The Sunday Interview: Did Jesus Invent Western Morality with Dr. Bart Ehrman

About this episode

Brad Onishi interviews Dr. Bart Ehrman about the origins of Western morality and the influence of Jesus' teachings on modern ethical frameworks.

In this episode, Brad Onishi is joined by world-renowned New Testament scholar Dr. Bart Ehrman to explore the origins of the Western moral conscience through his latest book, Love Thy Stranger. The conversation challenges the common assumption that altruism is a "natural" human impulse, revealing instead how the ancient Greco-Roman world operated on a logic of social dominance and power. Ehrman traces the evolution of ethics from the specific tribal obligations found in Leviticus to the radical, apocalyptic vision of Jesus, who demanded care for the "stranger" as a universal requirement. By examining how this revolutionary Jewish framework was later institutionalized by the early church and the Roman Empire, they uncover why modern Westerners—regardless of their personal faith—still view charity and humanitarianism as a moral imperative. The discussion also dives into the practical friction between Jesus’ universalism and Paul’s communal ethics, providing a fascinating historical roadmap of how Christian morality became the baseline for Western civilization. From the communal sharing models in the book of Acts to modern-day secular institutions like Doctors Without Borders…

People in this episode

Host: Brad Onishi

Guest: Dr. Bart Ehrman

Topics covered

• Western morality
• Christian ethics
• altruism
• Greco-Roman world
• Jesus
• early church
• humanitarianism

Keywords

• morality
• ethics
• Christianity
• altruism
• Jesus
• Paul
• charity
• Hurricane Helene
• Greco-Roman
• community

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Love Thy Stranger

Places: Asheville, NC

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