In a time when publications about Jesus have multiplied exponentially, Paul Barnett here provides a careful analysis of the historical methodology necessary for a critical reading of the literature. Barnett demonstrates that the practice and methods of historiography are intimately linked to the practice and methods of theology, and he recommends a thorough investigation of all the sources relevant to both disciplines. Part of the problem with the plethora of idiosyncratic Jesus figures is that they are reconstructions based on a narrow, and often questionable, band of sources. Barnett advocates a reading of history that takes seriously the relationship between the historical Jesus and the movement that came to view him as Messiah and Lord. He also seeks to redress an imbalance in Historical Jesus studies by giving the New Testament epistles - the earliest documents that relate directly to the historical figure of Jesus - the weight that they deserve.