Jesus from Scratch

"Jesus from Scratch" explores the life, character, teaching and significance of Jesus, including his extraordinary career since the 2nd century AD. The book looks at: Jesus in the synoptic gospels, in John's gospel and in Paul and in the non-canonical gospels; asking whether he and Mary Magdalene were an item, how the church decided, step by step, that this 1st century carpenter was 'true God from true God', questioning whether that was rather over the top, and exploring what alternative views of Jesus were around at the time; and also looking at lots of incidental, seemingly trivial things, such as what did Jesus look like? (how he's been pictured), 'my own personal Jesus' (how he's been interpreted down the ages as an emperor, a victim, a revolutionary, a hero, a pin-up, a buddy etc) and how Jesus is seen by other world faiths.