160 pages; 51 color illustrations; 1997

Jesus is in the news as much now as ever before. Whenever there is new evidence or a new analysis about Jesus, the newspapers get interested. Many continued to be fascinated by the person of Jesus and by whether or not he actually did and said what the New Testament Gospels say he did.

This new book, written in a lively, non-technical style by biblical theologian Tom Wright, is an ideal introduction for anyone approaching the subject of the “historical Jesus” for the first time.

In The Original Jesus Wright focuses on key stages in Jesus’ life and on key elements of his teaching. In the process, Wright presents a vivid reconstruction of what Jesus himself was aiming to achieve and how the movement he began can best be understood in relation to the turbulent politics and fervent aspirations of his day. Wright also looks at the way we interpret the different Gospel narratives about Jesus, showing how modern readers coming fresh to these texts can do so in an informed and discriminating way.

Based on rigorous historical research and featuring numerous full-color illustrations as well as short, clear chapters, The Original Jesus offers compelling insight into what Jesus really stood for, why he was crucified, and how it was that his followers came to regard him as nothing less than the human face of God.