The life and death of Jesus of Nazareth and the beginnings of the movement which venerated him are of profound religious significance to Christian believers today. These events are also part of our common history and have had enormous influence on the development of Western civilization. This is a thorough historical introduction to the New Testament, considering many aspects of the formation of Christianity and how it has influenced subsequent secular and religious history. A revised edition of a classic text, The Origins of Christianity addresses the historical problems involved in the study of the New Testament, suggesting modern techniques for solving them. For the this revised edition, the author has not only corrected and updated the text, but also expanded and clarified some points with new material and further references.