By their very nature, historical Jesus studies inevitably focus on the Gospel accounts, canonical and non-canonical alike. Scholarly portrayals so generated may vary, but the 'source material' tends to be restricted to Gospel texts, with the other NT testimony rendered secondary as result, and its 'value' limited by either genre or late dating.

This book responds to this neglect by focusing specifically on non-Gospel material to see how the other texts of the NT contribute to the picture of Jesus. The book helpfully collates and reflects on the historical significance of key NT texts in relation to their presentation of Jesus, bringing them together in one place, and generating fresh perspectives on the early Jesus movement.