Volume I covers two areas, issues of methodology and recent advances in historical Jesus research. The former area both lays the basic groundwork for engaging in the study of the ancient texts that form the New Testament, but also collects together some of the more creative reading strategies that have been applied to New Testament texts over the last few decades. Further, research into the central figure of the New Testament has a long history, and there has been renewed interest and fresh advances in this area over the last twenty years that have reshaped the questions that are being explored. Volume II looks specifically at the four canonical Gospels. The volume opens with articles that deal with general issues such as questions of genre, audience and purpose before presenting articles that deal with the individual texts. Also the recent application of social-memory theory to Gospel texts will be highlighted. Volume III perhaps covers the topic that has seen the greatest amount of literature published during the last three decades - the person and letters of Paul the apostle. Three central areas which will be addressed are: (i) the life and self-understanding of Paul; (ii) his theological understandings; and (iii) the purpose of his writings and the issues they raise. Volume IV is not an assembly of disparate voices, but actually reflects one of the most important developments in the study of the New Testament and Early Christianity. Namely, it allows for the appreciation of the diverse expressions of faith that represented the Jesus movement in the first two centuries.