Peter, Paul and Mary Magdalene: The Followers of Jesus in History and Legend

Rating: 2 Stars

Review:

I read Ehrman's books, not for his opinions but for the facts he presents in relation to the New Testament, of which he obviously knows thoroughly. However, our faiths differ greatly, again obviously.

His writing style is easy to follow, but there is so much background information here that he used word-for-word in other texts, that gets a bit tedious. And his habit of repeating himself also gets tiresome.

Here he presents Peter, Paul, and Mary Magdalene as both historical and legendary figures in an accessible fashion, giving each their due turn in the spotlight. I don't put much stock in the Gnostic Gospels, though Ehrman references them frequently. Nor can we really put a lot of faith in other gospels and writing excluded from the Canon as we know it today. But still this makes for an interesting read about three of the most important figures in Christianity - without whom it would not exist had they each not done their part after the crucifixion and in the ensuing years.

Additionally:

Could have seriously done without the trite references to the folk group Peter, Paul, and Mary. It was just kind of annoying - in between the smatterings of Ehrman being trite and condescending himself.