The World of Saint Paul

by Joseph M. Callewaert, Michael J. Miller (Translator)

Joseph Callewaert's engaging work on St. Paul reads like a novel. With inviting, even dramatic, prose, it recounts the story of the great Apostle to the Nations. This is no dry tome or ponderous biography. Nor is its subject a "safe" historical figure, irrelevant to the issues of today: St. Paul remains controversial.

Some scholars claim he "invented" Christianity. They believe his message radically departed from what Jesus taught. The Christian faith, so the claim runs, is the creation of Paul's religious experience, not the doctrine of Jesus. Callewaert rejects this theory, as do many other scholars. His interpretation rests on the Bible and the abiding tradition of the ages, rather than tendentious theories or ideologically-motivated revisions.

Yet Callewaert's work is no anti-scholarly screed. The World of Saint Paul provides a popular, yet expert account of the Apostle and his age. For those who know little about St. Paul-which includes many Christians-it is a superb introduction.

"In my presentation of St. Paul, I have tried to absorb the spirit of his epoch as far as I could, and put less trust in the present-day judgments than in the abiding traditions of the ages. If I have perhaps evoked a little too much history and pursued rather too long a road in regions so rich with a past, I have always made sure to trace a path which brings us back to this intrepid and tenacious Jew who will steadily
appear in stark relief."
From the Preface

210 pages, Paperback

First published February 15, 2011

Reviews

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

In Biblical School, this semester we studied Paul's letters, so I thought this book would be a good way to cap off the year. It's amazing how detailed of a story you can piece together combining Acts of the Apostles with Paul's letters and other Christian and historical writings. And the story of Paul does not lack action or excitement to be sure.

An interesting synthesis of St. Paul, but I'm not enough of an ancient history buff to appreciate the long detailed backgrounds used to set up each city connected to Paul's missions. I do love putting each city in context in order to more deeply understand Paul's epistles (that was the most fascinating aspect to my semester of study), but sometimes I found Callewaert's details to be a bit more than I wanted to know.

[Brian Tringali · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a biography of St. Paul's life. I think it straddles the fence between a pure biography of fact and the attempt to have it read as a novel. I highly valued the maps and factual analysis of Paul's journey. The periodic dips into narrative we less valuable for me. But I recognize that for most readers, this style probably works -- particularly if you just starting to explore the topic. I would still recommend the book, but I would probably point the reader to other works about Paul before this book.

[William · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you are looking for detail about Paul's life and theology, look elsewhere. But if you want an easy to read, short "thumbnail" version of the life of Saul of Tarsus, this book will serve as a good intro to the most singular theologian of early Christianity.
Callewaert too often writes more as a guide book/information pamphlet for places of ancient antiquity. While providing a useful background for the cultures and societies that Paul encountered, I would have preferred more detail about Paul than which Roman or Persian historical figures also wandered through Antioch or Corinth.

[Gil Michelini · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did not know what to expect from this book but I have found it to be very insight into the world where Saint Paul preached. At each point in Saint Paul's journeys, the author provides a describe of what he would have seen and what the cultural was like based on their history.

If you are a student of the Bible and history, I would bet you will enjoy this book.