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Peter, Paul, and Mary Magdalene: The Followers of Jesus in History and Legend Audiobook
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(3.05) - 373 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Bart Ehrman, author of the bestsellers Misquoting Jesus and Truth and Fiction in The Da Vinci Code, here takes readers on another engaging tour of the early Christian church, illuminating the lives of three of Jesus' most intriguing followers: Simon Peter, Paul of Tarsus, and Mary Magdalene.
What do the writings of the New Testament 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 historians are able to say with virtual certainty that Mary, the follower of Jesus, was from the fishing village of Magdala on the shore of the Sea of Galilee; but there is no evidence to suggest that she was a prostitute, and little reason to think that she was married to Jesus.
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.
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"When I started this book, I was skeptical. This historian from Univ. of NC Chapel Hill talks of legends and history, offers his own opinions, I believe calls himself an agnostic. However, he presents a good case of realism about Peter, Paul and Mary Magdalene - the three famous followers of Jesus. He separates fact from fiction and backs up how he deciphers fact from fiction. He is well versed in the cultures of the early centuries C.E. (he prefers this over A.D.) He is recognized as a scholar of early Christian literature. He is an excellent conversational writer. Easy to read. The pictures he presents are of sincere people with common personality traits, how they react to knowing Jesus and how their lives interact and change. Overall the book reinforced my own beliefs in Jesus and clarified some questions that come up in life with other people. For example, he presents a good picture of Peter and his temper. He clarifies how some of Paul's letters don't sound like Paul and he shows how Mary Magdalene is NOT a prostitute. I would recommend this book to anyone, just because it is easy to read and understand. It doesn's have to be just for the scholar."
— Dee (5 out of 5 stars)
Peter, Paul, and Mary Magdalene Listener Reviews
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" Interesting information but Ehrman gets repetitive after a couple of his books "
— Sriram, 2/20/2014 -
" With these three figures, Ehrman does a pretty good job reviewing scholarship in basic areas of Christian origins. "
— Brent, 2/16/2014 -
" By and large a thought-provoking review of the best scholarship on these three biblical figures. Ehrman, as is his style, incorporates text from the noncanonical books and fairly addresses the varying treatments of their subject. "
— David, 2/11/2014 -
" Another fascinating, well-documented book by Ehrman. A review of what historical information there is on each of three principals in the early Christian movement as well as identification of forgeries attributed to them and legends that grew around them. I like Ehrman's style. "
— Dave, 2/10/2014 -
" In spite of a rather silly title, this book is by a really fine scholar and has added lots of facts to my knowledge, especially about the life of Peter and how little we really know about Mary Magdalene. Very good! "
— Julie, 1/23/2014 -
" Reading this, and other books by this author has forced me to reevaluate what I claim to believe. The search for truth has taken an unsuspected twist. "
— Charles, 1/19/2014 -
" Interesting perspective on the "real" Peter, Paul and Mary. I learned a lot. But the writing is a bit of a struggle - somewhat repetitive "
— Joant, 12/10/2013 -
" My first Ehrman book and I'll be looking more. He strikes a nice balance between history, academic discussion, theology, and faith. It's nice to learn and be left to think. "
— David, 12/3/2013 -
" not a fan but maybe cuz my teacher was Jewish and made it seem like all of it was made up "
— Matt, 11/11/2013 -
" Had a lot of stuff I didn't know (with my Jewish background) but I still found the writing repetitive and parts of the story questionable. Still, it was mostly an interesting read. "
— Susan, 11/5/2013 -
" I didn't feel that there was anything wrong with this book. It just didn't capture my interest. It seems like it may be accurate, but who knows? "
— Thomas, 11/1/2013
About Bart D. Ehrman
Bart D. Ehrman is the author or editor of more than thirty books, including several New York Times bestsellers. He is a professor of religious studies at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and a leading authority on the New Testament and the history of early Christianity. He has been featured in Time, the New Yorker, and the Washington Post and has appeared on NBC, CNN, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, The History Channel, National Geographic, BBC, major NPR shows, and other top print and broadcast media outlets.
About Grover Gardner
Grover Gardner (a.k.a. Tom Parker) is an award-winning narrator with over a thousand titles to his credit. Named one of the “Best Voices of the Century” and a Golden Voice by AudioFile magazine, he has won three prestigious Audie Awards, was chosen Narrator of the Year for 2005 by Publishers Weekly, and has earned more than thirty Earphones Awards.