David Catchpole, a respected veteran scholar specializing in Jesus and the Gospels, believes lay people as well as scholars can profit from critical discussion presented in a clear and lively style. That is what he sets out to do in this challenging but engaging book. Drawing on recent scholarship but focusing on the Gospel texts themselves, Catchpole explores the origins of the Jesus movement in the community of Israel. Beginning with the mission of John the Baptist, he moves on to consider the costs and implications of discipleship, the centrality of prayer, attitudes toward Israel's way of holiness, the significance of the temple, and Jesus' understanding of his own death. Scholars, students, pastors, ministry workers, and those interested in the origins of Christianity will appreciate this work.