How Jesus Became God summary

Early Christian Beliefs and the Divinity of Jesus

In How Jesus Became God, Bart D. Ehrman delves into the theological evolution of early Christianity. He begins by sketching the historical Jesus, a figure who was a Jewish apocalyptic prophet, a healer, and a teacher. Ehrman demonstrates that Jesus did not claim to be divine during his lifetime. Instead, he preached about the imminent arrival of the Kingdom of God.

The book then explores the earliest Christian beliefs about Jesus. Ehrman contends that the earliest followers of Jesus, including his disciples and his brother James, did not view him as divine. For them, Jesus was a human being chosen by God to be the long-awaited Messiah. The idea of Jesus' divinity, Ehrman argues, developed over time.

Development of Jesus' Divinity in the New Testament

Ehrman then turns to the New Testament to trace the emergence of the belief in Jesus' divinity. He highlights the various interpretations of Jesus in the Gospels, emphasizing that the earliest Gospel, Mark, portrays Jesus as a human being. It's only in the later Gospels, such as Matthew, Luke, and John, that Jesus' divine nature is more prominently emphasized.

Ehrman argues that the Gospel of John is particularly significant in the development of the belief in Jesus' divinity. He explains that John presents Jesus as the pre-existent divine Word of God who became human. This portrayal of Jesus as a divine figure, Ehrman suggests, was a later theological development influenced by Hellenistic and Jewish philosophical ideas.

Theological Debates and the Council of Nicaea

In the third part of How Jesus Became God, Ehrman explores the theological controversies surrounding Jesus' nature in the early Christian community. He discusses the diverse and often conflicting views on Jesus' divinity, highlighting the debates between theologians like Arius and Athanasius.

These debates culminated in the Council of Nicaea in 325 CE, where the Christian leaders attempted to settle the issue of Jesus' divinity. Ehrman explains that the council's decision, enshrined in the Nicene Creed, affirmed Jesus as 'being of the same substance' as God the Father, marking a pivotal moment in the establishment of orthodox Christian beliefs about Jesus' divinity.

Aftermath of the Council and the Doctrine of the Trinity

In the aftermath of the Council of Nicaea, Ehrman discusses the continued theological debates and the subsequent development of the doctrine of the Trinity. He explains that the doctrine of the Trinity, which posits that God exists as three persons in one essence, emerged as a way to reconcile the belief in Jesus' divinity with the monotheistic Jewish tradition.

Throughout this development, Ehrman emphasizes that the belief in Jesus' divinity was not a unanimous or uncontested early Christian belief. Instead, it was the product of complex theological debates and political struggles within the early church.

Conclusion: The Evolution of a Central Christian Belief

In conclusion, How Jesus Became God provides a thorough and thought-provoking exploration of the historical development of the belief in Jesus' divinity. Ehrman argues that the idea of Jesus as God was not a self-evident truth from the beginning, but rather a belief that evolved over several centuries, shaped by theological debates, scriptural interpretations, and philosophical influences. By shedding light on this complex historical process, Ehrman challenges readers to rethink their understanding of Jesus and the origins of one of Christianity's central tenets.