Bart Ehrman brings New Testament textual criticism to life in Misquoting Jesus. He takes readers on a journey through the centuries, revealing how scribes inadvertently—and sometimes purposefully—changed the biblical text. From misspellings to omitted words, many of the changes were accidental. But others were intentional, as scribes tried to “improve” or harmonize passages.

Ehrman argues we can't know for certain what the original texts said, given the number of changes over time. Many were written decades or hundreds of years after the events they describe, based on oral tradition. This is at the heart of why so many of the Gospels, for example, contain inconsistencies, especially about Jesus, including his acts, life, sayings.

Misquoting Jesus sheds important light on the complex process of transmitting ancient texts, and makes a compelling case that our modern Bibles differ in numerous ways from the original manuscripts. Ehrman helps readers understand how the most influential book in Western civilization has evolved.

I would absolutely recommend this book to believers, nonbelievers, and those questioning. It is always worthwhile to reflect on the validity of our beliefs. Even though Ehrman no longer views the Bible as the sheerly inspired word of God, he does see it as the world's most important book.