JESUS INTERRUPTED:

Revealing the Hidden Contradictions in the Bible

(and Why We Don't Know About Them)

Candid. That's how I'd describe Bart Ehrman's presentation of Bible contradictions. He repeatedly lets you know where he stands and reminds you that a truly unbiased interpretation of 'scripture' is...not likely.

With that said, Ehrman, an admitted agnostic, constructs a remarkably straightforward and even-handed survey of...well, not contradictions so much as biblical difficulties-difficulties that should really serve to make one re-think faith paradigms built on the idea of inerrant, divinely inspired revelations.

I had already been introduced to many of the concepts of historical biblical criticism through authors like Borg, Funk and Crossan, so what I admired at first was the concise presentation of a substantial amount of information suitable for quick review or an aimiable introduction.

However, later chapters dealing with the history of how we got the Bible in its present form - through the faith-blinded 'impeccable logic of early church fathers - really brought home to me the disingenuous nature of conservative/fundamentalist/evangelical 'preaching'.

The mere suggestion that significant doctrines like the divinity of Christ, the trinity, or even heaven and hell were not neccesarily proclaimed by original Christians or even by Jesus - or that the religion of Jesus slowly over centuries became the religion about Jesus - well, it ought to elicit a certain curiosity about what is true.

REVIEW BY S. DIETZ copyright 2011