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)
"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."
" Interesting information but Ehrman gets repetitive after a couple of his books "
" With these three figures, Ehrman does a pretty good job reviewing scholarship in basic areas of Christian origins. "
" 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. "
" 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. "
" 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! "
" 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. "
" Interesting perspective on the "real" Peter, Paul and Mary. I learned a lot. But the writing is a bit of a struggle - somewhat repetitive "
" 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. "
" not a fan but maybe cuz my teacher was Jewish and made it seem like all of it was made up "
" 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. "
" 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? "
" I need to reread this book "
" Stumbled upon this book and was really glad I did. Ehrman explains a lot of the theories about these Biblical characters that cannot necessarily be proven. He provides a context for the culture of that time and does a good job defining fact and fiction. "
" Seems like a standard 200 level religious studies course in book form. Some of the stories I didn't know about were fun (the wizard battle between Peter and Simon the Magi), and I'd been wanting to know the deal with Mary Magdalene for a while. "
" Not one of his best and redundant at times except for the section on Mary Magdalene. "
" Good introductory book for those interested in finding out the actual facts regarding these three most influential individuals. If you actually believe that the bible is inerrant, this book is not for you. "
" For me, Ehrman is always informative and entertaining. His deep and thorough knowledge of ancient religious history is evident and his writing is succinct. "
" "Peter, Paul and Mary Magdalene: The Followers of Jesus in History and Legend by Bart D Ehrman (2008)" "
" I found this book very informative of the Christian followers after Jesus' death. Who they were, what their philosophy and personal viewpoint of the religion was and how it shaped what we think of as Christianity today. Especially intriguing is the section on Mary Magdalene. "
" An engrossing book. I learned a lot and will read the other books written by Ehrman. This is a keeper if you are interested in exploring the Bible. "
" This is about the three saints and their relationship to the early Church. "
" Not much too offer here that the serious bible student doesn't already know. It's basically a collection of various tidbits related to Peter, Paul and Mary Magdelene with a pinch of Ehrman sensationalism thrown in for good measure (he can't help it I guess). "
" This book is mostly a re-hashing of material from his other books. I have read maybe 8 - 10 of his books and while I used to really enjoy his work, I think he is running out of things to say. I don't think that I will read any more of his work. "
" Excellent work of Biblical scholarship. I love to read about how so much can be made about so little. Too bad that Mary Travers died recently, they would have done a wonderful song based on the book. "
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.
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.
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