Author Biography

A graduate of Wheaton College (Illinois), Professor Ehrman received both his Masters of Divinity and Ph.D. from Princeton Theological Seminary, where his 1985 doctoral dissertation was awarded magna cum laude. Since then he has published extensively in the fields of New Testament and Early Christianity, having written or edited twenty-three books, numerous scholarly articles, and dozens of book reviews.

Among his most recent books are a Greek-English edition of the Apostolic Fathers for the Loeb Classical Library (Harvard University Press), an assessment of the newly discovered Gospel of Judas (Oxford University Press), and three New York Times Bestsellers: Jesus Interrupted ( an account of scholarly views of the New Testament), God’s Problem (an assessment of the biblical views of suffering), and Misquoting Jesus (an overview of the changes found in the surviving copies of the New Testament and of the scribes who produced them). His books have been translated into twenty-seven languages.

Among his fields of scholarly expertise are the historical Jesus, the early Christian apocrypha, the apostolic fathers, and the manuscript tradition of the New Testament.

Professor Ehrman has served as President of the Southeast Region of the Society of Biblical literature, chair of the New Testament textual criticism section of the Society, book review editor of the Journal of Biblical Literature, and editor of the monograph series The New Testament in the Greek Fathers (Scholars Press). He currently serves as co-editor of the series New Testament Tools, Studies, and Documents (E. J. Brill), co-editor-in-chief for the journal Vigiliae Christianae, and on several other editorial boards for journals and monographs in the field.

Professor Ehrman lectures extensively throughout the country. Winner of numerous university awards and grants, he is the recipient of the 2009 J. W. Pope “Spirit of Inquiry” Teaching Award, the 1993 UNC Undergraduate Student Teaching Award, the 1994 Phillip and Ruth Hettleman Prize for Artistic and Scholarly Achievement, and the Bowman and Gordon Gray Award for excellence in teaching.

Eric has often been referred to as a "Twentieth Century Emerson." His teaching was focused on the Divinity of all people, and his desire was that everyone would know their Oneness with God. A visionary and an innovator, he originated the Spiritual Therapy Workshops, which he conducted for over 35 years. And, as a pioneer radio broadcaster, he began his daily messages, which at times went around the world, with the words: "You can change your life by altering your thoughts." His was a gentle voice that beautifully articulated a powerful message, which inspired hundreds of thousands of people for over fifty years. These vital radio messages, most needed in our time, will continue to be heard every day on this website.

Born in Winnipeg, Canada in 1916, Eric attended Fresno State University and Capital University in Ohio, where he studied music. He began training for the ministry at Unity Village in Missouri during WW II. He left to join the army and, as a lieutenant in the Medical Corps, trained medical personnel and also served as chaplain and counselor. After the war, he returned to his ministerial studies and graduated from Unity Ministerial School.

A scholar and educator, Eric established three powerful Unity ministries. The first was in Pittsburgh. He then moved to Detroit, where his teaching resulted in the building of the Detroit Unity Temple, the largest Unity church at that time, where more than 2,000 people attended his Sunday Services each week. While in Detroit, he authored his first book, Unity: A Quest for Truth. In 1961, Eric began his ministry in New York City. He lectured every Sunday at Carnegie Hall, then Town Hall, and since 1976, Avery Fisher Hall in Lincoln Center, where the weekly attendance grew to several thousand.

His devotees include people from all walks and stations of life, all of whom state that his teachings helped to change their lives. Oprah Winfrey says of his classic book, Discover the Power Within You, “This book changed my perspective on life and religion.” And, it is a favorite in her personal library. Dr. Maya Angelou says of Eric: "He has been, is now, and shall forever be my teacher." The unique spiritual bond that existed between Eric and Maya is evident to all who know them.