Peter, Paul, and Mary Magdalene

The Followers of Jesus in History and Legend

By: Bart D. Ehrman

Narrated by: Grover Gardner

Length: 12 hrs and 36 mins

Publisher's summary

Bart Ehrman, author of the best sellers Misquoting Jesus and Truth and Fiction in The Da Vinci Code, here takes listeners 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.

©2006 Bart D. Ehrman (P)2006 Tantor Media, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Uncompromising in its scholarship yet utterly engaging." (Publishers Weekly)
"Terrific....Ehrman presents his case clearly and succinctly." (Publishers Weekly)

Not what I was expecting

Myopic. Not what I was expecting from the sample. Narrow lens. Did not consider context. Does not acknowledge flaws in “historical” information.

A Little dull

I was expecting a story but this seems to be written and read like a professional thesis.

Too slick for me

I have been a fan of Ehrman's, but this book has really let me down. He is talking about Christian mythology here without making that clear. Christians, it is true, do not want to admit they have a mythology, but the New Testament is just that--with a little historical material mixed into it.

The writers of the New Testament were not interested in historical accuracy, the idea was foreign to them. They were used to the Jewish tradition of religious writing, which became the Christian tradition too. In this tradition the desired result is a story with maximum impact and appeal--which then becomes accepted as the truth, the logic being that if it feels right, it must be right.

Ehrman seems intent on creating new stories about Peter, Paul, and Mary (Magdalen), working over the informal oral source material in the Bible--but ignoring the fact that this kind of material is inconsistent by its very nature. No matter, he will make it consistent anyway, and pretend it is history. This might be acceptable for a run-of-the mill religious writer. But it is inexcusable for a scholar of his standing.

He tells a story that is entertaining and uplifting, suitable for a Christian TV series or a church school. His analogy to the folks singers Peter, Paul and Mary is deliberate and glib.

"Pedantic" is not just a word in the dictionary

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

Anyone who is either having trouble sleeping or is looking for material to engage the falsely religiose in tiresome conversation about "why" the Bible and other writings about Peter, Paul, and Mary were written.

Would you ever listen to anything by Bart D. Ehrman again?

NO

How did the narrator detract from the book?

Nasally voice was not a positive feature of this audiobook, but the narrator could not detract more from this book/topic than the author.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

1/1000 sentences was edifying.