Introduction: The Jesus of History and the Challenge of Faith
Part 1. Jesus, History, and Legend-Making
1. Miraculous Claims and the Critical Mind: Can Intelligent People Still Believe in the Supernatural?
2. A Most Unexpected Legend: How Paganized Was First-Century Palestinian Judaism?
3. "Long, Long Ago and Far, Far Away?" The Question of Paul and the Historical Jesus
4. Rising Gods, Legendary Heroes, and Divinized Teachers: How Unique Is the Jesus Story?
5. Oral Traditions and Legend-Making: How Reliable Were the Early Church's Oral Traditions about Jesus?
Part 2. The Gospels and Ten Tests of Historical Reliability
6. Following the Paper Trail: The Questions of Textual Reconstruction, Literary Genre, and Historical Intent
7. Who, When, and Why? The Questions of Historical Position and Bias
8. Superfluous and Self-Incriminating Testimony: The Questions of Incidental and Self-Damaging Details
9. How Am I Supposed to Believe That? The Questions of Consistency and Plausibility
10. Jesus and Ancient Non-Christian Writers: The Question of Literary Corroboration
11. Excavating Jesus: The Question of Archaeological Confirmation
12. Myth Incarnate: The Lord of Legend and Love
Index of Scripture and Ancient Writings
