It may not be what you expect

No, not the afterlife. The book. Ehrman is a scholar of Biblical literature and this book is a journey through the world of those ancient texts, showing how beliefs of the afterlife evolved over time. If you expect a comparison of world religions or definite answers to your questions, this is not that book. If you are interested in the historical and philosophical depth of books which became part of the Biblical canon and those which did not (and were later termed heretical), if you are interested in how these beliefs evolved over centuries, and if you question where your beliefs come from, this is that book. Many don't realize early Christians and early Christian writings confessed beliefs about universal salvation with no eternal damnation, or total nonexistence. None of these beliefs survived because it was easier to teach good boys and girls go to heaven if they do what the Bible says and bad boys and girls go to hell and church traditions continued to describe what good or bad meant and the rituals you did to prove you were one and not the other. If you are not a fan of philosophy and literature, this will drag. If you are, this will be stimulating.

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Thorough Examination of the Bible and Apocrypha

This is a very thorough examination of the after life. It examines what Jesus taught, old testament insight, the maccabees as their tortured, other apocryphal books and greek philosophies. Professor Ehrman's views are insightful and make us reexamine what the after life meant in ancient times and what it has come to mean post Jesus/The Roman Empire.

4 people found this helpful

Kudos × 10!

Ehrman filled my cup to the brim! Could it be any better? "I think not"

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Best accessible, academic overview on the topic

By "on the topic", I mean from an historical & textual academic perspective on the early biblical Christian views on the afterlife. Perspectives on the afterlife have been diverse and hotly debated for millennia, and pre-date the Christian biblical texts and traditions. Even within Christianity, there has been a vast range of perspectives from the very beginning. And that diversity of beliefs and teachings has only increased as time has progressed. Ehrman does an impressive job of condensing vast swaths of content into a digestible sized book. He provides an excellent primer on the context and development of the various historical and textual trends that highlight the breadth and range of teachings over the millennia. Readers should be aware that this is not a theological work. And it's not intended to be a theological work. It is merely an accessible, academic overview of the historical record.

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essential reading and listening

either you choose to understand what's been ingrained since birth regarding your family's religion or you choose not to understand. I am of the former ilk and find this work to be both thorough and fair given the sources for heaven and hell are all but minimally man-made.

3 people found this helpful

a bit disappointing

I have them all.... all of his books and was waiting hard for the new one - it left me a bit disappointed though..I don't know I thought he could have made that one a bit broader..comparing with other cultures,, religions.. - changes of how people viewed the afterlife over time - he kept to his field of expertise though.- ok understandable for a scientist... narration cosi cosi

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Great effort seriously undermined by liberal bias

Liberal bias seriously undercuts the value and credibility of this study. It does not appear that the author believes God had anything to do with the Bible nor that he even believes in the existence of God. To his credit the author states his biases up front in the Preface of the book. It appears the author has two main objectives in writing this book: (1) To prove that the traditional, Christian view of heaven and hell is based on Greek philosophy and (2) that the Bible has been shaped by centuries of human effort. Benefits of this book. The author has done a great job assimilating a wealth of ancient source material pertaining to the subject and it appears that he has done a good job in showing how and when the traditional, Christian view of heaven and hell developed throughout history. I believe the author has provided ample evidence to show that the traditional view basically a product of Greek philosophy, namely Platonic in origin. I also believe the author has done a good job of demonstrating that the Judeo tradition (based on the Hebrew Bible) did not have any notion that humans are bodies with spirits that depart the body after death. Instead, the Jewish tradition developed an apocalyptic view that envisioned a day of judgment when the dead would rise up (bodily). This was also the view of Jesus and Paul although some questions do arise regarding the other New Testament authors. If one does not believe that the Bible is inspired by God, then the author has also done a great job in showing how the traditional Christin view has evolved over time. However, for those of us who believe the Bible is in some way inspired by God, this book leaves much to be desired. The author’s position is that the Jewish view (and early Christian view) was by human design in response to new challenges and develops in Jewish history (not the product of revelation). Thus, whenever the author finds New Testament passages (e.g., Luke and John) that seem to differ from the Judeo tradition (and that of Jesus and Paul), he convenient counts these as later inventions by authors being influenced by Greek thought and needing to explain the delay in the coming of Christ. What I would like to have heard was a discussion as to how these so-called diverging passages might be interpreted other than dismissing them as later human inventions influenced by Greek thought. The author acknowledges that some interpretations have been presented, but he quickly dismisses them as implausible (liberal bias). I also found many of his interpretations of Biblical passages (which he dismisses) as being incorrect and rather unfair. He seems to pick these interpretations as they can be easily dismissed (like straw man). The author did this so much that it began to make me question his interpretation of all the other ancient texts that he interprets. Thus, one who believes the Bible is in some way inspired by God, I am left feeling uncertain about what the New Testament actually teaches on heaven, hell and the life between death and the resurrection. I, therefore, find it necessary to look for another book that will address the New Testament teaching on this subject in a way that is more fair and balanced (i.e., less biased and dismissive). Nevertheless, I do believe the author’s primary thesis is correct regarding the source of the traditional, Christian view of heaven and hell.

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Great Book.

Great book. Outstanding narrator. Controversial, but it makes you think. Well worth the reading time.

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Interesting

Great review of how history and cultures have shaped Christian views, and general views, of the afterlife, assuming there is one

1 person found this helpful

Well researched—Easy to follow

A wonderful and thought-provoking consideration of the the generally agreed upon beliefs of heaven and hell. Ehrman challenges that which many modern evangelical Christians believe about the afterlife using historical evidence. I was especially surprised to hear what the historical Jesus himself taught about the afterlife (or perhaps, more importantly, what he DIDN'T teach about the afterlife) and how it differs from what I was taught in my Protestant upbringing.