This is arguably the most thorough and accurate book on the formation of Christianity because the author was a respected Roman Catholic priest in France until the age of 51. He was excommunicated for criticism, which freed him to include additional facts.

This book covers the evolution of the New Testament and, according to the author, shows how the formation of the Canon was conditioned by the evolution of Christian propaganda. The author asserts that some later additions to the Bible were required by "the needs of the moment," and closely examines the work of editors in each gospel.

Originally published in 1953, The Birth of Christianity analyses the development of Christian doctrine and the establishment of the Church. The book traces the history of the formation of the Church as a new religious society and considers its development both in the realm of thought as well as on a social level, in both emotional life and moral action. It explores how the Christian faith first found expression in society through a variety of forms that were gradually assimilated into one system of doctrine, and examines both how Christian theology and dogma were formed, and how the Church developed its constitution. The Birth of Christianity will appeal to those with an interest in the history of religion, the history of Christianity, theology, and the philosophy of religion.

John Dominic Crossan explores the lost years of earliest Christianity, the years immediately following Jesus' execution. He establishes the contextual setting through a combination of literary, anthropological, historical and archaeological approaches. He challenges the assumptions about the role of Paul and the meaning of resurrection, and forges a new understanding of the birth of the Christian church. Here is a vivid account of early Christianity's interaction with the world around it, and of the new traditions and communities established as Jesus' companions continued their movement after his death.