Encountering Paul

Understanding the Man and His Message

By (author) Tatha Wiley

Hardback - £79.00

Publication date:

16 January 2010

Length of book:

214 pages

Publisher

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

ISBN-13: 9780742558083

Fascinating, controversial, yet enigmatic—the figure of the apostle Paul looms large in Christian history. But which Paul is the true one? Is it the Paul who proclaims our freedom in Christ or the Paul who demands that slaves obey their masters? The Paul who works closely with women evangelists, or the Paul who instructs women to submit to the rule of their husbands? Is it the deeply Jewish Paul or the Paul who rejects the Law? Drawing on the literary and historical insights that have revolutionized contemporary Paul scholarship, Tatha Wiley skillfully separates these different voices of Paul and their liberating and oppressive legacies. In her well-crafted work, Wiley not only illumines the authentic, historical Paul but also accounts for his influence in the history of slavery, male domination, and religious exclusivism. Encountering Paul is a welcome addition to the Come and See series.
Carefully distinguishing between the undisputed Pauline letters and the letters attributed to Paul but written by later disciples, Wiley makes a convincing case that much of what has passed for Pauline teaching, based for the most part on the later letters, is actually in opposition to the teachings of Paul. . . . The frequent summarizing of positions of other scholars as well as the inclusion of questions for reflection and discussion at the end of each chapter make this a good choice for independent study. . . . This is an excellent choice for anyone seeking a popular introduction to recent scholarship on Paul.