HISTORY OF THE BIBLE The Making of the New Testament Canon

Whether or not the 27 books of the New Testament are the inspired Word of God, they still have perplexing human origins. Who, for example, wrote them? Why? Among all the "scriptures," why did the Christian churches settle on these alone as canonical? Scrupulously bracketing considerations of faith and doctrine, Ehrman explores these questions from a historical perspective. The first eight lectures briefly look at the forms of writing: gospels, epistles, histories, and apocalyptic writings; the last four examine how the particular books came down to us in the form they did. Ehrman is a youthful and lively lecturer, without being overly impassioned. Thoughtfully, he includes a complete written text of the lectures, notes, and a bibliography to accompany the CDs. P.E.F. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/ SEP 06]