Introduction

The subject of the Historical Jesus is perhaps the most popular religious topic in settings such as university and seminary classrooms, written volumes, and doctoral dissertations. Unlike many of these more formal situations, the question-and-answer format utilized throughout this text allows plenty of space to develop additional angles. Hence, the backtracking, necessary repetition, as well as viewing the subject matter from a variety of perspectives allow the conversation to deepen significantly before moving ahead. In the process, it is our hope that new ideas will be expressed and developed. The overall purpose is to provide a historical context for the original gospel proclamation as provided by Jesus’ disciples at a very early date after the crucifixion itself. If we have come close to providing such a basis, then we will have reached our central goal.

This volume is a transcribed and expanded version of six television programs that appeared originally on “The John Ankerberg Show.” The original material was used by permission, for which we begin by thanking Dr. John Ankerberg, Alan Weathers, and their associates. This explains the similar introduction which appears at the beginning of each chapter.