"How God Became Jesus" Reaction Round-Up

Yesterday (3/25/2014) we were pleased to release How God Became Jesus, the highly anticipated response to Bart Ehrman's new book published on the same day: How Jesus Became God.

At the heart of the Christian faith is the belief that Jesus of Nazareth was, and is, God. Yet Ehrman insists this is not what the earliest disciples believed, nor what Jesus claimed about himself. Zondervan's How God Became Jesus (HGBJ) goes beyond a simple response to Ehrman. Written by five internationally recognized biblical scholars, HGBJ is your guide to understanding how early Christians came to worship Jesus as divine.

The early reactions have been interesting, and we want to share some highlights with our Koinonia community. We will update this collection throughout the week.

Craig Evans Says Ehrman Argues Like a Fundamentalist In His Newest Book.

Evans shows why the all-or-nothing approach to the Bible used by skeptics like Ehrman and fundamentalists alike is flawed.

From Christianity Today: "How God Became Jesus—and How I Came to Faith in Him"

Ehrman has a famous de-conversion, turning from an evangelical Christian to an agnostic. Here Bird shares his own "de-conversion" story: from skepticism to faith.

Ehrman Writes on "Why I Am Obsessed with Jesus"

Ehrman takes interested readers through his own faith journey, explaining how "the disparity between the historical Jesus and the God Jesus" is what's important, and why he's still obsessed with Jesus. 

Bird Responds to Ehrman: "I’m Obsessed with Jesus, Too — But You’ve Got Him All Wrong"

Bird responds by taking intererested through a similar journey of his own faith development, but comes to very different conclusions.

How Jesus Became God—Or How God Became Jesus? Credo House Review's Both Ehrman's book and the Concurrent Response

A summary and an evaluation of both books, including recognition of the stuff that Ehrman gets right.

Michael Bird on the question of whether Jesus thought of himself as God

Perriman reviews Bird's chapter on whether Jesus thought he was God.

How Jesus Became God: Initial Ripples

James McGrath talks about the initial ripples of both Ehrman's How Jesus Became God and Bird, et al's How God Became Jesus

Craig Evans Interviewed on "Canada's 100 Huntley Street Show"

Dr. Evans explains why he strongly disagrees with the evidence that Dr. Ehrman gives regarding Jesus' Jewish setting.

Chris Tilling, Charles Hill, and Mike Bird Interviewed on "The Deeper Waters Podcast"

Three contributors explain in depth why their response book to Ehrman's own recent one matters and how it responds to his major arguments. 

"How God Became Jesus": Engaging Bart Ehrman's "Christology" (Koinonia)

A first look at why it's important to engage Ehrman's new book, what Ehrman says that's worth engaging, and how the contributors engage him.

Bart Ehrman's 'How Jesus Became God' Book Will Be Instantly Rebutted By 'How God Became Jesus' (Huffington Post)

An article on the alleged "unusual publishing experiment," plus Ehrman's own surprising about-face during his research process.

Michael Bird: Christology Wars in the News! (Patheos/Euangelion)

Michael Bird disputes the Huffington Post and shares the real story behind the beginning of HGBJ.

Did the Early Church Invent Jesus’ Divinity After the Fact? Michael Bird Discusses Bart Ehrman’s New Book, And An Unusual Rebuttal (Bible Gateway)

Q&A with Bird that covers the reasons behind this rebuttal, some of the weak points in Erhman’s arguments, and how we should critically consider claims like those in How Jesus Became God. 

VIDEO: Contributor Craig Evans Discusses Ehrman's Book
        Discussed: Ehrman's view of the burial and resurrection of Jesus, plus much more.

(Can't see the video? Watch it here)

Richard Bauckham and Larry Hurtado Endorse “How God Became Jesus”

Endorsements from two important New Testament scholars.