Bart Ehrman is part of a legitimate, ongoing conversation

It’s almost Easter, which can mean only one thing: it’s time for the blockbuster Bible bestsellers. Last week, Bart Ehrman promoted his new book, How Jesus Became God, on NPR’s Fresh Air. Ehrman advances a common argument: Christian conceptions of Jesus’ identity grew more elaborate with time. His followers first perceived Jesus as a remarkable preacher or prophet, but eventually believers came to regard him as God incarnate.

Although I was aware of Ehrman’s book, I missed the publicity blitz. But in this age of social media, there was no escaping the immediate impact of his interview. On Facebook, an old friend perceived an attack on Jesus. “Sounds like he needs to do a little more research before he writes a book,” he retorted.

I’d forgotten that another friend, Christopher Skinner, had already taken a look at a multi-author “response book” to Ehrman. A former evangelical himself, Skinner didn’t so much review the book as raise some hard questions about evangelical responses to blockbusters like Ehrman’s. Skinner suggested that perhaps conservative Christians undermine their own position. They convey the impression that ideas like Ehrman’s frighten them—especially when they appear to gang up on their opponents.