Ep. 238 - Dr. Bart Ehrman "Love Thy Stranger" pt. 1

About this episode

Dr. Bart Ehrman discusses how the teachings of Jesus transformed Western moral conscience in this first part of their conversation.

Dr. Bart Ehrman – Love Thy Stranger: How the Teachings of Jesus Transformed the Moral Conscience of the West (Part 1) In Part 1 of our conversation with renowned New Testament scholar and historian Dr. Bart Ehrman, we dive into his latest book, "Love Thy Stranger: How the Teachings of Jesus Transformed the Moral Conscience of the West". For centuries, people have debated whether Christianity has been a force for compassion or division. But what if one of the most radical moral ideas in human history came directly from the teachings of Jesus himself? In this episode, Bart explores how concepts like caring for the poor, loving enemies, and extending compassion beyond one’s tribe were not common moral assumptions in the ancient world—and how the teachings attributed to Jesus helped reshape Western moral imagination over time. We also discuss: What morality looked like in the ancient Greco-Roman world Why compassion was often viewed as weakness in antiquity The historical context surrounding Jesus’ teachings The difference between Jesus’ message and later Christian institutions Whether modern secular morality still carries the fingerprints of Christianity Why many people…

People in this episode

Host: John Williamson

Guest: Dr. Bart Ehrman

Topics covered

• Christianity
• moral teachings
• historical context
• compassion
• Jesus
• Western moral imagination

Keywords

• Jesus
• morality
• compassion
• ancient world
• Christianity
• historical Jesus
• Christian nationalism

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Love Thy Stranger: How the Teachings of Jesus Transformed the Moral Conscience of the West

More episodes of The Deconstructionists

• Ep. 237 - Lillian Daniels "Failure, Accountability & the Future of the Church" pt. 2 · April 16, 2026 · 46 min
• Ep. 236 - Lillian Daniel "Defrocked: Good News from a Bad Pastor for a Better Church" pt. 1 · April 9, 2026 · 33 min
• Ep. 235 - Dr. Cristy Carr "Reclaiming the Forgotten Self" pt. 2 · April 1, 2026 · 39 min
• Ep. 234 - Dr. Cristy Carr "The Forgotten Self" pt. 1 · March 26, 2026 · 31 min
• Ep. 233 - Violence and the Bible · March 18, 2026 · 30 min
• Ep. 232 - Dr. Michelle Keener "Comfort in the Ashes" pt. 2 · March 9, 2026 · 32 min