Rabbi Paul : An Intellectual Biography

Rating:
Summary: A Scholarly Appraisal of Saul/Paul of the New Testament
Review: In a companion work to his "Rabbi Jesus" (2002), Bruce Chilton writes a concise biography of the Paul from the New Testament. In both books, Mr. Chilton emphasizes the Jewishness of his subjects in his quest for the historical person. This work does not break new ground but pulls together the leading scholarship consensus on Paul.

This work is intended for the general reader as an introduction to Paul's life and evolving theology -- it is thorough but concise at 350+ pages. Working from Paul's letters to the leaders of the local churches and from the Acts of the Apostles, Mr. Chilton emphasizes how Paul was responsible for broadening the faith in Jesus as the Messiah to including gentiles without the burden of the Law (the dietary rules and circumcision requirements). Among Paul's many contributions to Christian theology, this was the key one -- when the Jewish-Christian Church based in Jerusalem disappeared during the chaos of the War against Rome in the late 60's, the Gentile Church remained to carry on.

For a different approach toward Paul, the reader can read Jerome Murphy-O'Connor's "Paul: His Story". Utilizing the same framentary material as Mr. Chilton, Mr. Murphy-O'Connor argues for a more unique and sometimes creative history of Paul. I prefer Mr. Chilton's less-daring but more probable account of the life of Paul. For a more advanced look at Paul, the reader can consult the earlier works of either E.P. Saunders or Gunther Bornkamm.