Love Thy Stranger: How Jesus Transformed Our Moral Conscience

When you hear of a devastating earthquake thousands of miles away, you might reach into your pockets to make a donation. That’s the fault of an itinerant Jewish preacher from Palestine, an obscure backwater of the Roman Empire, otherwise known as Jesus Christ.

Kindness to strangers is not hardwired in our DNA. Nor was it esteemed by the great canon of ancient Western philosophy – the Greeks and Romans prioritised generosity to your friends and family. When Jesus told his followers to give up everything they owned to the poor, he heralded a moral revolution. The needy, the sick, the outcast were to be cared for – even if they were unknown to you. This was a tough pill to swallow for early Christians, and to this day, many insist Jesus didn’t really mean it. Nonetheless Jesus’ most radical commandment transformed the moral conscience of the West: its legacy lives on in public hospitals, the billions given in charity each year and even government welfare.

About the Author :
Bart D. Ehrman is the James A. Gray Distinguished Professor of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. His previous books include Heaven and Hell and The Triumph of Christianity. He has contributed to Time, The New Yorker and The Washington Post, among others.

Review :
'Whether Bart D. Ehrman is writing about more technical biblical problems or about human problems, his writing is always clear and vigorous.' Church Times 'Once again Bart Ehrman has written lucidly and convincingly on a subject of central importance, the origins of altruism. Cutting through a tangle of technical biblical scholarship, yet without oversimplifying, he traces our belief that human beings should help each other, just because they are human, back to the teaching of Jesus. An exciting and inspiring book that should persuade readers who, like Ehrman, have no religious commitment how startlingly original Jesus' moral teaching was.' John Barton, author of A History of the Bible ‘Bart Ehrman makes a scintillating case here that strong forms of altruism – love for strangers, outcasts and others not like us – are ultimately driven by a Christian ethic from Jesus himself. Learned and elegantly written, this is a book that all (including Christians!) should benefit from and enjoy reading.’ Simon Gathercole, author of The Gospel and the Gospels 'In this engaging and highly readable volume, Ehrman makes an original and compelling case for discovering the roots of modern altruism in the distinctive teaching of Jesus. Thought-provoking and insightful, the book is an excellent primer to philosophy and the pursuit of happiness – both in the ancient world and today.' Helen Bond, author of The First Biography of Jesus 'An engaging but expert guide.' The Times on Heaven and Hell