Jonathan:

Nothing wrong with being an advocate (informing/crusading) on a point of view. Just pointing out that Ehrman notes in his own book that there is nothing new in what he is writing (Usually when you propose a book to a publisher they want to know what is new in what you are saying that makes the publishing effort worth it). It is true one can inform someone who did not hear certain things before, but usually when we publish books one thinks that the author has something fresh to say. Informing in a book often means making available such new information. My point is that Ehrman is repackaging stuff that is out there (and he said this by his own admission)--and there is more to what he is doing than merely letting us know. As for reading motives, it does not take much to look at his book topics and recognize there is a program to what he writes about-- which is why his biography comes up in every book. I am content to let people judge which end of the scale is in play here.