Professor Bart Ehrman (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) discusses Heaven and Hell in the Western tradition.

1. Zoom session facilitated by Clare Castro, Oxford University Press, April 20, 2020

“An author-led discussion of the afterlife in the Classical and Biblical worlds. Oxford author Bart Ehrman (The New Testament: A Historical Introduction to The Early Christian Writings, Seventh Edition; A Brief Introduction to The New Testament, Fourth Edition; and The Bible: A Historical and Literary Introduction, Second Edition) explores a variety of fascinating questions: How did the ancient Greeks and Romans think of life, death, and the afterlife? How are these phenomena depicted in the Old Testament? What were the views of the historical Jesus? How did they change after his death? And how do all these ideas differ from those widely held in the Christian world today?”

2. Discussion with Michael Shermer, Science Salon Podcast # 110, March 31, 2020

“Heaven and Hell: A History of the Afterlife

– What the bible says about the afterlife

– What Jesus really said about heaven

– Myths: their original purpose

– Real meaning of the resurrection

– Is the Kingdom of Heaven within us?”

3. Interview with Terry Gross, Fresh Air – Heaven and Hell Book Interview, National Public Radio, March 31, 2020

“She interviews Bart D. Ehrman on March 31, 2020, and centers the discussion to reflect on Bart’s book “Heaven and Hell: A History of the Afterlife.” Bart, the best-selling author of Misquoting Jesus takes on two of the most gripping questions of human existence: where did the ideas of heaven and hell come from, and why do they endure? He recounts the long history of the afterlife, ranging from The Epic of Gilgamesh up to the writings of Augustine, focusing especially on the teachings of Jesus and his early followers. He discusses ancient guided tours of heaven and hell, in which a living person observes the sublime blessings of heaven for those who are saved and the horrifying torments of hell for the damned.”

4. Interview with Seán Moncrieff, Newstalk, January 13, 2020