from jesus to christ - the first christians
Origins - The origins of the Gospels and their different tellings of Jesus’ life and massage
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An Overview of the Four Gospels of the New Testament
With an introduction and individual synopses written by Marilyn Mellowes, producer of "From Jesus to Christ: The First Christians."

More About Q, and the Gospel of Thomas
An accidental discovery in Egypt seems to confirm the existence of the "lost" gospel of Q.

"The Search for a No-Frills Jesus"
This Atlantic Monthly article examines the debate surrounding the Q hypothesis. To some scholars, this lost source document is a complete gospel.

The Gnostic Gospels
The 52 texts discovered in Nag Hammadi, Egypt include "secret" gospels poems and myths attributing to Jesus sayings and beliefs which are very different from the New Testament. Scholar Elaine Pagels explores these documents and their implications.

Audio Excerpt from the Documentary
New Testament scholars discuss how, after the death of Jesus, his followers tried to make sense of what happened, and how they coped by telling stories about him.

symposium . jesus' many faces .  portrait of jesus' world . storytellers . first christians . why did christianity succeed?
maps, archaeology & sources . discussion . bible history quiz . behind the scenes
teachers' guide . viewers' guide . press reaction .  tapes, transcripts & events

published april 1998

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