John Dickson 
Jesus: A Short Life 
The Historical Evidence

‘The last few years have witnessed an unprecedented stream of blockbuster-style claims about the man from Nazareth. Believers and sceptics alike have hardly had time to process one controversial theory before the next one hits the market.’ Recent claims about the life of Jesus have raised many questions about the historicity of the man from Nazareth. In this accessible book, John Dickson addresses such issues as: When and where was Jesus born? Did he marry? What should we make of the ‘miracles’ he is reported to have performed? How should we treat the claim that he rose from the dead? And can we be sure that he even existed? In eleven chapters – covering the historical reliability of the New Testament, Jesus’ birth and family, his historical context, his teachings, miracles, death, resurrection and subsequent appearances – Dickson clears away the mists of speculation, revealing the founder of Christianity in sharp focus. This is a must-read for anyone wanting a lucid response to the controversial conspiracy theories of the post-modern age.

Table of Content

Contents
Introduction: Why the Headlines Almost
Always Get Him Wrong 7
1 Jesus on the Margins of History 15
2 How Historians Read the New Testament 23
3 Vital Statistics 35
4 Mentor and Competitors 45
5 Kingdom of Judgement and Love 55
6 Strange Circle of Friends 65
7 Miracles, History and the Kingdom 75
8 Contra Jerusalem 83
9 Last Supper 91
10 Crucifixion 99
11 Resurrection 109
Epilogue: A Short Life? 119
Notes 130
Select Bibliography 149
Index 156

About the author

John Dickson is an historian, musician and bestselling author. He is an Honorary Associate in the Department of Ancient History, Macquarie University (Sydney) where he also teaches a course on world religions. He lives in Sydney with his family and spends his time researching, writing and speaking about life’s big questions.