Presents a series of twenty-four lectures that examines in detail the New Testament. Professor Bart Ehrman discusses its form, the methods of composition, its authors and their original audiences, and the surrounding historical context. He focuses on questions of historical evidence and explanation rather than on issues of religious belief and theological truth.

Hinduism is the world's oldest living religious tradition, with roots deep in the ancient cultures of the Indus Valley civilization and the Aryan society from Central Asia, which combined to create a highly diverse family of religions and philosophies. Topics explored in detail include the sacred scripture the Veda, transmigration of the soul, reincarnation, and karma. Hinduism can be both monotheistic and polytheistic, and systems of social stratification...

Surveys the history, traditions, and practice of Judaism from biblical times to today, with explanations of the major aspects of Jewish culture. Focuses on Judaism from within and how it is understood by its adherents, past and present. Covers topics such as the sacred books of Judaism, modes of worship, the calendar and holidays, and rites of passage such as bar and bat mitzva and marriage. Illustrates how Judaism reinvented itself by embracing the...

This course examines "the various writings of the Apostolic Fathers, both to see what each of the surviving books has to say and to see how these books can instruct us about the emerging Christian Church of the 2nd century"--Page 1 of guidebook.

"The 24 lectures of Comparative Religion offer you an opportunity to gain a solid grasp of the key ideas of religion itself -- the issues that repeatedly surface when you look at any faith's beliefs, practices, and organization. Using five major religions -- Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism -- as illustrations of how religions can address teh same core issues in parallel and different ways ... Charles Kimball ... leads you on an...

The three centuries following the death of Jesus were a momentous and turbulent era in Western religious thought. During this time, as Christianity began its massive growth, few if any influences on the theological landscape were as significant as the religious movements know as Gnosticism. Gnosticism intersected deeply with early Christian thought, sparking religious ideologies that competed with the theological thinking that came to define Christianity....

This course explores the history of religious violence, its multiple manifestations, its scriptural justifications, and how its perpetrators perceive the world. Ony by understanding the roots, causes, and circumstance of religious violence can we grapple with it intellectually and practically. These lectures treat the topic not as something resistant to analysis, but as a recurrent religious impulse that can be decoded, interpreted, and understood...

"Trace the story of Christianity from its origins in a Jewish outpost of the Roman Empire to its spread throughout the entire Western world. Taught by Dr. Bart. D. Ehrman, these 24 investigative lectures provide new insights into one of the most compelling stories ever recorded."