I was SO NERVOUS to talk to Bart Ehrman. He’s one of the most well-known Biblical scholars in the universe and although I had read a few of his books, I had HEARD (though the grapevine) so much about him.
So.
Much.
Lots of people told me that he was a bully. They said that he’s an ex-Christian turned Atheist who is out to pull as many people as possible away from “the faith”. I was told that he would mock my faith or make snide comments to make me feel uncomfortable. People said he’d come on my show with an agenda and that his agenda would be to make me and the show look silly, childish, and non-intellectual.
Seriously!
I heard SO MANY things about this man from people who didn’t know him personally, but who had (supposedly) seen him in other interviews, in debates, etc, etc, etc.
“Be careful”, they said, “you’re about to get in over your head.”
So I went into the conversation with no fingernails and my hands quite literally SHAKING as I introduced him and got into the conversation.
8 months or so later?
We email on a regular basis and he asked me to join his social media team where I make graphics for his blog and various social media pages. If you see a graphic on his Facebook or Twitter account, I made it and it gets viewed by (literally) hundreds of thousands of people.
(No pressure.)
I don’t have much to say today except that Bart is the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) in regards to the scholarly world and one of the kindest people I’ve ever chatted with on the show … and that teaches me a valuable lesson: always give people the benefit of the doubt even if the people around you are screaming otherwise.
Bart is a good dude. He used to be an Evangelical Pastor until his own deconstruction took him in a much different direction and now he identifies as an Atheist/Agnostic who studies the origins of the New Testament and presents what he finds with no need to put any spin on it because he doesn’t have to worry about being cast out of a tribe he’s already left behind.
Have you read any of his stuff? Head over to Amazon, type in “Bart Ehrman”, and pick a book - any book! - they're all super insightful.
✌🏻
Glenn || SUPPORT THE SHOW: PATREON / BUY ME A COFFEE