#125 — What Is Christianity?

enMay 01, 2018

Podcast Summary

Exploring Christianity with Bart Ehrman: Former Christian scholar Bart Ehrman shares insights on the most convincing arguments for Christianity, the status of miracles, the centrality of the resurrection, and the nature of heaven and hell. His unique perspective, rooted in his background as a born-again Christian and loss of faith, offers a fresh look at faith and doubt.
Key takeaway from this episode of the Making Sense podcast is the exploration of Christianity as a belief system, led by Bart Ehrman, a professor of religious studies and author of numerous books on the topic. Ehrman, a former Christian, shared his unique perspective, discussing his background as a born-again Christian and his loss of faith upon becoming a scholar of the New Testament. He shared insights on the most convincing arguments for Christianity, the status of miracles, the centrality of the resurrection, and the nature of heaven and hell. The conversation touched on biblical prophecy, the end times, and the influential role of Paul in spreading the faith. Ehrman's story offers a fascinating perspective on faith and doubt, and serves as a reminder that examining familiar beliefs from an outsider's point of view can lead to new insights.
The concept of being 'born again' in Christianity and the origin of the term 'fundamentalist': The 'born again' experience in Christianity represents a personal commitment to faith and a new life, often marked by strong convictions and a feeling of elation. The term 'fundamentalist' emerged in the 1920s to distinguish committed Christians from more liberal ones.
Being "born again" in Christian circles signifies making a personal commitment to faith and receiving a new life, often marked by a feeling of elation. This experience, which typically occurs during adolescence, can be questioned in terms of its epistemological validity, but the individual may not have concerns about the truth of their beliefs due to their strong convictions and background. The term "fundamentalist" was adopted by some Christians to signify a commitment to the essential elements of the faith, distinguishing them from more liberal Christians. The speaker's academic journey involved choosing to attend a Christian school, such as Moody Bible Institute, to deepen their understanding of the Bible. The term "fundamentalist" originated in the 1920s during denominational splits over specific doctrines.
Bart Ehrman's Initial Faith in Christianity and the Role of Scholarship: Initially, Bart Ehrman believed historians could prove the resurrection of Jesus as a fact based on the empty tomb and appearances to disciples, but later scholarship led him to question his fundamentalist Christian beliefs.
Bart Ehrman's initial faith in Christianity was rooted in his belief that historians could prove the resurrection of Jesus as a fact. During his time at Moody Bible Institute, he focused on studying the Bible and theology, but he didn't learn ancient languages like Greek and Hebrew. Later, when he transferred to Wheaton College, he took Greek and decided to pursue graduate studies in Greek manuscripts of the New Testament. However, as he delved deeper into scholarship, he started reading works in other languages and began to question his fundamentalist Christian beliefs. If we had met him at his most educated but still fully committed to Christianity, he would have argued that historians could prove the resurrection based on two widely accepted facts: the empty tomb and the appearances of Jesus to his disciples. He believed that these facts had no other plausible explanation other than an actual resurrection, which proved the historical reliability of Christian claims. However, as he later discovered, many historians have different interpretations of these facts, leading him away from fundamentalist Christianity.
The Resurrection: Interconnected Facts Requiring Explanation: Naturalist explanations fall short in accounting for the empty tomb and reports of Jesus' resurrection. Christians believe the disciples' unwavering faith and martyrdom support the resurrection's truth, but the lack of contemporaneous accounts raises reliability concerns.
The empty tomb and reports of Jesus' resurrection are interconnected facts that require a satisfactory explanation. Naturalist explanations, such as those based on Hume's criterion, do not sufficiently account for these phenomena. Christians, who believe in the resurrection, argue that the disciples' unwavering belief and willingness to be martyred is evidence of its truth. However, the lack of contemporaneous accounts in the Gospels raises questions about the reliability of these reports. Despite these challenges, the belief in the resurrection remains a deeply held conviction within the Christian tradition.
The New Testament accounts of Jesus' life and resurrection were recorded decades after his death: Modern scholars generally agree that the gospels were written much later than the events they describe, challenging some fundamentalist Christian beliefs about their authenticity and the historical facts of Jesus' resurrection
The accounts of Jesus' life, teachings, and resurrection in the New Testament were recorded decades after his death, and the exact timing and authorship of these texts are subjects of ongoing debate among scholars. While some fundamentalist Christians believe that these accounts are contemporaneous and written by eyewitnesses, most modern scholars hold that the gospels were written much later. This difference in perspective has significant implications for understanding the core beliefs of Christianity, particularly regarding the resurrection of Jesus, which is seen as a non-negotiable tenet of the faith by many. Despite these debates, there is no consensus on where to draw the bottom line for what one must believe to be a Christian.
The Debate Over Literal Resurrection, Heaven, and Hell: Some Christians believe in a literal resurrection and eternal heaven or hell, while others view these concepts metaphorically. The belief in eternal torment in hell can cause psychological distress and motivation for conversion.
The belief in a literal resurrection and the doctrines of heaven and hell have been subjects of debate among Christians throughout history. Some believe in a literal resurrection and a literal heaven and hell, while others see these concepts as metaphorical or not central to the faith. The belief in an eternal hell, in particular, can cause psychological distress and a strong motivation to convert others. The idea of eternal torment in a literal hell is not explicitly stated in the gospels but becomes more prominent in later texts like the Book of Revelation. The speaker shares how this belief affected him personally, driving a desire to convert others out of a belief that salvation could only be achieved through faith in Christ.
The Bible's Complex Afterlife Scenario: The Bible depicts the afterlife as a complex scenario involving heaven, hell, judgment, and a progressive revelation of God's plan
The Bible's portrayal of the afterlife, according to the speaker, is a complex and intricate scenario involving heaven and hell, reward and punishment, and a progressive revelation of God's plan. The speaker suggests that if one reads the Bible as an inerrant text, they would form an understanding of the afterlife that includes a final judgment on Earth, where bodies are raised from the dead and the righteous live forever on Earth in a utopian kingdom, while those opposed to God are sent to eternal punishment. This perspective is influenced by the development of religious thought over time, with earlier ideas being modified and expanded upon in later texts. The concept of progressive revelation allows for the reconciliation of apparent contradictions between different biblical accounts. This view is not seen as contradictory to the notion of biblical inerrancy.
Beliefs about the afterlife among Christians: Christians hold diverse beliefs about the afterlife, with some emphasizing a soul's ethereal existence and others a resurrection of the body. The nature of the afterlife remains unclear due to conflicting scriptural interpretations.
There are varying beliefs among Christians regarding the afterlife, with some emphasizing an ethereal existence for the soul after death, while others believe in a resurrection of the body. The former belief is derived from certain passages in the New Testament, particularly those written by Paul. However, many Christians hold conflicting views, as they also believe in the reunification of bodies and souls in heaven. This leads to debates and questions about the nature of the afterlife, such as the appearance and age of deceased loved ones, and what happens to infants or body parts that have been consumed by others. Despite these debates, there is no clear consensus or definitive answer in Christian scripture regarding the specifics of the afterlife.
Christian beliefs in eternal torment and rapture lack clear biblical basis: The beliefs of eternal torment in hell and the rapture are not directly taught by Jesus or Paul in the Bible, but rather derived from the book of Revelation and Paul's letters to the Thessalonians.
The concepts of eternal torment in hell and the rapture, which are central beliefs in some Christian denominations, do not have a clear basis in the Bible, specifically in the teachings of Jesus and the apostle Paul. The idea of an eternal hell comes primarily from the book of Revelation, while the rapture is actually a concept introduced by Paul in his letters to the Thessalonians. These realizations were a pivotal moment in one person's faith journey, leading them to question the inerrancy of the Bible and ultimately lose their faith in these specific beliefs.
Bible's contradictions and factual errors: Despite efforts by fundamentalists to reconcile contradictions in the Bible, scholars argue that human error and creative license likely introduced inconsistencies during the composition process.
The Bible contains contradictions and factual errors, both within and outside its text. These inconsistencies have been a topic of intellectual debate among fundamentalist Christians, who attempt to reconcile them by assuming there are no errors and working hard to find explanations. One notable example is the discrepancy between the gospels of John and Mark regarding the timing of Jesus' crucifixion. When confronted with such contradictions, fundamentalists have methods to reconcile them. However, scholars argue that given the significant delay in the composition of the earliest gospels, the human effort to accurately record historical events without the aid of contemporary records or widespread literacy likely introduced errors and creative license. Therefore, the Bible's contradictions and factual errors underscore the human element in its creation and the importance of critical analysis and historical context.
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