The Historical Jesus: the Origins of Christian Belief

The authors of the New Testament were convinced that Jesus was the promised Messiah as prophesised in the Hebrew Scriptures. However, the New Testament is not a uniform account of Christian belief or a consistent historical narrative. To explain some of these inconsistencies it is helpful to understand how the authors interpreted Hebrew Scriptures’ prophesies to emphasise current events. They were also influenced by contemporary cultural and religious beliefs, and a changing political environment. The New Testament includes differing historical scenarios that are addressed.Was Jesus born in Nazareth rather than Bethlehem?Was Jesus’ message of the Kingdom of God primarily for the Jews and not the Gentiles?Did Jesus die as a result of a summary execution rather than by trial by the Sanhedrin?Did Jesus die on Thursday afternoon before partaking in the Passover supper?This work represents a radical new understanding of the origins of Christian belief and reflects the work of many eminent academics in recent decades.

The author was born a son of the manse and as a medical student, became president of the Student Christian Movement at Liverpool University.

As a junior doctor, he was awarded the Royal Humane Society medal for bravery. He progressed to a career in orthopaedic surgery with qualifications, FRCS (Ed.), FRCS (Eng.) and MChOrth. He has a record of academic achievement having been Associate Professor at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York and appointed Hunterian Professor at the Royal College of Surgeons, England for original research on adolescent hip disease. He was co-author of papers that established the Charnley hip replacement as the gold standard for several decades. He has been awarded an OBE for services to medicine.

It was only after his retirement as Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon that he had the opportunity to reflect more deeply on his beliefs, particularly in the light of work by many eminent academics in recent decades.