The acclaimed author of From Jesus to Christianity reveals how—and why—the gospels were written in this groundbreaking work of Biblical scholarship. The greatest story ever told was honed like any good performance, on the road in front of audiences. In Scripting Jesus, acclaimed scholar of early Christianity L. Michael White demonstrates that the gospel stories of Jesus were never meant to be straightforward historical accounts, but instead they were each crafted with particular theological agendas for the ears of particular listeners. White challenges us to read the gospels as they were intended—as performed stories of faith, not factual accounts—and illuminates the agendas that motivated each of their authors. A fresh account of the gospels that have shaped centuries of Christian belief, Scripting Jesus offers important insight into how we can understand Jesus's story today.