It is widely recognized by New Testament scholars that many of the sayings and actions attributed to Jesus in the gospels cannot be factually traced to him. The gospels, written many decades after the death of Jesus, are composites of hearsay, legends, and theological interpolations, reflecting the hopes and beliefs of the early Christian community more than the actual teachings of the Galilean prophet.
Despite these difficulties, Gerd LUdemann shows in this fascinating analysis of early Christian documents that the tools of historical research can succeed in reaching at least a close...