Includes bibliographical references (pages 301-315) and index.
Contents:
Oral traditions and oral inventions -- The history of invention -- Eyewitness testimonies and our surviving gospels -- Distorted memories and the death of Jesus -- Distorted memories and the life of Jesus -- Collective memory: our earliest gospel of Mark -- The kaleidoscopic memories of Jesus: John, Thomas, and a range of others -- A paean to memory.
Summary:
A master explainer of Christian history, texts, and traditions, Ehrman draws on a range of disciplines, including psychology and anthropology, to examine the role of memory in the creation of the Gospels. Explaining how oral tradition evolves based on the latest scientific research, he demonstrates how the act of telling and retelling impacts the story, the storyteller, and the listener?crucial insights that challenge our typical historical understanding of the silent period between when Jesus lived and died and when his stories began to be written down.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.