Jesus in History, Legend, Scripture, and Tradition: A World Encyclopedia

When long ago Albert Schweitzer investigated the historical Jesus, he shone a critical light on an issue – of scholarship and religious faith – that has persisted since the start of Christianity. The issue is not only “did Jesus exist?” (rather than asserting, say, that we believe he did so) but also why it is important to ask and keep asking the question, and the extent to which a spirit of inquiry is consonant with changing forms of belief and changing attitudes to religious belief. Interest in the figure (and divinity and historicity and sayings) of Jesus continue to this...