Seventy-five years after Rudolf Bultmann's influential and controversial "Jesus-book"

The circumstances under which Bultmann's influential Jesus book was written have long been a subject of controversy. In addition, the relevance of thi s early book by Bultmann for his later theological work has led to differin g and even opposing opinions among scholars. The purpose of this article is not only to clarify both issues, but to determine the role of the Jesus bo ok as the initial document for Bultmann's later work.