights to the thinking of a culture that believed that what they believed was true and their perception of the world, their emotions, intellect, living, and writings would have reflected this belief. The key to what-if scenarios is to not make assertions off of them that is not backed up by the facts available or interpretation of these facts. Dr. Ehrman does not engage in the fallacy of using this fantasy world to validate his claims.
I know I will be visiting this book time and again as I go through my graduate schooling in religious studies. It will be a staple on my book self for years to come. Thank you Dr. Ehrman.
naum's review against another edition
4.0
Excellent read on nascent currents in early Christianity, delivers an overview of the various Factions -- ebionites, marcionites, gnostics and proto-orthodox (author label for the segment that eventually emerged victorious). Describes content of various apocryphal gospels, epistles and revelations used by the various factions, focusing on the "lost" manuscripts, many of which surfaced in 20th century as a result of dead sea scrolls and nag hammadi discoveries.