The 21 Best Historical Jesus Books for Beginners & Scholars

The “Quest” for the historical Jesus is the attempt to describe the man Jesus of Nazareth—his life, message, death, impact, and the origins of belief in his resurrection—using historiographical methods. It uses all the sources available, including the New Testament, early Christian writings, non-canonical Gospels, Jewish and Roman sources, archaeology, coins, papyri and more. It also applies certain methods related to historical criticism, studies of orality and memory, and comparative historiography. Table of contentsHow should we approach historical Jesus studies?What are the best introductory books on the historical Jesus?What are the best textbooks and reference works on the historical Jesus?What are the best books that teach about the historical Jesus using story?What are my go-to books on the historical Jesus? How should we approach historical Jesus studies? The whole subject of the historical Jesus is a dizzying maze for anyone starting out in biblical studies or the history of the early church. Why do people study the historical Jesus? On the one hand, scholars often undertake the Quest with an anti-Christian and anti-theological bias, intending to find the “real” Jesus beh...