The Beginnings of the Church

I've read several books about the historical Jesus and the early church. For me, this is the best. Einstein said that a good theory should be as simple as possible but no simpler. This book does a great job of presenting a coherent overview of how history and culture shaped the development of the first Christian communities without getting bogged down in every fact or conjecture. The author, a Catholic priest, is respectful of the belief in Jesus' divinity, but this does not bias his focus on how Christianity evolved from Judiasm. Both belivers and non-belivers should find this book insightful and compelling.