Saint Paul

by Michael Grant

Book Overview

Saint Paul was not only a religious figure of exceptional power, but an outstanding maker of history. Without his efforts, Christianity would probably never have survived. Paul's own authentic voice... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0760774188
• ISBN13: 9780760774182
• Release Date: January 2005
• Publisher: Barnes & Noble Books
• Length: 250 Pages
• Weight: 0.86 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Best Biography of St. Paul

Grant's review and attribution of significant events in the early days of the Christian movement to St. Paul is noteworthy. He explains his thoughts and conclusions well. It is an easily read book; the credit going to the author. A must read for students of the early, formative days of what we now call Christianity.

brilliant introduction to Paul

Michael Grant, a British historian who held a variety of university posts in the UK, wrote a number of books on the civilizations of Greece and Rome during his long career. In that the ancient world was his area of focus, he was an expert on the origins of Christianity and well qualified to write this overview of Paul. Having the proper credentials to write on a given subject does not, of course, guarantee a good result; however, this survey of Paul and his thought is brilliantly insightful and one of the best summaries of the development of Christianity that I have read. Michael Grant points out that Paul was an extremely complex figure - impulsive, flagrantly self-contradictory, often ambiguous, and "torn apart by inner conflicts" that ranged between "genuine modesty and overwhelming self-confidence." Yet he was a man of enormous passion and imagination who unleashed a revolution in religious thinking that, in Grant's (and many others) view, made him one of the most influential figures ever to have walked the earth - perhaps even more influential than the man he extolled as the messiah. While Grant puts Paul's contradictions right on the table, his approach is always balanced. His respect for Paul is huge, but so too is his knowledge of and respect for the Judaism that Paul sought to replace. Paul may have been an empassioned genius, but as Grant shows, he did not necessarily have the foresight to envision what his thinking would lead to. For example, while Paul dismissed Torah law (even though Jesus supported it to the last detail), an action that was designed to advance the conversion mission of his new church, his teachings became the cornerstone for the Catholic Church which went on to formulate a massive Cannon Law which far exceeded anything Judaism ever encoded. In Grant's view, the most tragic outcome of Paul's lack of foresight is that anti-semitism "was given an immense stimulus when the Jew Paul blamed his own people for the inadequacy of the Torah, and then for the execution of Jesus." (p.154) Grant draws many contrasts between Jesus and Paul showing that while both thought that the "end of days" was near, their missions and outlooks were dissimilar. Jesus followed the Torah and taught fundamental Jewish ethics by preaching exclusively to his people, the Jews, in a unique way, whereas Paul abandoned the Torah and Judaism and created a new religion preaching to the Gentiles. Paul claimed that his authority came from his conversion and subsequent visionary experiences of Jesus, however, what he proposed was so different from what Jesus did and taught that it is almost impossible to reconcile the two. Michael Grant's knowledge of the milieau in which Jesus and Paul lived brings their world to life in a way that is accessible to the modern reader. His understanding of the development of Jewish and Christian teachings and concepts is comprehensive; in fact, "Saint Paul" reads almost like a theological history, work that Grant expand

Clear, excellent introduction to Paul

I was very happy to see this book back in print. Although writtin in 1976, this book provides a clear introduction to Paul and his work. The author is not a theologian or religious specialist, but he is well-read and provides an excellent secular discussion. There are lots of books about Paul and his ideas, which have more density and complexity. But, one needs to read a basic book like this to start. Then, one can read Paul's Letters and other works about Paul.The style and pacing is similar to Michael Grant's book on Jesus - so if you liked that book, you will enjoy this book too. -WGL-