I recommend a healthy paradigm shift first. Try to orient yourself away from the tactic of "debate" or "I win/you lose" and approach biblical criticism with a respect for the data just as you would with biology, physics, or a philosophical problem. The "Dead Sea Scroll Deception" was entertaining, but almost wholly overblown and speculative. (It reminded me of Eco's "Focault's Pendulum".) Having said that, here is my must-read list:
Helmut Koester. Introduction to the New Testament. 2 vols. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1982.
Robert J. Miller, Ed. The Complete Gospels. Sonoma, Calif: Polebridge, 1992.
Paula Fredriksen. From Jesus to Christ. New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 1988.
Marcus J. Borg. Jesus, A New Vision. San Francisco, HarperSanFrancisco, 1987.
Elaine Pagels. Adam, Eve, and the Serpent. New York: Vintage, 1989.
E.P. Sanders. The Historical Figure of Jesus. London and New York: Penguin, 1993.
Ed Sanders also produced the amazing monograph _Jesus and Judaism_ but it is a little heavier reading. The above material is easy reading and for those who know nothing about biblical criticism. Each has an excellent bibliography for those who desire to pursue a deeper level of understanding. Hope this helps.
Regards, Jim
still@ix.netcom.com http://www.umn.edu/nlhome/g369/stil0037/