A very clear and concise historical look at the beginnings of Christianity. I liked that the book took no sides on the issue and just presented a straightforward essay on the how's and what's of Christianity and the different ways and views of its different sects. ( )

Christianity depends on the belief that the Jesus of history is identical with the Christ of Faith and that God in the person of Jesus intervened finally and decisively in human history. But is the historical Jesus the same as the Christian Saviour? And how did an obscure provincial religion based on the paradox of a crucified saviour conquer the Roman Empire and outlive it?
Jesus for Beginners confronts the enigmas. It sets Jesus in the perspective of his time - within Judaism and its expectations of a Messiah, in the atmosphere of Greek philosophy and the Roman deification of emperors. It traces the development of Christianity from St. Paul and the Romanization of the Church, to modern liberation theology. Beautifully illustrated by Judy Groves, Jesus for Beginners is a lucid and exciting investigation that will appeal to all readers, whether Christian or not.