In his first appearance at the annual Sydney festival, the prominent Christian scholar offers a compelling introduction to Jesus as he is portrayed in the earliest historical sources. In conversation with ABC’s Johanna Nicholson, he explores the ongoing investigation into the life and significance of Jesus for believers and doubters alike.

His talk is part of a line-up of 400 events which are expected to attract audiences of 100,000-plus for the week-long conversation about books and ideas from April 30-May 6.

Like Jesus himself, Dickson is a multi-layered figure. Starting out as a professional singer-songwriter, he is now known as an author, speaker, historian, senior pastor, and media presenter. He has published 15 books, two of which have become television documentaries, and in 2007 he co-founded the Centre for Public Christianity (CPX). The CPX documentary, For the Love of God: how the church is better and worse than you ever imagined, hits cinemas in May. Dickson is now the Rector of St Andrew’s Roseville, in Sydney, and he teaches the Historical Jesus at Sydney University.

The Sydney Writers’ Festival prides itself on bringing “some of the world’s most curious and compassionate, irreverent but respectful, intelligent and argumentative writers” and says that “the finest writing and storytelling at its core, our programming is driven by the ideas and issues that animate all types of literature.”

Dickson – a self-described ‘world class doubter’ – is certain to draw out a lively Q&A that we don’t want to miss.

Eternity has ten double passes for the event to give away. Enter here by Monday April 30 at 5pm