What do we really know about Jesus? This question has always produced a variety of answers. This is not because there are few sources (there are many, both canonical and apocryphal, as well as a limited number of non-Christian documents), but rather a multiplicity of interpretations. This book addresses three basic approaches to the life of Jesus: ecclesial, historical, and literary. A polyphony of voices - inherent in the very gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John - helps bring to light the words and deeds of this unique religious figure, who has exerted a profound and enduring influence on the world.

Piero Stefani, a renowned scholar of the Bible and Hebraism, teaches in the Faculty of Theology in Milan.