Bart D. Ehrman

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Deepen your understanding of the foundations of Christian faith and practice in this illuminating two-course set. First, in After the New Testament: The Writings of the Apostolic Fathers, you’ll gain new perspective on the shaping of Christianity's canon, church hierarchy, and creed by examining enormously influential—yet little-known—works. Then, in New Testament, you’ll investigate the purely historical research on the earliest surviving literary work of the young church—its form, the methods of its composition, its authors and their original audiences, and the larger historical context.

Discover new ways to look at the Hebrew Bible and the earliest days of Christianity with guidance from two expert religious scholars in this two-course set. In The Old Testament, you’ll explore the history, religion, and vivid literature of ancient Israel as preserved in the Tanakh, or Hebrew Bible. Then, in Lost Christianities: Christian Scriptures and the Battles over Authentication, you’ll move ahead in time to the first centuries after Christ to examine provocative questions about what pre–New Testament scriptures had to say—and why the sometimes bizarre beliefs no longer exist today.

Whether you consider it a book of faith or a cultural artifact, the New Testament is among the most significant writings that the world has ever known. In The New Testament, the first of this set’s two courses, you’ll explore the purely historical research—the work’s form, the methods of its composition, its authors and their original audiences, and the larger historical context. And in The History of the Bible: The Making of the New Testament Canon, you get a fast-moving yet thorough introduction to key issues surrounding the development of the New Testament, including its different kinds of books, the conditions in which they were composed, what they teach, who actually wrote them, and—perhaps most important of all—why and how some books and not others became part of the canon of scripture.

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Travel back in time and explore the roots of Judaism and Christianity with this fascinating two-course set. In The Dead Sea Scrolls, unlock the secrets of ancient documents that irrevocably alter our understanding of the early years of these enduring faiths. And in The New Testament, use modern biblical scholarship, recent archaeological discoveries, and careful literary analysis to trace the history of this spiritual text.

Broaden your intellectual horizons in everything from ancient history to cosmology with this dynamic four-course set. Get compelling answers to provocative questions about the development of the New Testament in The History of the Bible: The Making of the New Testament Canon. Unearth profound secrets about ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, and other fascinating cultures in Origins of Great Ancient Civilizations. Get up close and personal with the most breathtaking phenomena of the cosmos with Black Holes Explained. And take a virtual tour through the collections of one of the world's greatest art museums with Museum Masterpieces: The Louvre.

Not sure which Great Course you want to order? Then order them all! For a limited time only, you can get Building Great Sentences; Joy of Mathematics; Understanding the Fundamentals of Music; and The Art of Critical Decision Making in a single four-course set for one amazingly low price! This special offer is the perfect way to sample some of the fascinating subjects, engaging professors, and profound insights you can find only from The Great Courses.

The Bible has meant more to more people than any other book in history. Now, in this four-course set taught by award-winning professors, get a fuller understanding of the history of the Bible and the themes it contains. First, in The Old Testament, Professor Amy-Jill Levine shows you how various approaches to biblical research and interpretation can enrich your understanding of this fruitful and powerful text. Next, in The New Testament, Professor Bart D. Ehrman develops for you a historical understanding of the New Testament—and the individuals and communities who created its texts. Then, in Father Joseph Koterski’s Biblical Wisdom Literature, you explore works such as the book of Proverbs, the book of Job, and the Song of Songs in their historical and cultural contexts, and examine how the teachings in these and other timeless works can be applied to everyday problems. Finally, in The Story of the Bible, Professor Luke Timothy Johnson illuminates for you the remarkable and complicated process by which the Bible came into being.