Overview

Often seen as the author of timeless Christian theology, Paul himself heatedly maintained that he lived and worked in history's closing hours. His letters propel his readers into two ancient worlds, one Jewish, one pagan. The first was incandescent with apocalyptic hopes, expecting God through his messiah to fulfill his ancient promises of redemption to Israel. The second teemed with ancient actors, not only human but also divine: angry superhuman forces, jealous demons, and hostile cosmic gods. Both worlds are Paul's, and his convictions about the first shaped his actions in the second. Only by situating Paul within this charged social context of gods and humans, pagans and Jews, cities, synagogues, and competing Christ-following assemblies can we begin to understand his mission and message. This original and provocative book offers a dramatically new perspective on one of history's seminal figures.

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9781665250801

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"Brilliant, elegant, and important--this volume reshapes an entire field of study. Here stands the finest history of the Apostle Paul to appear in generations.-- ""J. Albert Harrill, The Ohio State University"""

Brilliant, elegant, and important--this volume reshapes an entire field of study. Here stands the finest history of the Apostle Paul to appear in generations.-- J. Albert Harrill, The Ohio State University

Author Information

Paula Fredriksen is the Aurelio Professor of Scripture Emerita at Boston University and distinguished visiting professor of comparative religion at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. A fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, she has published widely on the history of ancient Christianity. Pam Ward, an AudioFile Earphones Award-winning narrator, found her true calling reading books for the blind and physically handicapped for the Library of Congress' Talking Books program. The fact that she can work with Blackstone Audio from the beauty of the mountains of Southern Oregon is an unexpected bonus.

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