In Simply Jesus, Wright sets out to reclaim the real Jesus, the Jesus who is the same yesterday, today, and forever. For the first time in paperback, a groundbreaking work by renowned Bible scholar, Anglican bishop, and bestselling author N. T. Wright shatters the barriers that have obscured our understanding of Jesus' story in the Bible, revealing a stunning vision of Christ that resonates with the complexities of our era. The debates surrounding Jesus have become all too familiar – was he human or divine, capable of miracles or mere inspiration, did he even exist? The church has traditionally defended its beliefs, while critics have attacked the institution and its teachings. But what if these disputes have distracted us from the true narrative of Jesus? Wright distills a lifetime of research into Jesus and the New Testament to present a compelling portrait of the Nazareth carpenter's son, as if we were encountering it for the first time. "The Jesus we might discover if we truly looked," Wright notes, "is more expansive, more unsettling, and more pressing than we ever imagined. It is we, the churches, who have been the reductionists, shrinking the kingdom of God to personal piety, the cross's triumph to comfort for the conscience, and Easter itself to a fleeting, escapist conclusion. While piety, conscience, and ultimate happiness are crucial, they pale in comparison to Jesus himself." As the church navigates the challenges of the twenty-first century, Wright presents a vision of Jesus that not only meets but surpasses them. In Simply Jesus, Wright sets out to reclaim the authentic Jesus, the Jesus who remains unchanged yesterday, today, and forever.