One Jesus, Many Christs : How Jesus Inspired Not One True Christianity, but Many

In this exciting volume, Riley reveals that from the beginning there was not just one true Christianity, but many different Christianities. United by passionate allegiance to Jesus as Hero, these early, doctrinally diverse Christianities have led to the development of many different kinds of Christian churches among us today. Riley shows that early Christianity harbored major doctrinal differences about all aspects of Jesus' life, death, resurrection, and divinity.

This book provides not only a whole new understanding of the nature of earliest Christianity, but it also conveys a vital message for today about what Christian faith is really about. Riley reveals the authentic character of Christianity as inherently pluralistic and tolerant of diverse ideas while passionately centered in Jesus.

Gregory J. Riley is Associate Professor of New Testament at the Claremont School of Theology, Claremont, Calif. His earlier Fortress Press book is Resurrection Reconsidered: Thomas and John in Controversy (1994).