▁the ▁life ▁and ▁teach ings ▁of ▁Jesus ▁of ▁Naz are th ▁by ▁critical ▁historical ▁methods . ▁The ▁quest ▁began ▁with ▁the ▁post hum ous ▁publication ▁of ▁Hermann ▁Re imar us ' ▁effort ▁to ▁re construct ▁an ▁" authentic " ▁historical ▁picture ▁of ▁Jesus ▁instead ▁of ▁a ▁the ological ▁one . ▁ ▁The ▁quest ▁was ▁a ▁product ▁of ▁the ▁En light en ment ▁ske ptic ism ▁of ▁the ▁late ▁eigh teenth ▁century ▁and ▁produced ▁a ▁stark ▁division ▁between ▁history ▁and ▁the ology . ▁The ▁study ▁fl our ished ▁in ▁the ▁nin ete enth ▁century , ▁making ▁its ▁mark ▁in ▁the ▁the ology ▁of ▁the ▁German ▁Protest ant ▁liber als . ▁They ▁saw ▁the ▁purpose ▁of ▁a ▁histor ically ▁true ▁life ▁of ▁Jesus ▁as ▁a ▁critical ▁force ▁that ▁function ed ▁the olog ically ▁against ▁the ▁high ▁Christ ology ▁established ▁by ▁Roman ▁Catholic ism ▁centuries ▁before . ▁ ▁After ▁Albert ▁Schwe itzer ' s ▁Von ▁Re imar us ▁zu ▁W re de ▁was ▁published ▁as ▁The ▁Qu est ▁of ▁the ▁Historical ▁Jesus ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 0 , ▁its ▁title ▁provided ▁the ▁label ▁for ▁the ▁field ▁of ▁study ▁for ▁the ▁next ▁eight y ▁years . ▁Interest ▁l angu ished ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁tw enti eth ▁century , ▁but ▁rev ived ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 0 s , ▁with ▁some ▁sch ol ars ▁as ser ting ▁there ▁have ▁been ▁three ▁distinct ▁qu ests . ▁However , ▁Bible ▁scholar ▁Stanley ▁Por ter ▁as ser ts ▁that ▁there ▁has ▁been ▁one ▁fl uct u ating ,