Forgery and Counter-forgery: The Use of Literary Deceit in Early Christian Polemics

Forgery and Counter-Forgery: The Use of Literary Deceit in Early Christian Polemics by Bart Ehrman, the New York Times best-selling author of Misquoting Jesus and recognized authority on early Christianity, is the first major contemporary work on forgery in early Christian literature. It examines the motivation and function behind Christian literary forgeries. Ehrman guides readers through Christian literary forgeries of the first four centuries CE while providing coverage of other ancient texts. He asks why early Christians lied about themselves when writing polemical works; and then answers by showing how unknown Christian authors used forgeries to defend their own faith and attack other interpretations of early Christianity. He further asks why many scholars resist acknowledging their forgeries; and he answers that the forgeries uncomfortably call into question the authority of the New Testament. The book is essential reading for those interested in early Christianity and the New Testament.