While I’m on my book-writing sabbatical, I’m laying aside books to research for the expanded revision of The Untold Story of the New Testament Church.
Also, if you are new to my work, my new book INSURGENCE: Reclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom is on sale on Amazon.
Three recent volumes on Paul are as follows. I’m not sure what’s new in them on the subject, as it’s rare to come across new material on Paul of Tarsus, but I’ll certainly investigate in the days ahead.
I’ve not yet read them, but I’ve included the descriptions by publishers along with their links on Amazon, should be interested.
Douglas Campbell has made a name for himself as one of Paul’s most insightful and provocative interpreters. In this short and spirited book Campbell introduces readers to the apostle he has studied in depth over his scholarly career.
Enter with Campbell into Paul’s world, relive the story of Paul’s action-packed ministry, and follow the development of Paul’s thought throughout both his physical and his spiritual travels.
Ideal for students, individual readers, and study groups, Paul: An Apostle’s Journey dramatically recounts the life of one of early Christianity’s most fascinating figures—and offers powerful insight into his mind and his influential message.
For some of us, the apostle Paul is intimidating, like a distant and difficult uncle. We’re told he’s pretty important. We’ve even read some of the good parts of his letters. But he can come across as prickly and unpredictable. Not someone you’d like to hang out with at a coffee shop on a rainy day. He’d make a scene, evangelize the barista, and arouse looks across the room. For a mid-morning latte, we’d prefer Jesus over Paul. But Paul is actually the guy who from Ephesus to Athens was the talk of the marketplace, the raconteur of the Parthenon. He knew everyone, founded emerging churches, and held his own against the intellectuals of his day. Maybe it’s time to give Paul a break, let go of some stereotypes, and try to get to know him on his own terms.
If you’re willing to give Paul a try, Rediscovering Paul is your reliable guide. This is a book that reacquaints us with Paul, as if for the first time arrested by Christ on the Damascus Road, holding forth in the marketplace of Corinth, working with a secretary in framing his letter to the Romans, or dealing with the messiness of emerging churches from Ephesus to Rome. Drawing on the best of contemporary scholarship, and with language shaped by teaching and conversing with today’s students, Rediscovering Paul is a textbook that has passed the test. Now in an expanded edition, it s better than ever. There are fresh discussions of Paul s letter writing and how those letters were received in the churches, new considerations of pseudonymity and the authenticity of Paul s letters, and updated coverage of recent developments in interpreting Paul. In addition, the So What? feature much loved by students has been expanded. For considering the full range of issues, from Paul s conversion and call to his ongoing impact on church and culture, this second edition of Rediscovering Paul comes enthusiastically recommended.
In this definitive biography, renowned Bible scholar, Anglican bishop, and bestselling author N. T. Wright offers a radical look at the apostle Paul, illuminating the humanity and remarkable achievements of this intellectual who invented Christian theology—transforming a faith and changing the world.
For centuries, Paul, the apostle who “saw the light on the Road to Damascus” and made a miraculous conversion from zealous Pharisee persecutor to devoted follower of Christ, has been one of the church’s most widely cited saints. While his influence on Christianity has been profound, N. T. Wright argues that Bible scholars and pastors have focused so much attention on Paul’s letters and theology that they have too often overlooked the essence of the man’s life and the extreme unlikelihood of what he achieved.
To Wright, “The problem is that Paul is central to any understanding of earliest Christianity, yet Paul was a Jew; for many generations Christians of all kinds have struggled to put this together.” Wright contends that our knowledge of Paul and appreciation for his legacy cannot be complete without an understanding of his Jewish heritage. Giving us a thoughtful, in-depth exploration of the human and intellectual drama that shaped Paul, Wright provides greater clarity of the apostle’s writings, thoughts, and ideas and helps us see them in a fresh, innovative way.
Paul is a compelling modern biography that reveals the apostle’s greater role in Christian history—as an inventor of new paradigms for how we understand Jesus and what he accomplished—and celebrates his stature as one of the most effective and influential intellectuals in human history.
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