Paul the Apostle: His Life and Legacy in Their Roman Context (2012 Harrill), book

Paul the Apostle: His Life and Legacy in Their Roman Context (2012) is a book by James Albert Harrill.

Abstract

"This book is a controversial new biography of the apostle Paul that argues for his inclusion in the pantheon of key figures of classical antiquity, along with the likes of Socrates, Alexander the Great, Cleopatra, and Augustus. It first provides a critical reassessment of the apostle's life in its historical context that focuses on Paul's discourse of authority, which was both representative of its Roman context and provocative to his rivals within Roman society. It then considers the legend that developed around Paul as the history of his life was elaborated and embellished by later interpreters, creating legends that characterized the apostle variously as a model citizen, an imperial hero, a sexual role model, an object of derision, and someone to quote from. It is precisely this rewriting of Paul's history into legend that makes the apostle a key transformative figure of classical antiquity."--Publisher description.

Editions

Published in Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press, 2012.

Contents

The life. From Pharisee to Apostle -- Communities in the making -- Paul's life in its Roman context -- The legend. Competing stories about Paul in late antiquity -- Paul the scriptural authority: contradictory discourses -- How the West got Paul wrong -- Conclusion: going beyond the epitaph -- Appendix 1. Extant writings attributed to Saint Paul in rough chronological order -- Appendix 2. Reconstructing Paul's Corinthian correspondence: a puzzle -- Appendix 3. Ancient Christian works containing Pauline traditions and legends

External links

• [ Google Books]