Part One History and the Historical Jesus
1. History, Historical Inquiry, and the Historical Jesus 3
The Conflict between History and Faith 4
History, Science, and Historical Inquiry 8
Quests for the "Historical Jesus" 21
Criteria of Authenticity 38
Faith and Evidence 45

Part Two Sources for Studying the Historical Jesus
2. The Gospels: Their Relationships and Reliability 49
Approaching History and Faith in the Gospels 50
What Are the Gospels? 53
Literary Relationships 58
The New Testament Gospels 77

Assessment of the Gospels as Historical Sources 121
3. Other Sources for Studying the Historical Jesus 127
Apocryphal Gospels 128
Greco-Roman Sources 135
Jewish Traditions about Jesus 146
Jesus, Archaeology, and the Dead Sea Scrolls 155

Part Three The Story of Jesus in History (Events and Teachings)
4. The Story of Jesus in History: From His Birth to His Scriptures 173
Events in the Life of Jesus 174
The Life of Jesus: From Birth to His Scriptures 176

5. The Story of Jesus in History: From the Transfiguration to His Burial 227
The Transfiguration of Jesus 227
The Triumphal Entry 231
The Passion Predictions of Jesus 232
The Arrest and Trial of Jesus 233
Who Executed Jesus and Why? 242
The Death and Burial of Jesus 251

6. Easter: The Story of Jesus within History and Faith 271
A Challenged but Central Affirmation 271
Origins of the Notion of Resurrection 276
The Empty-Tomb Tradition 279 The Appearance Stories 301
A Summary of the Events of Easter 328

7. Conclusion: Jesus in History and Faith 333
What Can Historians Reliably Know about Jesus? 333
Historical and Theological Explanation 337
Conclusion: Jesus and the Church's Confession 344
Select Bibliography 347
Scripture Index 367
Index of Modern Authors 381
Subject Index 385