The historical study of the Jesus stories and the transmission of these stories through time has been of seminal importance to historians of religion. Critical historical examination allows scholars an escape from the confines of dogma, belief, and the theological interpretation. In recent years, historical Jesus studies have also opened up an important discussion concerning anti-Semitism and early Christianity and the political and ideological filtering of the Jesus story of early Christianity through the Roman Empire and beyond. This comprehensive collection brings together the vast array of historical research into the reality of the man, the teachings, and the acts and events ascribed to him that have served as the foundational story of one of the world's central religions. Forthcoming titles from the same series include Sects, Cults and New Religious Movements (2005, 4 volumes, c.£525) and Buddhism (2005, 8 volumes, c.£995).