This guy knows a lot about the subject and it’s interesting. Unfortunately, he doesn’t know how to interact with his students without being annoying and rude and demeaning. I’m checking out after putting up with 17 episodes.

The condescending tone this professor uses to address his students makes this a hard listen. I think it’s a good historical look at Christianity, I have to take breaks bc the prof is so often disrespectful. What is it about academia that makes this an acceptable way to speak to people?

Typical Ivory Tower disdain toward traditional, orthodox Christian belief. The professor does not see Jesus as a real person who meant what he said about himself. The Gospel of Thomas is a joke to all real Christians, and doesn’t sound anything like Jesus. Read the four true gospels for yourself!

My only regret of this class is I could not have been in the lecture hall and got to meet Dr Martin personally. Incredibly insightful into the development of Christianity and further proved to me, the more I think I know the more I realize I do not know much. Thank you for opening so many new questions. My faith has no weakened from this class, but grew in that I want to know the texts better.

Nearly at the end of this course I think it is my favorite, my only regret is I didn't do the readings. Engaging teaching style, wide ranging, very funny. I found the asides as interesting and informative as the main topics.

Very insightful lectures on the historical study of the New Testament. Will clear up a lot of confusion that one confronts when trying to understand the authors motives in the Christian texts. Recommend it after you take Yale's Old Testament Open Course.

This course was extremely interesting and informative. Professor Martin is an extremely engaging and entertaining lecturer--I could listen to him read the Bible all day!

I seldom write comment simply because I'm lazy. But this time I'd like to say the lecture Prof. Martin delivered is awesome. I come from China and New Testament is sort of new world to me. He provides a clear, enlightening, inspiring lecture which make me easily understand the historical background of the bible. I cannot like it more!

Dr Martin's lecture of the New Testament is by far the most informative, unbiased view of early Christianity. He teaches you how to actually study the New Testament (Bible) for what "it" says, not for what others say it says. I believe this lecture will be available in print, as well, early next year (2012) due to its popularity. I sincerely hope that we will be able to view more "open" lectures on this subject as well as perhaps one on the "historical Jesus." Regardless of you religious belief or what "organized" church you belong to, Don't miss the opportunity to watch or listen to this lecture, because no matter how much you "think" you know about this subject, you will learn much more. I do have the audio version on my iPod. I have listened to it more times than I can remember and still listen to it while cycling. I also have the video version which I reference often.

I am enjoying and benefitting from this well-presented and well-produced class.

I doubt Dale Martin and I would agree about too much when it comes to politics and culture. The fact this this course is nevertheless unassailably awesome is a testament to his genius as a teacher and a scholar.

This series is simply addicting. Prof. Martin is a gifted educator who challenges his students to view the text outside of a faith context. He is a true academic who addresses issues of faith very respectfully and leaves all bias out of the classroom. As a Christian, I came away understanding the fundamental text of my faith more and walked away from the course with a deeper belief as a result.

Over the course of 3 months I watched all 26 sessions of this course. It was well done and I recommend it. That said, I also recommend reading "An Introduction to the New Testament" by Carson & Moo because it offers detailed scholarly assessments of the pseudonymity arguments that are found in this course and elsewhere.

This is hands down the best thing that has ever possessed my iPod! I chain-played the audio version, and now I'm going to go through the video version. Dr. Martin takes you through the New Testament and early "Christianities" with an abundance of energy and knowledge. He makes you come at the Bible from a new way. You don't have to be religious; you just have to be interested in the Bible as literature or as history. And it's free!! Don't take my word for it, just start listening. You're wasting precious time... Andy

Though I have fallen away, I spent some time in a fundamentalist Christian church in my teenage years. The thing I loved about it, compared to the more liberal churches I had been raised in, was the honest spirit of inquiry I saw in the Bible study classes. People really wanted to argue about what the Bible said about specific things, rather than accept a dogma from some higher authority. Professor Martin brings this same spirit to his lectures. His lecture style is not authoritarian at all. Over and over again, he tells the class that their motto should be "De omnibus dubitandum" (Everything is to be doubted), and he is never shy about giving the class every opportunity to dispute his points. The only downside to this course is that I can not be physically present in his classroom to hear it, and join in the discussion.

This is the first time I have ever written a review, and it is only because this is hands down the most interesting college lecture I have ever heard. Not even courses from my undergrad or masters level courses compare to this lecture. I have learned so much that I truly never knew or picked up on. Deffinately recommend!!

Dale Martin This was an enjoyable set of lectures to listen to. I do not agree with all the conclusions Dale Martin reaches but he is respectful of people's religious views without being condescending.

Very enjoyable presentation, from an historical perspective. I would love to be educated more by this man, very practical and most importantly memorable study. Thank you professor Martin