Tom Wright knows more about the historical Jesus—his life and mileux—than anyone. That’s a big statement, but I’m convinced that it’s true. In The Original Jesus, Wright popularized his knowledge. This book is a full-colour print version of the BBC series Wright narrated.

To be sure, this work was produced on the eve of his masterwork, The New Testament and the People of God, and before he wrote the two subsequent volumes: Jesus and the Victory of God and The Resurrection of the Son of God. Still, his main themes and emphases come through clearly on every page.

It’s refreshing to read a popular book with a learned background. In this book, you won’t find the bland Jesus of The Jesus Seminar, or a fundamentalist-evangelical version of Jesus. You’ll find a revolutionary prophet who, although birthed in first-century Palestine, turned out to be something far more significant.

Wright, Tom. The Original Jesus: The Life and Vision of a Revolutionary. William B. Eerdmans Publishing, 160.