* from a purely Western religion-focused viewpoint.
It was interesting to read about mainly Judaism/Christianity written by someone who was raised Episcopalian, became a Born-Again Christian and then chucked it all in to become an Atheist/Agnostic. Wanted to say to him “You think you’ll get letters over not believing in Heaven, Hell, or life after death? Not over the fact that you state Jesus was just some random Jewish prophet, and not in any way the Son of God? That won’t get a few comments?” Appreciated he went far enough back to the fact that Christianity (or originally Judaism) got their views on what happens post-death from the Greeks and the Romans, who got it from the Egyptians, Sumerians, and Babylonians. As I point on though, Ehrman in no way goes anywhere near Eastern religions and their views on the afterlife,, nor does he go into Islam; so don’t expect anything on Buddhism, Islam, Hindi, Shinto, or Daoism, or Shenism.
This is purely Greece, Italy, and the Christo-Judaic Middle East. Nice to have confirmation that the Whore of Babylon and the “Number of the Beast” weren’t prophecies; they were the author of the Book of Revelations (who Ehrman is firmly convinced was not an Apostle; in fact, Ehrman does not really believe any of the Books in the Bible were written by who they claim to be. Except for when he claims some of them were; he does get a bit contradictory.) making digs at the city of Rome and the Emperor Nero. I had never heard of Thecla and her amazing escape from “matyrdom by flesh-eating eels” (now that’s a life!); between her and St. Rumbold of Buckingham (as mentioned in The Ingoldsby Legends) I am learning about some truly memorable Saints. I do have to disagree with him on his wish for death to be like falling asleep and never waking up, with no afterlife; I may not really believe in the concepts of Heaven or Hell, if I never get to see my cats again (or meet my maternal Great-Grandfather) and just face total obliteration, I will be seriously ticked off. (And yes, I know that if there’s just total obliteration I won’t know to be angry; work with me here.)
Even with it’s occasional hiccups, I did still find this an informative and mildly enjoyable book. I would recommend it if this is a topic you’re interested in.
God help me (pun firmly intended), I might pick up another couple of his book’s for curiosity’s sake; I may be an atheist (and he writes solely about Christianity) but some of the titles do sound like they may be interesting.
