On Easter week, Ross Douthat hosted New Testament scholar Bart Ehrman for a New York Times “Interesting Times” podcast. The conversation tackled the perennial question of whether Jesus actually rose from the dead and examined how the gospel narratives shape modern understandings of Christianity’s origins.

Ehrman, author of the newly released Love Thy Stranger, argues that Jesus’ moral teachings—not miracles—redefined Western conscience. He contends that before Jesus, Greek and Roman philosophy offered little incentive to aid strangers, whereas the gospel’s call to “love your neighbor” sparked the development of institutions such as public hospitals, orphanages and modern charity.

The discussion linked the parable of the Good Samaritan to contemporary political divides, noting that the story’s outsider‑hero model underpins today’s expectations of humanitarian aid regardless of ethnicity or creed. Douthat pressed Ehrman on whether this ethic should influence current policy debates, especially in an era of heightened nationalism.

Ehrman, who identifies as an agnostic “Christian atheist,” stresses that genuine followers must extend compassion beyond co‑believers, warning that many self‑professed Christians ignore this core injunction. The podcast offers listeners a concise primer on why the resurrection question remains both a theological puzzle and a catalyst for Western moral institutions.