If you thought The Da Vinci Code was intriguing, try the truth. One of the foremost scholars in the field of New Testament studies takes up the quest for the historical Jesus and examines the community that formed around him. Jesus People considers the controversial implications of Jesus studies for the Church today by exploring the quest for the historical Mary, debates about the gospel and gender, the meaning of the Eucharist and theories of the atonement. Catchpole confronts current academic trends by portraying a genuinely Jewish Jesus, and tackles the serious ethical problems of Christian portrayals and caricatures of Jesus and Judaism. Jesus People is perfect for students, specialists, and anyone wanting to undertake detective work on the Gospels to discover the historical evidence about Jesus and his community.