Review by Choice Review
Lost Christianities is a terrific book. In clear and energetic writing, Ehrman (UNC, Chapel Hill) offers a picture of early Christianity that varies dramatically from the picture most people have. He provides brief evocations of widely contrasting alternatives to the "orthodox" Christianity that eventually prevailed; these alternatives (they lasted, even thrived, for centuries) included Ebionite Christianity, which tried to keep Christianity within the orbit of Judaism; Marcionite Christianity, which tried to deny the Jewish roots of Christianity altogether; and various forms of Gnostic Christianity that tried in numerous ways to deny that Christ had been a human being at all. This complex picture emerges from the very diverse literature of early Christianity that has come to light over the past century. Once it was excluded from the official New Testament collection, however, and once it was condemned for one reason or another as heretical, most of this literature was lost. Interest in these books was confined to dwindling and increasingly marginal groups, and the leaders of the triumphant "catholic" (universal) church were all too eager to see the volumes disappear. Ehrman describes these books in some detail, and recounts how each was rediscovered. Some of these documents have been familiar to scholars for centuries, but many were entirely unknown as recently as a few decades ago. The author's narratives of rediscovery are themselves sometimes astonishing, and would be worth reading even if the actual texts were less significant.In the companion volume Lost Scriptures, Ehrman provides translations of these same ancient books. As a supplement to Lost Christianities, this second volume is very useful. It is, however, somewhat frustrating on its own: introductions to the texts are exceedingly brief and continually refer to Lost Christianities; some longer texts are abridged or excerpted. As a result, the reader is never quite sure of having seen the whole picture. The books should be acquired as a pair, and libraries with collections in religion, theology, or church history are urged to do so. ^BSumming Up: Highly recommended. All levels. R. Goldenberg SUNY at Stony Brook
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Library Journal Review
The author of more than ten books on New Testament history and early Christian writings, Ehrman (religious studies, Univ. of North Carolina, Chapel Hill) has established himself as an expert on early Christianity. These two works should soundly solidify his stature, as they illuminate the flavor and varieties of early Christian belief. In Lost Scriptures, Ehrman provides primary texts that did not pass muster for canonical Christianity. They do, however, provide a compelling portrait of competing convictions within Christianity up to the fourth century. Ehrman groups them by literary categories, e.g., gospels, epistles, and apocalypses. While many of these are widely available elsewhere, such as in Ehrman's own After the New Testament: A Reader in Early Christianity (1999), this work is far more comprehensive. In addition, the thematic structure makes this an indispensable companion piece to Lost Christianities. Instead of primary texts, Lost Christianities presents context, history, and commentary surrounding these important early materials. Ehrman argues for the importance of reflecting on what was both lost and gained when these books were excised from Christianity. He argues that the victorious party rewrote the history of the controversy, solidifying the canon along the way in order to support an orthodoxy that would brook no dissent. Scholars and lay readers alike will want to have these works side by side, since Ehrman's intent is to elucidate early Christian divisions through the texts that best represent these rifts. Both books are essential for seminaries, religious studies collections, and any library with a strong interest in early Christianity. Highly recommended.-Sandra Collins, Univ. of Pittsburgh (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
