E. P. Sanders (1937–2022)

"Paul is the most powerful human personality in the history of the Church. A missionary, theologian, and religious genius, in his epistles he laid the foundations on which later Christian theology was built.
"In this highly original introduction to Paul's life and thought, E.P. Sanders, whose research on Paul has substantially influenced recent scholarship, pays equal attention to Paul's fundamental convictions and the sometimes convoluted ways in which they were worked out." from book cover

A biography of the historical figure of Jesus. The book studies the relationship between Judaism and Christianity, distinguishing the certain from the improbable, and assessing the historical and religious context of Christ's time. The spread of Christianity is also discussed.

Very laborious read but seminal work on the New Perspective on Paul. Almost wish I had skipped the textual discussions and just read the conclusions. Almost.