Misquoting Jesus

Moksha · #1 (**permalink**) 06-30-2008, 11:50 PM

Have we ever had a discussion on Bart Erdman's book Misquoting Jesus here at LDS Talk? I have never read the book, although I have read about it. I just finished listening to an audio broadcast by NPR on this book and I thought it was fascinating. I suppose intellectuals like Elphaba and those others who read, have probably already read it. For those like myself, I will include a link to the NPR broadcast.

I hope you could provide some feedback.

[Disclaimer: for staunch conservatives, this may be as disquieting as Darwin or Galileo, so watch out!

]

Bart Ehrman's 'Misquoting Jesus' : NPR

Click the listen now to listen now....

Hemidakota · #2 (**permalink**) 07-01-2008, 08:41 AM

My only question, why do you listen to NPR?

abqfriend · #3 (**permalink**) 07-01-2008, 10:19 AM

I have read the book and own it. I do not think much of it. Much of the author's criticism on Sacred Scripture/The Bible is that it has errors in translation from centuries ago. Don't waste your money on this book-as I did, but if you must-read it will eyes wide open that he is only given his-view of Sacred Scripture/The Bible. Many scholars disagree with him. In reading his book-someone with a weak faith-may surmise that Sacred Scripture/The Bible is nothing more than false writings and full of error. Such is not the case-Sacred Scripture/The Bible has have been here for many many centuries-and Bart Erdman's writings--only a few years.
In his introduction he states-page 7- "What good does it do to say the words are inspired by God if most people have no access to these words, but only more or less clumsy renderings of these words into a language such as English that has nothing to do with the original words. "
He goes on to say: "We have only error -ridden copies and the vast majority of these are centuries removed from the original and different from them."

Give me the bedrock of Sacred Scripture/The Bible over the views of this author.

[/i]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Moksha

Have we ever had a discussion on Bart Erdman's book Misquoting Jesus here at LDS Talk? I have never read the book, although I have read about it. I just finished listening to an audio broadcast by NPR on this book and I thought it was fascinating. I suppose intellectuals like Elphaba and those others who read, have probably already read it. For those like myself, I will include a link to the NPR broadcast.

I hope you could provide some feedback.

[Disclaimer: for staunch conservatives, this may be as disquieting as Darwin or Galileo, so watch out!

]

Bart Ehrman's 'Misquoting Jesus' : NPR

Click the listen now to listen now....

Islander · #4 (**permalink**) 07-01-2008, 10:25 AM

"Opinions are like the butt. Everybody has one but they should not be sharing either one with others." my grandmother.

It is a "novel" approach to text criticism in order to sell books. That is all.

inquirer_Jn1717 · #5 (**permalink**) 07-01-2008, 02:16 PM

I own both Misquoting Jesus AND the rebuttal to Ehrman's book: Misquoting Truth by Timothy Paul Jones. I highly recommend them both together!

I can't say I read all of Ehrman's book, but I read enough (well, just the introduction) to understand where he is coming from and his core argument which is essentially:

Since the Bible is corrupted beyond recognition, and it does us no good to say that the original words were inspired, then the original words were not inspired at all. If they were inspired, God would have preserved them.

Then life got busy and I spent time dwelling on that thought till I came across Jones' book which I devoured, partly because he is a very good writer and also because he thoroughly showed the fallacies and assumptions of Ehrman's arguments, while making a good case for the trustworthiness of the NT.

Thank you for bringing this up btw, the next chance I get I want to sit down and re-read both books.

Moksha · #6 (**permalink**) 07-01-2008, 04:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hemidakota

My only question, why do you listen to NPR?

Because the station also carries Prairie Home Companion.

National Public Radio has some interesting and informative program pieces.

User-Removed · #7 (**permalink**) 07-01-2008, 08:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Moksha

Because the station also carries Prairie Home Companion.

National Public Radio has some interesting and informative program pieces.

You know...That picture does look familiar...Aren't you a member in good standing of the Professional Organization of English Majors????

Moksha · #8 (**permalink**) 07-02-2008, 12:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MyDogSkip

You know...That picture does look familiar...Aren't you a member in good standing of the Professional Organization of English Majors????

Nope, but I do have a fondness for Lake Woebegon.

KUER-FM 90.1
Salt Lake City-Ogden-Provo, UT
Sundays 02:00 PM
Saturdays 05:00 PM

Now about the book Misquoting Jesus. Any one else?

Moksha · #9 (**permalink**) 07-02-2008, 01:07 AM

I really can't resist putting a plug in for some of the Prairie Home Companion's products.

Pretty Good Goods Catalog - English Majors With Garrison Keillor - 2 CDs

A Prairie Home Companion from American Public Media

Traveler · #10 (**permalink**) 07-02-2008, 11:16 AM

The way to understand if someone understands a concept is in the manner that they use it. If someone says they understand math and have trouble with simple addition they are incorrect in their understanding. One will have to conclude that they are either silly (stupid) or insane. Every Math book I have ever seen is chuck full of errors - but that does not mean that one cannot learn math. It just means that you have to do the math yourself.

Likewise scripture. There are errors and the literal believers can miss the basic concepts. If one focuses on the errors or literal content of scripture they will have all the excuse they desire for their poor behavior. But for those willing to "do the math" the richness of enligntnment and knowedge is theirs.

The Traveler