Time of Christ: Jesus was a rabbi with a devout following, but he did not himself promote the idea of "Christianity." This was a later development that arose out of the Resurrection experience and the Easter tradition that merged the legend of Jesus's rising with an ancient, existing myth of rebirth and renewal of a holy leader. Jesus was not a cult figure, but a charismatic religious leader of the Jews. Christianity during his life was neither a religion nor even a concept, although some of its precepts were developing.

1970s: Christianity had flowered and was beginning to wilt by the time that Webber and Rice wrote their rock opera of Jesus. Although churches flourished in numbers, religious belief had eroded since the medieval period. Even so, some devout Christians were offended by Webber and Rice's portrayal of Jesus as a man with human...