Bart Ehrman
In How Jesus Became God: The Exaltation of a Jewish Preacher from Galilee, Bart Ehrman traces how Jesus, a humble preacher from Nazareth, came to be worshipped as God.
Ehrman argues that Jesus came to be recontextualized at different times and in different places by different followers, all of whom promoted a different theological agenda. He places the historical Jesus in the context of his time and conducts textual analysis of relevant documents, including the Old and New Testament. His aim is to show how a belief in the divinity of Jesus evolved through the manipulation of texts during the early history of the church.
Beginning with what he labels Exaltation Christologies, Ehrman argues it was a belief in the resurrection of Jesus—based on visionary experiences—that initially led followers to believe Jesus had risen to heaven to sit at the right hand of God as his Son. This transitions to the Incarnation Christologies, the view that Jesus was not a human who was raised to the level of divinity but was a preexistent divine being with God before he came to earth as a human. Ehrman then traces the development of these various Christologies, their offshoots, their arguments and conclusions, their leading proponents and opponents. Aspects of some Christologies later evolved into what is now considered the orthodox (“right”) line while others were deemed “heresies” (false). Ehrman shows how inconsistencies and contradictions in the Gospels and in the writings of Paul are addressed by later theologians who selectively focused on different sections of a text in an attempt to reconcile inconsistencies, support their theology, and arrive at what they deemed to be a more coherent doctrine.
Ehrman provides ample textual evidence for his argument. His extensive research and knowledge of the material is impressive. He examines each assumption by placing it in its historical, cultural, and textual context to determine the likelihood of its actual occurrence. By doing so, he calls into question many of the basic tenets of today’s Christianity. He eschews theological debates and is careful to state at the outset that he is not taking a position on the question of Jesus’ divinity. As he says, “I do not take a stand on the theological question of Jesus’ divine status. I am instead interested in the historical development that led to the affirmation that he is God.”
This is a fascinating, well-researched, and thoroughly documented study. The language is engaging and accessible with touches of humor throughout. It is highly recommended for those interested in biblical research and in the historical development of Christianity.