This is an accessible two-part introduction to the most prominent figures of Christian history. Jesus and His World Who was this preacher from Nazareth? Can we be sure he existed? And if he did, what was the world like in which he lived? Placing Jesus firmly in the Jewish world of 1st-century Palest...

This is an accessible two-part introduction to the most prominent figures of Christian history. Jesus and His World Who was this preacher from Nazareth? Can we be sure he existed? And if he did, what was the world like in which he lived? Placing Jesus firmly in the Jewish world of 1st-century Palestine, Peter Walker explores the religious and social background to his life, the Jewish expectations of a messiah, Jesus' ministry and teaching, and helps readers interpret Jesus' radical mission and the way he related to the world around him. Paul and His World We know little about Paul. For some, his influence has been largely negative. For others, he is simply the greatest mind in Christian history. Stephen Tomkins argues that Paul would have been quite at home with such a mixed reception. Despite enjoying a degree of hero worship in his lifetime, he was also more reviled than any other Christian, and his Christian life was a constant arduous missionary journey of shipwrecks, prison, mob violence, and the depressing politics of church life. This is a lively and lucid portrayal of the man behind the controversy and the drama.