“Understanding Jesus builds an important bridge between contemporary theological scholarship and the undergraduate classroom. With its explanation of the successive quests for “the historical Jesus,” this book provides a learned and comprehensive antidote to conspiracy claims about Jesus of Nazareth that today’s university students encounter in popular media. The author helps students make sense of an often-bewildering array of scholarly voices in clearly explaining both the promises and the limits of what historical research can credibly affirm about Jesus.

“With its fair-minded treatment of contrasting positions in Christology, Understanding Jesus walks readers through centuries of textual and doctrinal developments from a perspective that is simultaneously Catholic and ecumenical, and appreciative of the contributions of Christian theologians from around the globe.

“Christopher McMahon’’s accessible prose is supplemented with helpful charts, questions for reflection, topical bibliographies, and a glossary. Faculty members in New Testament studies and contemporary systematic theology who are searching for a balanced textbook that fairly represents the current academic consensus about the early Jesus movement will find in Understanding Jesus a high-quality source that meets their teaching needs for a diverse array of classroom settings.”