Paul: The Mind of the Apostle

I recieved the book very promptly after ordering . I have not had time to start to read the book although it seems to be most interesting. The book was in almost new shape and cover was in tact too.

A. N. Wilson, an accomplished novelist and biographer, here applies the tools of modern biography and history to one of the central figures in Western religion. Paul, unlike Jesus, has left us some of his own writings. Thoughtful and dense, these give us a window into the mind that to a large extent "created" Christian theology. Reading these letters with a novelist's sensitivity and a historian's knowledge, Wilson draws conclusions about Paul that more traditional scholars would be afraid to make. Wilson fills out his portrait with information drawn from other historians' works and from other early sources, including the Gospels and Acts, helping the reader see how different agendas may have motivated the very human writers of these works.This is a splendid, thought-provoking book that the "intelligent layperson" will devour. Like Wilson's biography of Jesus, it will be challenging -- perhaps upsetting -- to those with very rigid beliefs, but others should find in it a much-needed examination of a tremendously important individual.

This book is a "sequel" to Wilson's earlier work "Jesus: A Life." Both are very much in the tradition of the "Historical Jesus" quest. The scholarship is remarkable. Wilson seriously "brings to life" (to coin a phrase) the world...which is to say, "the context"...in which these Biblical events took place. Wilson also hypothesizes some about what *might* have occured. While some do legitimately criticize him for this, I happen to think his ideas are rather fun, and suggestive of the kinds of theories more traditional scholars *ought* to consider.It's always been clear to me that there was an early major conflict between the Jerusalem Christians and the church that Paul established in Ephesus. Wilson vividly illustrates what this was all about, and shows (I think accurately) how the destruction of the Jerusalem temple (in 70 A.D.) is what led to Paul's ultimate triumph, and the proliferation of his brand of the Christian religion. In contrast, the earlier "Jesus: A Life" convincingly reveals the pure Jewishness of what Jesus was really trying to accomplish. If you'd like to see this same issue portrayed dramatically, take a look at Scorsese's "The Last Temptation Of Christ," where the older married Jesus confronts Paul about the truth of his religion. This book examines that conflict in exquisite detail, and with fascinating historical detail.If you have even a little interest in these kinds of things, both these books will completely amaze you. Take it with whatever you want, one or two or three grains of salt, they're both *very* worthy of your time.

This book is an excellent study of the historical context in which Paul developed his epistles. The writer makes the geo-political situation of the Roman Empire during the last half of the first century seem as timely and compelling as if he were writing about current events. His hypothesis that Paul was the true founder of the Christian Church and his discussion of the forces that he believes shaped Paul's thought are compelling and thought-provoking. Mr. Wilson has inspired me to read his book on Jesus and to explore the sources of Christianity in more depth.

A. N. Wilson proposes in his book that Paul was the founder of Christianity. It was he who argued against the judaizers of the early church. It was he who stated that getting circumcised was like denying Christ. Jesus, Wilson contends, was a Jew who did not foresee an organization coming from his preaching. Jesus did not anticipate that he was starting a religion. Paul, who calls himself a consummate Jew, argues that Jesus the Christ is the fulfillment of the promise and the old covenant is now at an end. Wilson deftly describes the period of the early church when it was not a church at all, but a collection of house congregations. He weaves the elements of the different communities such as Ephesus and Corinth to demonstrate the context in which Paul was writing. He makes very clear and understandable the cultural mileau as well as the political influences that held sway over the people of the Roman Empire. This book is well written. It does not shy away from scholarship, but the literary style seems more narrative. This makes it easy to read and understand without becoming superficial.