Founding member of the controversial 'Jesus Seminar', John Dominic Crossan attempts to reveal how Christianity emerged in the period following Jesus' death. Taking an interdisciplinary approach, Crossan examines the theological and cultural contexts from which the Christian chruch arose. He argues that Christianity would have happened with or without Paul and contends that Jesus' resurrection meant something vastly different for his early followers than it does for traditional Christians today. Rejecting the truthfullness of the resurrection of Jesus, Crossan argues that what mattered was that his vision and movement remained alive. Crossan's view of Christian origins seeks to explain the mysterious period that set Western religious history on its decisive course. 688 pages, softcover.