List of books about Jesus

This is a bibliography of works with information or interpretations of the life and teachings of Jesus.

Jesus of Nazareth ( /ˈdʒiːzəs/; 7–2 BC/BCE to 30–36 AD/CE), commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity. Most Christian denominations venerate him as God the Son incarnated and believe that he rose from the dead after being crucified.^[1][2] The principal sources of information regarding Jesus are the four canonical gospels.^[3]

Ancient

• The New Testament of the Bible, especially the Gospels (see List of Gospels). Editions include The Greek New Testament, Aland, United Bible Societies.
• The Nag Hammadi Library, etc..
• The Diatessaron by Tatian, a harmonisation of the four canonical Gospels.
• The Apostolic Fathers. The Apostolic Fathers: Greek texts and English translation of their writings, edited and translated by J B Lightfoot and J R Harmer; 2nd edition edited and revised by Michael W. Holmes (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House; c 1992).
• Miller, Robert J. (editor), The Complete Gospels: annotated scholars version (Sonoma, California: Polebridge Press; c 1994).
• Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews 18.63-64 (18.3.3 in the numbering system of older editions). The authenticity of this passage is disputed.

^[4] ==Modern==

• Akers, Keith. The Lost Religion of Jesus (ISBN 1-930051-26-3).
• Albright, William F. Yahweh and the Gods of Canaan: An Historical Analysis of Two Contrasting Faiths (ISBN 0-931464-01-3).
• Badenas, Robert. Christ the End of the Law, Romans 10.4 in Pauline Perspective (ISBN 0-905774-93-0).
• Bellinger, Gerhard J.. Jesus: Leben - Wirken - Schicksal (2009, ISBN 978-3-8370-3964-1).
• Blomberg, Craig L. The Historical Reliability of the Gospels (ISBN 0-87784-992-7).
• Bornkamm, Gunther. Jesus of Nazareth (Hodder & Stoughton, 1960).
• Brandon, Samuel George Frederick. Jesus and the Zealots: a study of political factor in primitive Christianity (Manchester University Press; 1967).
• Brandon, Samuel George Frederick. The Trial of Jesus of Nazareth (London: Batsford; 1968).
• Brown,Raymond E.. An Introduction to the New Testament (1996, ISBN 0-385-24767-2).
• Browne, Sir Thomas. Pseudodoxia Epidemica (6th edition, 1672, V:vi).
• Bultmann, Rudolf Karl. Jesus Christ and Mythology (Scribner's, New York; c. 1958).
• Carlyle, Thomas. On Heroes and Hero-Worship: and the Heroic in History (Ward, Lock & Bowden, 1896).
• Carmichael, Joel. The Death of Jesus (Gollancz, 1963).
• Cohen, Shaye J.D. From the Maccabees to the Mishnah (1988, ISBN 0-664-25017-3).
• Craig,William Lane. The Son Rises: The Historical Evidence for the Resurrection of Jesus (ISBN 1-57910-464-9).
• Craig,William Lane. Will the Real Jesus Please Stand Up?: A Debate Between William Lane Craig and John Dominic Crossan (ISBN 0-8010-2175-8).
• Crossan, John Dominic. Who Killed Jesus?: Exposing the Roots of Anti-Semitism in the Gospel Story of the Death of Jesus
• Davenport, Guy and Urrutia, Benjamin. The Logia of Yeshua: The Sayings of Jesus (ISBN 1-887178-70-8).
• Dibelius, Martin. Jesus: a study of the Gospels (S.C.M.Press; 1963).
• Dunn, James D.G "Jimmy". Jesus, Paul and the Law (ISBN 0-664-25095-5).
• Alfred Edersheim, The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, 1883.
• Eisler, Robert. The Messiah Jesus and John the Baptist, according to Flavius Josephus’ ’Capture of Jerusalem’ (Methuen; 1931).
• Ehrman, Bart. Jesus: apocalyptic prophet of the new millennium (ISBN 0-19-512474-X).
• Ehrman, Bart. The New Testament: A Historical Introduction to the Early Christian Writings (ISBN 0-19-515462-2).
• Fredriksen, Paula. Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews: A Jewish Life and the Emergence of Christianity (ISBN 0-679-76746-0).
• Fredriksen, Paula. From Jesus to Christ: The Origins of the New Testament Images of Christ (ISBN 0-300-08457-9, ISBN 0-300-04018-0).
• Funk, Robert W. The Five Gospels: What Did Jesus Really Say? The Search for the Authentic Words of Jesus.
• Hart, Michael H. The 100: a ranking of the most influential persons in history (New York: Hart Pub. Co., c 1978. ). Jesus is ranked #3 in this list of the most influential figures in history.
• Hoskyns, Sir Edwyn Clement and Davey, Noel. The Riddle of the New Testament (Faber and Faber, 1931).
• Jack, James William. The Historic Christ. An examination of Dr. Robert Eisler’s theory according to the Slavonic version of Josephus and the other sources (J. Clarke & Co., London; 1933).
• Johnson, Luke Timothy. The Real Jesus: The Misguided Quest for the Historical Jesus and the Truth of the Traditional Gospels (HarperOne, 1997).
• Käsemann, Ernst. Jesus means freedom: a polemical survey of the New Testament (London: SCM, 1969).
• Kierkegaard, Søren. Training in Christianity, and the Edifying Discourse which ’accompanied’ it (Oxford University Press; 1941).
• Lewis, C.S. Mere Christianity. A book on Christianity and logical support for Jesus as God, from an Anglo-Catholic perspective (ISBN 0-06-065292-6).
• Maccoby, Hyam Zoundell. Revolution in Judea. Jesus and the Jewish resistance (London: Ocean Books, 1973).
• Maccoby, Hyam Zoundell. Jesus the Pharisee (London: SCM Press; 2003).
• In Quest of the Hero (Mythos Series): by Otto Rank, Lord Fitzroy Richard Somerset Raglan, includes "The hero pattern and the life of Jesus" by Alan Dundes (Princeton University Press; 1990).
• McDowell, Josh. Evidence that Demands a Verdict. Two volumes looking at Jesus from the point of view of evidence. (Vol I: ISBN 0-918956-46-3, Vol. II: ISBN 0-918956-73-0)
• Meier, John P. A Marginal Jew: Rethinking the Historical Jesus, 3 vols (ISBN 0-385-26425-9).
• Mendenhall, George E. The Tenth Generation: The Origins of the Biblical Tradition (The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1973. ISBN 0-8018-1654-8). A study of the earliest traditions of Israel from linguistic and archaeological evidence which also treats the teachings and followers of Jesus in that context.
• Mendenhall, George E. Ancient Israel's Faith and History: An Introduction to the Bible in Context (Westminster John Knox Press, 2001. ISBN 0-664-22313-3). Another, less technical, study of the earliest traditions of Israel from linguistic and archaeological evidence which also treats the teachings and followers of Jesus in that context.
• Messori, Vittorio. Jesus hypotheses (St Paul Publications, 1977, ISBN 0-85439-154-1). The translation from Italian Ipotesi su Gesù. A book which initially explores the question of Jesus from two secular points of view, mythical (Jesus never lived) and critical (Jesus was not God) and finally considers a third hypothesis - faith.
• Metzger, Bruce. The New Testament Canon, page 254.
• Morison, Frank. Who Moved the Stone? A discussion of the Trial, Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ (Faber & Faber, London; 1930). Frank Morison was the pseudonym of Albert Henry Ross.
• Mitchell, Stephen. The Gospel According to Jesus: A New Translation and Guide to his Essential Teaching for Believers and Unbelievers, (HarperCollins, 1991, hardcover, ISBN 0-06-016641-X; trsde paperback 0-06-092321-0).
• Pelikan, Jaroslav. Jesus Through the Centuries: His Place in the History of Culture Yale University Press (1985, hardcover, 270 pages, ISBN 0-300-03496-2; trade paperback, HarperCollins reprint, 304 pages, ISBN 0-06-097080-4; trade paperback, Yale University Press, 1999, 320 pages, ISBN 0-300-07987-7).
• Phipps, William E. Was Jesus married? The distortion of sexuality in the Christian tradition (Harper, 1970).
• Reimarus, Hermann Samuel,(1694–1768). The goal of Jesus and his disciples (Leiden: E. J. Brill; 1970).
• Renan, Joseph Ernest. The Life of Jesus (Trübner & Co., London; 1864).
• Robinson, John Arthur Thomas. Honest to God (London: SCM, 1963).
• Sanders, E.P.. The historical figure of Jesus (Penguin, 1996, ISBN 0-14-014499-4). An up-to-date, popular, but thoroughly scholarly book.
• Sanders, E.P.. Jesus and Judaism (Fortress Press, 1987, ISBN 0-8006-2061-5). More specialistic than the previous book, though not inaccessible.
• Schaberg, Jane. Illegitimacy of Jesus: A Feminist Theological Interpretation of the Infancy Narratives
• Schillebeeckx,Edward, Christ, the sacrament of the encounter with God (Sheed and W., 1963, 1977).
• Schweitzer, Albert. The Quest of the Historical Jesus: a critical study of its progress from Reimarus to Wrede (A & C Black, London; 1910).
• Shorto, Russell. Gospel Truth, The New Image of Jesus Emerging from Science and History, and Why It Matters (ISBN 1-57322-056-6 New York, Riverhead Books, 1997).
• Strauss, David Friedrich. A new Life of Jesus, written for the use of the German People (London, 1865). Originally published in 2 volumes in 1865.
• Strauss, David Friedrich. The Christ of faith and the Jesus of history: a critique of Schleiermacher’s Life of Jesus (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, c 1977). Originally published in 1865.
• Swami Paramananda. Hidden Teachings in the Bible (ISBN 99903-23-41-0). From what Jesus proclaimed in the Bible to what Krishna taught in the Bhagvad Gita, expertly unravelled and expressed by the author, the reader is inevitably led to the realisation of his unity with God and creation.
• Talmage, James E. Jesus the Christ (ISBN 0-8757-9326-6).
• Theissen, Gerd, and Annette Merz. The Historical Jesus: A Comprehensive Guide (Fortress Press, 2003, ISBN 0-8006-3122-6). An amazing book, tough but rewarding, exceptionally detailed.
• Theissen, Gerd. The Shadow of the Galilean: The Quest of the Historical Jesus in Narrative Form (Fortress Press).
• Thiede, Carsten Peter. Jesus: Man or Myth? (Lion Hudson Plc; 2005).
• Tolstoy, Leo. The Kingdom of God is Within You (ISBN 0-8032-9404-2).
• Vermes, Geza. Jesus the Jew: A Historian's Reading of the Gospels (ISBN 0-8006-1443-7).
• Walvoord, John F. Jesus Christ Our Lord. (Moody Press, 1969 ISBN 0-8024-4326-5).
• Watchtower Society. The Greatest Man Who Ever Lived (1990).
• White, Ellen G. The Desire of Ages (Pacific Press Publishing Association; 1940).
• Wilson, Ian. Jesus: The Evidence (ISBN 0-297-83529-7).
• Witherington III, Ben. The Jesus Quest: The Third Search for the Jew of Nazareth (InterVarsity Press; 1997).
• Wrede, William. The Messianic Secret in the Gospels (Cambridge, James Clarke; 1971). Originally published in 1901.
• Wright, N.T.. Jesus and the Victory of God, (SPCK, London; 1996 ISBN 0-281-04717-0). Second in a projected massive five or six volume series on Christian origins, dealing with the life and death of Christ from a very open Evangelical perspective. The author is now Bishop of Durham (Church of England).
• Yoder, John H.. The Politics of Jesus (ISBN 0-8028-0734-8).
• Yogananda, Paramahansa. The Second Coming of Christ (ISBN 0-87612-555-0).

Jesus as myth

• Barna, George and Viola, Frank. Pagan Christianity?: Exploring the Roots of Our Church Practices (Carol Stream, IL: BarnaBooks, 2008).
• Bauer, Bruno. (1809–1882) An English edition of Bruno Bauer’s 1843 Christianity exposed: a recollection of the Eighteenth century and a contribution to the crisis of the Nineteenth century (Lewiston; Lampeter: Edwin Mellen, c 2002).
• Brandes, Georg. Jesus: A Myth (trans. Edwin Björkman; New York: Albert & Charles Boni, 1926).
• Doherty, Earl. The Jesus Puzzle. Did Christianity Begin with a Mythical Christ?: Challenging the Existence of an Historical Jesus (ISBN 0-9686014-0-5).
• Drews, Arthur. The Christ-Myth (London and Leipsic: T. Fisher Unwin, 1909)
• Dupuis, Charles François. The Origin of All Religious Worship (New York: Garland, 1984). Originally published in 1798.
• Freke, Timothy and Gandy, Peter. The Jesus Mysteries: Was the "Original Jesus" a Pagan God? (London: Thorsons, 1999).
• Freke, Timothy and Gandy, Peter. The Gospel of the Second Coming (London: Hay House, 2007).
• Harpur, Tom. The Pagan Christ: recovering the lost light (ISBN 0-88762-145-7).
• Hinnels, John R. (editor). Mithraic Studies: Proceedings of the First International Congress of Mithraic Studies (Manchester University Press, 1975).
• Kalthoff, Albert. The Rise of Christianity (London: Watts & Co, 1907).
• Leidner, Harold. The Fabrication of the Christ Myth (Survey Press, 2000).
• Price, Robert McNair. Incredible Shrinking Son of Man: How Reliable Is the Gospel Tradition? (ISBN 1-59102-121-9).
• John Eleazer Remsberg (sometimes spelled Remsburg). The Christ: A Critical Review and Analysis of the Evidence of His Existence (New York: The Truth Seeker Company, 1909).
• Rieser, Max. The True Founder of Christianity and the Hellenistic Philosophy (Amsterdam and Uithoorn: Graduate Press, 1979).
• Robertson, John Mackinnon, Right Hon. The Jesus Problem: a restatement of the myth theory (London: Watts & Co., 1917).
• Volney, Constantin-François. The Ruins, or a Survey of the Revolutions of Empires (New York: Davis, 1796). Originally published in 1791.
• Wells, George Albert. The Jesus of the Early Christians, a study of Christian Origins (Pemberton Books, 1971).
• Wells, George Albert. Did Jesus Exist? (Elek, London; 1975).
• Wells, George Albert. The Historical Evidence for Jesus (Prometheus Books; 1982).
• Wells, George Albert. Who Was Jesus? A Critique of the New Testament Record (Open Court Publishing Company; 1989).
• Wells, George Albert. The Jesus Legend (Open Court, Chicago, c.1996).
• Wells, George Albert. The Jesus Myth (Open Court Publishing Company; 1998).

Controversial books on Jesus Christ

• Allegro, John Marco. The Sacred Mushroom and the Cross: A Study of the Nature and Origins of Christianity Within the Fertility Cults of the Ancient Near East (Hodder & Stoughton Ltd, 1970).
• Andrews, Richard and Schellenberger, Paul. The Tomb of God: The Body of Jesus and the Solution to a 2,000-Year-Old Mystery (London: Little, Brown; 1996).
• Baigent, Michael, Leigh, Richard and Lincoln, Henry. The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail (Jonathan Cape; 1982).
• Baigent, Michael, Leigh, Richard and Lincoln, Henry. The Messianic Legacy (Jonathan Cape; 1986).
• Baigent, Michael. The Jesus Papers: Exposing the Greatest Cover-up in History (Harper, San Francisco, 2006).
• Browne, Sylvia. The Mystical Life of Jesus: An Uncommon Perspective on the Life of Christ (London: Piatkus; 2006).
• Browne, Sylvia. The Two Marys: The Hidden History of the Mother and Wife of Jesus (London: Piatkus; 2007).
• Carotta, Francesco. Jesus was Caesar. On the Julian Origin of Christianity. An Investigative Report (Soesterberg: Aspekt B V Uitgeverij; 2005). ISBN 9059113969
• Cupitt, Don and Peter Armstrong. Who was Jesus? (London: British Broadcasting Corporation, 1977).
• Dobson, C. C. (1936) Did Our Lord Visit Britain as they say in Cornwall and Somerset? (Glastonbury: Avalon Press)
• Faber-Kaiser, Andreas. Jesus died in Kashmir: Jesus, Moses and the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel (London: Gordon and Cremonesi; 1977).
• Gardner, Laurence. Bloodline of the Holy Grail – The Hidden Lineage of Jesus Revealed (Shaftesbury: Element; 1996).
• Gardner, Laurence. The Magdalene Legacy. The Jesus and Mary Bloodline Conspiracy, Revelations Beyond The Da Vinci Code (London: HarperElement; 2005).
• Gardner, Laurence. The Grail Enigma: The Hidden Heirs of Jesus and Mary Magdalene (London: HarperElement; 2008).
• Graves, Robert, and Podro, Joshua. The Nazarene Gospel Restored (London: Cassell & Co., 1953).
• Graves, Robert. Jesus in Rome. A historical conjecture (Cassell & Co., London, 1957).
• Hassnain, Fida. A Search for the Historical Jesus (Gateway Books, 1994).
• Jacobovici, Simcha and Pellegrino, Charles (Foreword by James Cameron). The Jesus Family Tomb: The Discovery, the Investigation, and the Evidence That Could Change History (HarperOne; 2007).
• Joyce, Donovan. The Jesus Scroll: a time bomb for Christianity? (Angus & Robertson, 1973).
• Laidler, Keith. The Head of God – The Lost Treasure of the Templars (London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson; 1998).
• Leloup, Jean-Yves. The Gospel of Philip: Jesus, Mary Magdalene, and the Gnosis of Sacred Union (Inner Traditions: Bear and Company; 2004).
• Dowling, Levi H.. The Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the Christ. The philosophic and practical basis of the religion of the aquarian age of the world and of the church universal. Transcribed from the book of God’s remembrances, known as the Akashic records, by Levi (L. N. Fowler & Co., London; Chicago [printed], 1911). First published in 1908.
• Ki Longfellow. The Secret Magdalene. A gnostic view of his relationship with Mary Magdalene as well as his ministry. (Random House, 2007)
• Meurois-Givaudan, Anne and Meurois-Givaudan, Daniel. The Way of the Essenes: Christ's Hidden Life Remembered (Inner Traditions, Bear and Company; 1993).
• Montgomery, Hugh. The God-Kings of Europe: The Descendents of Jesus Traced Through the Odonic and Davidic Dynasties (Book Tree, US; 2006).
• Notovitch, Nicolas. The Unknown Life of Jesus (BiblioBazaar, LLC; 2007). First Published in 1895.
• Picknett, Lynn and Prince, Clive. The Templar Revelation: Secret Guardians of the True Identity of Christ (London: Bantam; 1997).
• Prophet, Elizabeth Clare. The Lost Years of Jesus: Documentary Evidence of Jesus' 17-Year Journey to the East (Livingston. Mont.: Summit University Press; 1984).
• Roberts, Michèle. The Wild Girl (Routledge; 1984).
• Schonfield, Hugh Joseph. The Passover Plot. New Light on the History of Jesus (Hutchinson, London; 1965).
• Shanks, Hershel, and Witherington III, Ben. The Brother of Jesus: The Dramatic Story & Meaning of the First Archaeological Link to Jesus & His Family (Harper: San Francisco, 2004).
• Simmans, Graham. Jesus After the Crucifixion: From Jerusalem to Rennes-le-Château (Bear & Company; 2007).
• Smith, Morton Jesus the Magician (Harper & Row; 1977).
• Spong, John Shelby. Resurrection: Myth or Reality? A Bishop's Search for the Origins of Christianity (Aquila; 1994).
• Starbird, Margaret. The Woman with the Alabaster Jar: Mary Magdalen and the Holy Grail (Bear & Company; 1993).
• Swanson, Vern G. Dynasty of the Holy Grail: Mormonism's Sacred Bloodline (Cedar Fort; 2006).
• Tabor, James D. The Jesus Dynasty: The Hidden History of Jesus, His Royal Family, and the Birth of Christianity (Simon & Schuster; 2006).
• Thiering, Barbara. Jesus The Man: A New Interpretation From the Dead Sea Scrolls, decoding the real story of Jesus and Mary Magdalene (London: Doubleday; 1992).
• Thiering, Barbara. Jesus & the Riddle of the Dead Sea Scrolls: Unlocking the Secrets of His Life Story (Toronto: Doubleday Canada; 1992).
• Thiering, Barbara. Jesus of the Apocalypse: The Life of Jesus After the Crucifixion (Sydney; London: Doubleday; 1996).
• Thiering, Barbara. The Book That Jesus Wrote: John's Gospel (London: Corgi; 1998).
• Urantia Foundation (Chicago). The Urantia Book (Chicago: Urantia Foundation; 1955).^[5]
• Verhoeven, Paul. Jesus of Nazareth: A Realistic Portrait (publishing house J.M. Meulenhoff, 2008)^[6]
• Wallace-Murphy, Tim; Hopkins, Marilyn and Simmans, Graham. Rex Deus: The True Mystery of Rennes-le-Château And The Dynasty of Jesus (Shaftesbury: Element; 2000).
• Wallace-Murphy, Tim and Hopkins, Marilyn. Custodians Of Truth: The Continuance Of Rex Deus (York Beach, Me.: Weiser; Enfield: Airlift [distributor], 2005).

Notes

See also

• Cultural depictions of Jesus