In the present climate of interest concerning the real Jesus, Case's 1927 study represents a vital contribution in the first quest for the historical Jesus. Often overlooked, this important volume is at last available to researchers in the current quest for Jesus, as well as those interested in the role of the Chicago School in that quest. Case avoids supernatural explanations as he deftly sketches the social contexts of what can be known of the historical Jesus.

Shirley Jackson Case (1872-1947) was a formative member of the Chicago School of biblical interpretation around the turn of the twentieth century. He is remembered for his participation in the liberal Baptist tradition, and especially for his work on the quest for the historical Jesus.