"Dr Rowland has written a splendid book. He has put together in manageable space a well-read and well-argued account of the beginnings of the Christian movement: a third of it on the Judaism of the first century, a third on Jesus, and a third on Paul and the development from messianic sect to Christian religion. If you are a student, here are the outlines of your New Testament essays, conveniently cut up into three- and four-page sections. If you are a clergyman or teacher, here are the results of all the years of scholarship since you graduated. If you are a professional, here are many insights and nuances which you can weigh with profit." Michael Goulder, Theology