Early Christians in Roman Eyes

[@DigitalHammurabi]

I'm so sorry about the keyboard sounds, everyone, I know it's incredibly distracting when you're trying to listen to Bart. I very carefully mute my mic when Bart is talking and I'm taking notes...unfortunately, for this episode and the following episode, our recording software was recording the wrong mic. So muting did absolutely nothing.

[@mwai72]

Should have looked a bit further down...I just asked about the typing noise...4give me.

[@malcolmstephens3180]

+qqwa++++++++++ææ+a

[@muhammadmusa2671]

You bring this knowledge free , I can manage keyboard sound. Thank you

[@kylelloyd4437]

Thanks for the show! I appreciate the apology. I love what you guys do never stop!

[@njhoepner]

Not a problem, I could hear everything nice and clear. Thanks for the program!

[@redstick4722]

I like to think that their glasses are the same size, but Megan is small and Bart is huge

[@Jay_in_Japan]

Thank you for this image hahaha 🤣

[@StaceyHH]

Great installment, but the typing on a mechanical keyboard was really distraction. Maybe use a different keyboard for the next one?

[@dmalane]

Typing was coming over the microphone, drowning Bart out a bit.

[@parkburrets4054]

Every time,I am so impressed with Bart’s knowledge. Can you imagine how much richer our culture would be if we had people like him studying the things that interested themselves?

[@duouk2000]

Great episode, but the keyboard was too loud. Can it be muted when typing going forward?

[@Neo.467.35]

The peak of spiritual maturity is to stop relying on all earthly sources of joy and happiness and keep God alone as the only one and great source of your joy and excitement!

[@alst4817]

I hope you took no joy from your comment

[@eternalgospels]

Great content. However, the background typing is annoying.

[@clinchleatherwood1012]

Great topic and I always love these two together! The typing was very distracting though.

[@jetc4332]

It is funny that even though Bart became an atheist and is now loved by the anti-Christianity crowd, he is still fair and mostly faithful to the historical record. You can see he tries to moderate or even sometimes prevent the anti-Christianity spin.

[@spaceman081447]

@jetc4332 Why do you find it "funny" that Dr. Ehrman is fair and balanced in his remarks about Christian history even though he is an agnostic? Çould it be because theists generally make no attempt to be evenhanded? By the way, atheists and agnostics are NOT "anti-Chŕistian." What we are is anti-theocratic.

[@JamesAgans]

I, for one am not Anti-Christianity, in fact, I try to follow the precepts outlined by Jesus of Nazareth, be he a real person or a myth. I am, however, an anti BS person, and even a cursory bit of research will tell you that the Noah flood story is a carbon copy of the story in the Epic of Gilgamesh. The deeper you dig, the more you uncover BS. Take the so called exodus. It never happened. The Cannanites became the Israeli. They had to make up the Abraham/Issac story as an excuse to stop sacrificing their first born sons to a pagan god. Think about it. How are we going to tell the guy next door that he killed his son for nothing? It's kind of like trying to stop a war once you start one. What about the parents of the kids that already died? I am a Vietnam Vet. I was there in 66-67. We knew the war was a total crock of shit in 66. It went on until 73.

[@mjolnir9855]

Absolutely. Honest scholarship requires no less. His lack of faith doesn’t preclude him from attempting to judge as fairly as the evidence allows.

[@MarcosElMalo2]

He’s the senior scholar and popularizer of the Data over Dogma movement. As an agnostic who is interested in Christianity, Judaism, and other ME religions, Bart and other notables from the academic side (the usual suspects*) provide me with valuable information and insights that I could never get from apologetic evangelism or the trite formulations of aggressive atheism. I don’t think Bart is beloved by certain factions of atheism. His audience is generally thoughtful people who are both believers and non-believers and who are interested in the most important book(s) of Western Civilization. * My usual suspects: scholars Dan, Kip, Megan, Josh, plus non-scholars Derek and Paul. They aren’t the only ones out there, but I’m watching their material on the daily.

[@MarcosElMalo2]

@@spaceman081447I think the majority of atheists don’t even think about religious questions at all until those questions are shoved in their face. And until that moment (when they are confronted with questions about the beginnings of human life, for example) they prefer to just live their lives. The majority of atheists don’t care about anti-theism and anti-Christianity. If you live in a society that is a part of “Western Civilization” or has its roots in the Western Traditions, your active atheism is going to take the form of anti-Christianity 99% of the time. So I don’t think your distinction between anti-Christianity and anti-theism is meaningful in any practical sense. Honestly, do you spend time on Buddhist channels, debunking their beliefs? (and there are theistic Buddhist denominations.) Do you regularly debunk Hindu scripture? I bet you don’t. When was the last time you entered a chat about Navajo cosmology to explain why Navajo beliefs are based on the impossible? I’m not telling you what to do (but now I’m going to tell you what to do). Just call yourself an atheist or nonbeliever.

[@danalaniz7314]

This was another fascinating and informative video in this series. Megan you are a great interviewer but your keyboard is very loud and is a distraction when Bart is answering your questions.

[@andrewpeat]

Great discussion. As usual, Bart is very informative. Megan’s typing is rather distracting. Perhaps she could turn off her mic while Bart is answering.

[@jeffryphillipsburns]

Perhaps she could just listen. There’s no excuse for this.

[@VicDeLacross]

I mean why would she choose a mechanical keyboard?? 28:07

[@matthewhayes7671]

Y'all it'll be okay. Human error. It's a great episode and Megan is an incredible host.

[@Knowledge_Seeker64]

I can say firsthand as a 20-year-old that recent world events and people’s reactions to said events-especially responses from the religious-are EXACTLY why I’m personally invested in religious studies, as well as science and communication. From my perspective, you both hit it on the nose.

[@davidfitnesstech]

LOVE ALL THESE SHOWS BART. The WOW part for me was your "revelation" near the end at 44:59 regarding the emperors sometimes being called "Lord and Savior" or "Son of God". That single sentence makes everything so clear (to me) now regarding Jesus as a mere mortal man/preacher. It's perspective. So glad I stuck around to the end of this. CONSTANTLY TAKING NOTES on your vids :-)

[@SelfReflective]

As was Megan, apparently.

[@josiahpaez4601]

That was absolutely mind blowing!

[@apackofviceroys]

Flavians created/co-opted Jesus movement or the Nerva dynasty did. Roman creation either way

[@whitepanties2751]

May explain why the Roman authorities saw Jesus and his cult as a threat.

[@Lerian_V]

I learned it for the first time about 12 years ago in Episode 1 of the CATHOLICISM series (I'll post link below. skip to 17:55 - 22:00)

[@12fold]

I want to learn how Bart performs a kind of warm-up routine to smoothly ramp onto any topic. A very personal intro that doesn't waste time.

[@carvoloco4229]

The kinds of things that make Dr. Ehrman burst in laughter make you think 🤔

[@seanvassar1117]

Thank you for sharing, something positive about this generation of students. Doesn't seem like older generations have too many positive things to say about younger ones.

[@bryancharlebois]

I'm glad you believe that haha😄

[@markadams7046]

Its a tale as old as time. The older generation thinks the younger generation is going to hell in a handbasket, but your younger generation seems to have trouble understanding thins. lol🤣

[@BandiGetOffTheRoof]

I'm 62 and I'd say the bell curve has flattened...both more outstanding and really clueless youth than my generation in the 70's

[@seanvassar1117]

@@BandiGetOffTheRoof it sure does. seem" that way. The average IQ over time tells a different story tho. It's also known as the flynn effect. IQ is adjusted about 3 points every decade because we continue to learn off the shoulders of the past.

[@seanvassar1117]

A fun test would be to give a 65 year old a smart phone and give a 6.5 year old a smartphone and ask them to change the setting of .... fill in blank 😂 Ive watch my son show my mom how to use a cell phone from the age of 3 and now he shows my wife of 41 how to change advance settings, he's ten.

[@KathrynTanner-t8f]

Bart's comment about the connection between religion and government is interesting, particularly in the midst of our current argument about that. The Christianity I grew up with insisted religion had nothing to do with politics. Interesting.

[@ScottyMcYachty]

Gah! Megan, the typing! 😵‍💫🤪😵‍💫

[@frienderella]

I am always excited when it's Tuesday and a new episode is released.

[@ChatteringApe]

The idea that the loss of income starved out the pagan temples and priests is something I've never heard brought up before. That's a very powerful thought. It suggests that pagan worship could collapse very quickly as more and more people convert in a kind of self-reinforcing process.

[@njhoepner]

For the pagans, it was worse than that. Beginning with Constantine, emperors began taking away money and treasures from those temples to fund their Christian projects, and in some places took their buildings for Christian use. So they were robbed (essentially) and then starved of income. Combine that with everyone trying to advance their careers by joining up with the emperor's favorite religion, and the rest is "history."

[@TonyHaleLeo]

There was an empire wide Roman edict against loud keyboards.

[@jio-lito]

I was listening to the podcast in my car on my way back from work, so my initial thought about the keyboard sound was that Dr Ehrman was swirling some ice on a glass as he talked before he took a sip 😂😂😂😂

[@shuttlemanjack]

Sorry, but the typing is very distracting

[@redshiftexperiment]

Lol - I was thinking the same thing. I was thinking there was a discussion; "I just assembled my keyboard from the rusty parts of an old Ford truck. Will that be OK for the podcast?" All kidding aside, I really liked the podcast content. I am glad these are coming out regularly. Good stuff!

[@livehealthyfinishstrong]

I was about to make the same comment😂

[@peterkatow3718]

Just super rude.

[@JCTheSniper15]

You're the typing.

[@pappapiccolino9572]

Megan's idea of the Superb Owl (in lieu of the Super Bowl) is total genius. Interesting video as always.

[@MichaelFenley]

Megan. You have a fantastic “business model” for your channel. Thank you for your time.

[@Jay_in_Japan]

Recommendation for the editor: when one person is speaking, mute the audio from the other person's mic, if you have separate audio channels. It'll cut the typing and sniffling sounds

[@michaelsommers2356]

Read the pinned comment.

[@dianadeejarvis7074]

They know that. They just goofed this time.

[@MichaelSeanDemalignonV]

I really enjoyed the background music. Truly.

[@juliapatricia6223]

Thanks so much Dr. Ehrman!

[@dynamic9016]

Really appreciate this video.

[@VicDeLacross]

30:42 typing/….. i wait for these every Tuesday and Dr Ehrman has opened my eyes in so many ways. Please if at all possible please get a quieter keyboard. Sorry to be annoying but thank you!

[@deborahbarbour2241]

Would've liked more explanation of why the monotheistic Jews were not persecuted for their exclusive devotion to God.

[@Hallahanify]

Probably because they weren't trying to convert everyone

[@kathyheyne6030]

@@Hallahanifyexactly. And they didn’t threaten anyone with eternal damnation for not converting, either.

[@DarkLord-iz7vk]

Ah yes, the Christians threatened the pagan order of the Empire not just by refusing to sacrifice and make offerings to the temples of the pagan gods, but by converting as many others to do so as they could. Whereas Jews remained a relatively small minority in the Empire and were less active converting others, so it was easier for the pagan Empire to tolerate/ignore them, except when they actively rebelled.

[@holyworrier]

Great show. Thanks. Love y'all.

[@redshiftexperiment]

Great stuff! Keep it coming!

[@MichaelFenley]

Always interesting. Thank you again, Dr Bartman.

[@Hilderik1]

This was great to listen Thank you!

[@MariusK1977]

Mute button Megan.. the typing is very loud

[@kylelloyd4437]

Love the video, buuut can you mute yourself when you're typing please? I listen to this on headphones and it's super distracting XD

[@RomanPhilosopher]

Megan's typing is really frustrating

[@metiusabt2581]

Yes, horrible

[@garycunningham9138]

Yes, very distracting. She should be muting her mic. Otherwise, a great webcast.

[@teebagz1]

interesting discussion. irritating keyboard noise at the best parts. Megan, this is so easy to fix!

[@robertclark6992]

I think as Dr. Ehrman's notoriety has grown on KZbin young inquiring minds are seeking him at at university. He is a wealth of information about the history of the new testament and the development of Christian theology. Many young Christian are interested in history with this orientation.

[@rschreck]

Bart used to say his students were predominantly Christian. With the growing population of the “nones” (regarding religious affiliation), I wonder how this has reflected in his student population over the 30+ years he has been teaching.

[@pappapiccolino9572]

@@rschreck He teaches in North Carolina, which is very much in the Bible Belt. He has stated in recent times (last few months) that the majority of students are still evangelical Christians. I'm sure he has said it more than once.

[@Nexus-jg7ev]

Wow, that was awkwardly timely! I have been studying the criticism against Christianity by Celsus and Prophyry recently.

[@Daniel-from-Texas]

Divine intervention!

[@wpoe54]

Please don't be typing in future broadcasts! Or get a less mechanical keyboard.

[@kenledbetter4979]

Agree, I had to stop watching because the typing was too annoying.

[@brentmattox8933]

I support this. My wife and I found the typing distracting

[@kylelloyd4437]

I made the same comment. Especially when you're wearing head phones it's very distracting.

[@DrustZapat]

Oh, c'mon guys. She made a mistake. Leave the poor woman alone.

[@moodyrick8503]

Comparative religion courses should be offered in high school. To give students a wider perspective of what other cultures believe, as well as some of the history of non belief. To help cut down on prejudice & intolerance.

[@joshuapray]

I think that's a fantastic idea. I teach high school (in Europe, not the US, which is notable for this, I think), and the first challenge I see for your very good idea is that there are far, far fewer specialised secondary school teachers than there are university teachers. At the secondary level, a teacher will probably teach many subjects while having an undergraduate (and occasionally a master's) relating to the general field to which those classes belong. Someone with a degree in chemistry might teach Earth & Space Science one year, for example, while the next year someone with a degree in geology might. Something so specific as comparative religion requires not just considerable content knowledge, which doesn't really gibe with that generalist approach, but also capability in presenting many viewpoints without personal bias. So it's a bit of an ask for high school, but I agree with you that it's well worth doing, and it is certainly not impossible. Personally, my biggest worry would be someone wanting to teach that class (either because it's a fascinating subject, because it's so important for the students, or because they want their own team to come out on top) while not having the requisite knowledge to do so and do it well. I myself teach classical literature and mythology, and some of the things I have seen high school educators say and do (and teach) in those fields is appalling -- and far less impactful politically and socially than comparative religion! The hero's journey comes to mind... But that's a whole other story!

[@moodyrick8503]

@@joshuapray Thanks for your kind words. To me the biggest problem is agreeing on the curriculum. The classes should be taught from an objective historical context. Things like the culture that arose from those beliefs, and of course what they believed & why. Do all believers of same religion, agree and come to the same conclusion ? But never to be taught as _"this is most likely true",_ *no assertions about any religions potential, to be true of not.* _Just The Facts & Nothing But The Facts._ The teachers just have to stay within certain guidelines, which they already have to do anyway. I think that being 100% pragmatic & practical about the motives and benefits should make it an easy sell. But people do push back against _critical race theory",_ as they fear that to closely examine all of the bad things that white colonial empires did will somehow cause more hatred. We learned about the horrors Japan & Germany perpetrated in WW 2 and still treat them with respect. I'm Canadian, and I was not taught about our gov't's program of abduction and indoctrination into western culture & Christianity that was perpetrated upon the children of natives, however today it's taught in the history classes of every province. But I've babbled enough for now. _Keep On Truckin'_ Joshua

[@Windrake101]

Problem is: in The US this has been attempted, and shut down in many places, as the Religious agenda-ist never want their students to learn about other Faiths.

[@KathyGabelsberg]

Megan, if you are going to host these sessions, please do not type while Bart is talking!

[@paulallenscards]

She’s well aware. Recording software discrepancy.

[@chadgarber]

FYI. Typing is really loud..

[@dorothysatterfield3699]

What are all the distracting crackling sounds going on while Bart's speaking? Very annoying.

[@Darisiabgal7573]

I think Megan was looking something up. Wanna send her a quiet keyboard?

[@stevespindler2088]

Sounds like a keyboard to me

[@dorothysatterfield3699]

@@stevespindler2088 So I have gleaned from the many comments that were made subsequent to my own. If I had realized it was the sound of Megan's keyboard I wouldn't have said anything. Obviously, she was unaware that the mic was picking it up, and I don't think she would have been typing unless it was important. I hope everything's okay with her and her family. I think she does a terrific job. To the many (male) commenters who seem to think it's always acceptable for a man to make personal observations - insulting or complimentary, it doesn't matter - about a woman's appearance, know this: you are mistaken. You are arrogant. You are rude.

[@Darisiabgal7573]

@@dorothysatterfield3699 You seem to be sensitive about alot of stuff. Maybe some yoga would be good for you.

[@dorothysatterfield3699]

@@Darisiabgal7573 Thank you for proving my point.

[@aaroNiGHTS]

That typing in the background is crazy loud 😬

[@jjcole6544]

Bart’s Weekly Update: Watching football. Lol. Good for you, Bart! Man of the ppl.

[@belaytube9668]

I like dr Yigal Binun's last sentence after lecture about Christianity that that well diversed religion started from here between Dan and Beer Sheva

[@williamkentley3684]

Hi Megan. When I listened to your lovely program with an earphone, I noticed that the clicky-clacky typing sounds in the background are not really in the background; in fact, they become all the ground and I cannot hear Bart. All the best.

[@AverageJillM]

Question for next week: is it true that the story in John about Doubting Thomas was an effort by the author of John to elevate his gospel above The Gospel of Thomas?

[@moodyrick8503]

If the names Mark, Matthew, Luke & John were added as part of church tradition, what were they called before these names were added to the gospels ?

[@stephen_pfrimmer]

I love this show so. Thank you.

[@topdogred]

New drinking game: every time Bart says “ah um” you have to take a shot of liquor. You’ll meet the resurrected Jesus in 10 minutes

[@Phi1618033]

I'm already a few shots in, so this is going to be dangerous.

[@Jay_in_Japan]

Lol

[@thesolarengineer]

Great. You want people to die from alcohol poisoning 🤣👍

[@dbarker7794]

I take bong hits instead of liquor shots and it's quite enjoyable.

[@SceptiGus]

Oooo. I'm in. Cracking open a new bottle of bourbon.

[@ronwright6870]

Megan, it appears you are not paying attention to Bart when you are also typing. And the clicking was distracting while he was talking. I thought you would want to know.

[@bobstine3785]

I have read that almost all the bishops and Christian representatives at the Council of Nicea bore scars from persecution. Is that wrong?

[@samuelbrewer7561]

I know it has likely already been recorded but I would love to hear Dr. Ehrman and Dr. Goodacre discuss the synoptic problem. Q or Luke using Matthew.

[@theevilcookie]

very annoying the typing :(. btw excellent post as ever. kudos dr. Ehrman for an informative video. love it.

[@Robert_L_Peters]

NO MORE TYPING NT Wright and John Dominic Crossan both point out the competing titles of Caesar and Christ. Maybe others too

[@dbarker7794]

"I don't watch tv." Also: "I watch lots of sports." Where, then, does Ehrman watch these sports if not on tv? Does he see them in a personal vision, like St Paul? Anyway, good discussion. Thanks.

[@cochetah4339]

Thanks for that Megan...techno diff....just signed for blog

[@giuseppemannino5204]

thank you dott Bart ehrman ✌️

[@kencreten7308]

I told a friend you two keep throwing historical candy at me. I can't quit! hehe I take it from the comments we have a typing problem?

[@definitelynotvj]

obsessed with Megan's glasses, and can't help staring at them as they speak!

[@erink3289]

About Mithras- I’ve seen a lot of ‘information’ on Mithras, such as having a birthday of Dec. 25th, some sort of water baptism ritual, having 12 companions, being buried and resurrected after the 3rd day, and being called “the way, the truth, and the life.” Also, that Mithras was named the official protector of the Roman Empire by Diocletian in 307… not that long before Jesus took the same position in 325. If true, there are an awful lot of parallels between Mithras stories and Jesus stories. But it seems like we don’t actually know that much about Mithras? Are any of the alleged parallels historically verifiable? If not, any idea where the Mithras stories come from?

[@DarthGylcolious]

Almost everything asserted in your comment about Mithras is not supported by contemporary scholarship. Here's a good primer about the current state of research from Religion for Breakfast, a youtuber/colleague of Bart Ehrman's: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rp2pYZqMmsmCeqc

[@erink3289]

@@DarthGylcolious this is great, thank you!

[@jonathandutra4831]

So if Nero blamed the Christians for setting the fire don't the prove the point that Christians were facing massive persecution? Hard to argue they weren't.

[@alberto5147]

Great video but Bart kept interrupting the typing, which is what I came here for. 😋

[@edwardhamm5535]

Please do not keyboard during zoom.

[@centrovize]

A Bluetooth keypad would be better.

[@stevemayer6185]

That was terribly distracting.

[@mustyfan1584]

I love the clickity clack, whatever bro

[@KrazyKittyKatKatcher]

I saw this when I started the video and didn't think much about it but then about half way through this vid I started to get really bugged by it. She's typing as he's saying things that are really important and it's hard to stay with his enthusiasm when she's not even interested :p

[@jonathandutra4831]

Yes, it's like scratching a chalkboard. A Lil cringe 😬

[@chriswilcocks8485]

Excellent

[@MrCliffipoo]

very interesting stuff...... i dont know who is doing the typing whilst Bart is talking but it's really annoying

[@MrCliffipoo]

and the loud sniffing

[@MartinWilson1]

And talking over him with quips

[@MartinWilson1]

And talking over him with quips

[@BeesWaxMinder]

Dear Sir, what do you think about the “shroud of Turin“? -Thanks!

[@Kyeudo]

It has been shown repeatedly to be a fraud.

[@rhondah1587]

Like all of the so-called relics, it is a fraud. People are so easily deceived and eager to believe BS.

[@steveferguson698]

Great insight. Especially the statement on "the son of God". A term used by the Romans that the early Christians picked up on. Typing was very annoying.

[@Lerian_V]

I learned it first from this episode of CATHOLICISM series (skip to 17:55 - 22:00) kzbin.info/www/bejne/opDSi5ibl6aHnMk

[@hynol]

This keyboard is really terrible. I can't focus when Megan is typing. Perhaps different keyboard or more directional mic is something to consider.

[@tyrannosaurusrector7947]

A wonderful discussion as always. I think Bart may have made a small mistake when he said that the Roman edict tolerance was the first law of its kind in the world. The Indian king, Ashoka the Great in the 3nd century BCE, declared religious toleration after becoming a convert to Buddhism.

[@onikin]

He is a bit blind to religious history outside Christianity. He is very deep but not very broad. Can tell in even his lack of discussion of Islam's growth or the diversity of Judaism practice and thought. Or how the problem of evil (what made him an atheist) is dealt with differently in other religions.

[@containternet9290]

He also forgot to mention that a couple of decades afterwards the Catholic Church, then a powerful organization, made it illegal any form of paganism.

[@mattjillrothstein2068]

Love your videos, great information! Questions: If Pliny required Christians to curse Christ as part of proving they weren’t Christian, how does this show that the Roman Empire was okay with you worshipping Jesus as long as you also worshipped the other gods? Also, if the person accused of being a Christian was a Roman citizen, you stated they were sent to Rome for judgment. This again suggests that Christianity was “officially” prohibited by the Roman Empire by at least 110 AD, doesn’t it?

[@MrAustrokiwi]

Megan: either get a quieter key board or stop typing during the video(PLEASE)

[@VJacquette]

What I don't understand is how Dr. Ehrman could concentrate on what he was saying with that noisy typing going on. I certainly couldn't.

[@Matt_The_Hugenot]

From what I could gather the Diocletian persecution is somewhat overblown. It seems to have been more economically motivated, what they were after was the precious metals and gems that Christians had donated to the church that had been used to decorate scriptures, icons, and relics. Many of the martyrdoms occurred when the keepers of these valuable objects refused to hand them over.

[@ubersheizer5398]

What's a keyboard? The letter-number button thing?

[@perrywharton2482]

Amazed that Christianity dominated Rome and western civilization quickly and still going strong today, but never really picked up in Beijing and eastern civilization and is still struggling to make inroads today. Would like to know why is that, what so different between Rome and Beijing over the 2000 years of Christian existence in a future episode.

[@njhoepner]

What made Christianity dominant in the Roman world was that it got government sponsorship - from the time of Constantine until Theodosius becoming a Christian became a path to social and political advancement. After Theodosius (the emperor who made Christianity the official religion in 380 CE) it became a necessary component of having any career at all. In China, Christianity was a minority religious sect that had a sketchy relationship to the official world, which followed Confucian teachings and a polytheistic official religion that included ancestor worship. So Christianity made little headway. It only really took off in China during the time of the European empires, when missionaries had more clout - but even then it remained a minority faith. This in fact is the pattern more generally for Christianity - in Europe, in places where it became the official religion, it became the majority religion. In places where it didn't, it had little influence. The great spread of Christianity as an influential force outside Europe follows the path of European colonization.

[@perrywharton2482]

@@njhoepner thanks for pointing out that the difference between the west and east is the western powers adopted Christianity while the eastern powers found little use for it. I still find it puzzling seeing that Christianity was successful in one place but not another. I'm reading something about it was might makes right. Christianity used force to convert the pagan natives in the west and all the places it colonized around the world, and that why it was successful. Since the east was never colonized by the west, they could not convert them like they did the rest of the world.

[@silvershadchan4085]

@@njhoepner you forgot the other two main religions of China: Buddhism and Taoism.

[@njhoepner]

@@silvershadchan4085 True enough, although I wasn't trying to be exhaustive. In any case, while both were larger influences in China than forms of Christianity or Islam, they remained minority religions so long as the various Confucianism and its associated imperial cult remained the official religion. With the Communist revolution all religions find themselves disfavored, and all are minority faiths, some (like Buddhism, Daoism, and Falun Gong) larger than others. I think the overall pattern remains the same.

[@onikin]

Christianity and Islam spread at the tip of a sword. From emperors and kings throughout their conquests and colonies. Islam did make inroads in south and southeast Asia from Pakistan through Malaysia. Christianity took over a lot of Korea after persecution, then gaining royal favor. Christianity also took hold of a lot of persecuted minorities in Asia, the indigenous peoples. It's good at converting people away from peganism (as those gods failed protecting them from oppression), but not good at converting people away from entrenched official religions with codified beliefs. Christianity & Islam, without the tip of a sword, brings solace to persecuted minorities without strong *written* powerful, well financed, historical religious traditions. But it can't make much inroads when a religion has these things. Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, and Hinduism also don't necessarily require fantastical stories from very far away. One can believe in polytheism with them, or one can have a very human, logical, agnostic belief system in them. They all have very academic, intellectual sects leading them.

[@sebolddaniel]

It is much worse on the military channels where 115 millimeter shells go off behind the host's head.

[@kuhnemund6523]

Great episode, but please mute yourself when typing.

[@heroicacts5218]

Great review, prof. Ehrman. I didn’t hear anything in the analysis that disparaged Christianity at all. There were persecution waves, until some top figures in the Roman Empire became Christians as well. Misconceptions about minor details do not negate the whole Christian narrative, but actually give a good flavor of how it developed over time. Thanks professor Ehrman for your analysis and wealth of knowledge. God bless!

[@DarthGylcolious]

@AmorMagico666 Religion is the wrong religion, friend.

[@onikin]

Jupiter bless you, too.

[@heroicacts5218]

@@onikin Happy Easter, Jesus has resurrected! Rejoice, we all can live forever!

[@michaelsommers2356]

If Jesus had thousands of followers, where were they during his trial, when Pilate asked the crowd what to do with Jesus? Were they just not interested enough to attend the trial? Were they among those (apparently the whole crowd) who wanted Jesus crucified?

[@SklLLLY]

Conversely, how did they draw out a big crowd of random heckling jews during passover, when ur supposed to be inside? Lol

[@andreisrr]

Do we also have preserved Trajan's answer to Pliny's letter?

[@sebolddaniel]

The age of the fish, Pices, is talked about in Luke as an astrology symbol along with Aquarius.

[@bobstine3785]

I have read that many Christian officials at the Council of Nicea had scars from persecution.

[@blake4590]

If it's possible, could you reduce the volume of the keyboard typing next time? Great video otherwise

[@longcastle4863]

Love the show; just as a friendly picky thing -- I wish I could afford to be a patron ang buy Megan a decent audio system. It makes a difference --

[@laurencepeterson8466]

I wish an account of the class/economic dynamics involving conversion to Christianity from the inception to at least legalization could be written. Especially focusing on the commercial classes.

[@lynnbethechange]

Megan, where you typing? Maybe Bart, but probably not. :)

[@BFDT-4]

How do you get from 20 Aramaic speaking people to the Roman Empire? That would -- in part -- be due to Paul, and his outreach to Greek and Latin speaking readers and listeners.

[@Bockdollar-the-Songwriter]

Just going to echo the last. comment. I really like this series with Bart, but Megan, this is the first time I noticed your very. loud typing on the keyboard during Bart’s responses, and yes, this is very distracting. I’m wondering if you or your editor can edit out the loud keyboarding sounds?

[@MichaelB1488]

I would argue that the most important events that happened to the west were first, the arrival of the Ancient Hunter Gatherers into Europe, second the arrival of Anatolian Farmers into Europe, and third the arrival of the Indo-Europeans into Europe. These three events created the Western Man. The arrival of Christianity could be said to have gradually transformed the Western Man, beginning with Rome and proceeding to the Germans and Slavs, into spiritual Jews. Essentially it transformed Western Civilization into Hebrew Civilization. The Renaissance could be seen as the revival of Western Civilization, but the Renaissance never managed to replace Christian Morality, and WW2 determined that the Bible and the Jews would remain dominant in the West. The defeat of Fascism can be seen as the end of the Renaissance of Indo-European, or “Aryan”/Western civilization and the reestablishment of Zionist Civilization, or Judeo-Christian Civilization. Or you could say that the defeat of Berlin by Washington was the final defeat of Rome by Jerusalem.

[@TheSulross]

so the Romans allowed the Jews a religion that only recognized a Jewish god, but for Christians, they didn't allow them that? Must be that they were alarmed at seeing non-Jewish peoples of the Roman empire doing the same as potentially subversive of the empire

[@JaniceinOR]

Maybe the difference was that Christians evangelized and Jews did not?

[@exoplanet11]

Bart has previously said that part of Roman ideology was to respect things they considered "old". Judaism qualified under their definition but Christianity would not.

[@clarksturdevant2015]

Where does one submit for "viewer questions?"

[@thoughtfuloutsider]

At what point did the Romans separate Christianity from the Jews?

[@yeastandgrapes]

How come some kingdoms became Christian before Constantine? Among them are the states that still exist today, which claim that they accepted Christianity before Constantine the Great himself accepted it! Is this possible?

[@lorettajaunzarins9883]

Excellent as usual. Keyboard very loud and sounds like someone else in the background. Distracting.