Includes bibliographical references (pages 151-157) and index.

Pt. 1: Jesus--then and now -- The end of a beautiful dream -- The lowest point of history -- The two-edged story -- Message from the mountain -- The centre of the cosmos -- Back to the garden -- God with a human face -- Pt. 2: Reading the gospels with both eyes open -- Getting to grips with the gospels -- The Jewish world of the gospels -- The gospels:how, when and why?

"In The Original Jesus biblical historian Tom Wright focuses on key stages in the life of Jesus, and key elements of his teaching, revealing a vivid reconstruction of what Jesus himself was aiming to achieve, and how the movement he began can best be understood in relation to the turbulent politics and fervent aspirations of his day." "Tom Wright also looks at the way we interpret the different Gospel narratives about Jesus, showing how modern readers coming fresh to these texts can do so in an informed and discriminating way." "Written in a lively, non-technical style, and illustrated throughout with full-colour photographs, The Original Jesus offers a compelling insight into what Jesus really stood for, why he was crucified, and how it was that his followers came to regard him as nothing less than the human face of God."--Jacket.