How Jesus Became God: The Exaltation of a Jewish Preacher from Galilee

Bart D. Ehrman examines how Jesus came to be understood as divine during the first few centuries of the early church. The central claim of Christianity is that Jesus of Nazareth was God, but this belief did not exist during Jesus's lifetime, nor did Jesus himself make this claim. The book traces how an apocalyptic Jewish prophet from rural Galilee, executed for crimes against the state, eventually came to be viewed as equal to God Almighty, Creator of all things. Ehrman explains the transformation of Jesus from a human prophet to the Son of God exalted to divine status at his resurrection. According to the book, the belief in Jesus's divinity emerged only after his followers experienced visions of him alive after his death. The concept of Jesus as God evolved significantly between the first and fourth centuries, meaning very differently to early believers than it does to modern Christians. Written for both secular historians of religion and believers, the book explores the historical developments underlying Christianity's core affirmation that Jesus was, and is, God.