How Jesus Became God

Course Overview

Uncover the extraordinary story behind an idea that has shaped our civilization: the Christian belief that Jesus of Nazareth was none other than God the Almighty.

The claim that Jesus of Nazareth was God fundamentally changed the trajectory of Western civilization. This course offers an engaging exploration of how this belief developed, presented by Professor Bart Ehrman, a distinguished scholar of Christianity.

In 24 thought-provoking lectures, Professor Ehrman delves into the historical context and the progression of thought that led to Jesus being considered divine. You will learn about the various perspectives on Jesus’s identity, the influences of early Jewish beliefs, and the critical theological debates that shaped Christian doctrine. This comprehensive study will illuminate how an idea emerged from the teachings of a Jewish preacher in first-century Judea to become a central tenet of one of the world’s major religions.

Video Lecture List

1. Jesus-The Man Who Became God

• 33 min
• Explore the historical significance of the belief in Jesus’s divinity and its impact on Western civilization.

1. Greco-Roman Gods Who Became Human

• 32 min
• Investigate accounts of divine mortals in Greco-Roman religions and their relevance to Jesus.

1. Humans as Gods in the Greco-Roman World

• 32 min
• Delve into narratives of mortals exalted to divine status in ancient cultures.

1. Gods Who Were Human in Ancient Judaism

• 31 min
• Discover accounts of divine beings within ancient Jewish texts.

1. Ancient Jews Who Were Gods

• 27 min
• Analyze figures in ancient Judaism revered as divine and their cultural significance.

1. The Life and Teachings of Jesus

• 32 min
• Review the historical evidence of Jesus’s life and the implications of his teachings.

1. Did Jesus Think He Was God?

• 31 min
• Explore Jesus’s self-perception in light of Jewish concepts of the Messiah.

1. The Death of Jesus-Historical Certainties

• 31 min
• Examine the events leading to Jesus’s death, grounded in historical context.

1. Jesus’s Death-What Historians Can’t Know

• 31 min
• Discuss uncertain aspects of Jesus’s death according to scholarly research.

1. The Resurrection-What Historians Can’t Know

• 34 min
• Investigate the resurrection and its theological significance in early Christianity.

(…Continued through all 24 lectures)