historicity of Christ

All,

This is probably not the most appropriate forum for this question, but I can't think of a better place.  So here goes......

A very good friend of mine has recently rejected his Christian faith.  He has done this, so he says (and I have no reason to doubt him), because after researching the historicity of Christ and the gospels and Paul, he can no longer believe that the person of Jesus Christ as proclaimed by traditional Christianity was an historical figure.  Instead, he now believes that Christianity has its roots in pagan and mythical cultures, combined with neo-Platonism and Judaism of the time.  I'm not an apologist, nor am I a scholar of biblical literature or history or whatever else that might be appropriate.  He has given me a laundry list of literature on the subject, which I have neither the time nor the energy to pursue.  (He has mentioned writings by Robert M. Price, Charles Templeton, and many others).  So I'm looking for someone who has seriously researched these issues and can perhaps provide some information for me to pass along. 

Thanks,

C