Complex sentence: Beginning in 1841 with his "Criticism of the Gospel History of the Synoptics", Bauer argued that Jesus was primarily a literary figure, but left open the question of whether a historical Jesus existed at all.
Split into simpler sentences: Beginning in 1841, in his "Criticism of the Gospel History of the Synoptics", Bauer argued that Jesus was primarily a literary figure. However, he left open the question of whether a historical Jesus existed at all.