The life and death of Jesus of Nazareth and the beginnings of the movement which venerated him are of profound religious significance to Christian believers today. However, these events are also part of our common history and have had enormous influence on the development of Western civilization, They are, therefore, legitimate subjects of historical enquiry. The historical introduction to the New Testament investigates the foundation of the new religious movement in the life of Jesus, the experiences which acted as a catalyst on missionary activity after his death, the factors which led to a separation of the movement from Judaism, and the development of the ecclesiastical structure through which Christianity has influenced subsequent secular and religious history.