And that prof is … Bart Ehrman, professor of religious studes at UNC-Chapel Hill. He’s in the news in connection with the publication of his most recent book, Jesus, Interrupted. As reported at CNN, Prof. Ehrman’s family won’t talk to him about religion anymore.

Ironic, isn’t it? Like good advice, etc. Here’s what the article says about the family thing.

His family, however, feels no obligation to talk to Ehrman about his ideas on the Bible, Ehrman says. His mother, brother and sister remain conservative Christians.

He once tried to talk to his mother about his new beliefs, but the discussion proved fruitless.

“My mom is a strong evangelical,” Ehrman says. “We talk basketball. We don’t talk religion.”

Still, Ehrman says he still sends his mother and siblings copies of his latest books. They’ve never responded, he says.

Somehow the idea of all those books just lying around, unread, in the corner of his mother’s basement bothers me. Good books deserve a better fate.