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)

Limited audience

This book will be good for those who do not already have an in depth knowledge of the Bible. However, if you have studied the Bible in detail this will be a real waste of your time. If you have a degree in religious studies or have been to seminary, don't waste your money.

The real deal

The bible comes alive when you can take all of the different religions out of it and really look at the books. This is a great listen, be prepared to learn.

another Ehrman gem

I love the writing of this american theologian. He frequently uses a witty tone to lighten what could be heavy material. He is able to present a wealth of information in a scholarly fashion and yet he never makes you feel you are listening to a lecture. It always seems more like a good story. I'm looking forward to his next book.

Great but Repetitive

If this is your first book with Dr. Ehrman, you are in for a treat. If not, there’s a fair amount of material you have already heard. There is even a curious repetition in different chapters within this book. The narrator does a great job but pronounces words differently than Dr. Ehrman, which can be distracting for those who know his Great Courses work. Nevertheless, it’s a great and deep academic dive into early Christianity’s biggest figures.

As Usual, Ehrman illuminates

As Usual, Ehrman offers exceptional scholarship on historical Christianity and Early Christian ideas. This book is clearly more oriented to general readership, but it still thoroughly investigates these three early apostles. With thought provoking scholarly inquiry with many references to historical documents and scripture

Excellent history and proofs

The Jesus Professor dud it again. Kudos on such an accurate and amazing account! I'm definitely going to keep this in my library for future lessons and references!

Excellent!

Anyone remotely interested in early Christian history, Professor Ehrman is indispensable. As always I learned a lot. I particularly appreciate his unbiased. balanced historical insights.

The narrator was quite good, I thought. He was never a distraction.

Good info

Very interesting stories and facts. I really enjoyed it and learned some things. I’ve liked all the books by him so far…

Solid scholarship, but...

I have read Professor Ehrman's Misquoting Jesus, Jesus Interrupted and God's Problem, and I noticed that the scholarship underlining all the books tends to overlap. So, the contend of all books overlaps significantly too with emphasis on one aspect or the other, but without many new scholarship. Which is fair enough, (you don't expect an academic to give you brand new research everytime he/she write a book.) The information in this book is solid enough, and I am satisfied with it, and the argument it makes is sound enough as well as convincing, but if you have read his other books, don't expect too many new research.

Insightful

I'm an Ehrman fan, and found this to be as refreshing and freeing as the rest of his books. I recommend it to those who are sick and tired of the same old religious cliche ridden looks at Christian scriptures. Thank goodness for this writer's honest scholarship and humorous approach. I'm certain the bulk of modern "Christians" would find this a threatening and heretical study, but in fact it is wonderfully freeing. I worthy read!