The First Christian: Saint Paul's Impact on Christianity

by Karen Armstrong

"A paperback book, likely out of print, written in 1963 by an author who would go on to become one of the world's most respected authorities on world religions.

Genres: Religion, History, Spirituality, Church History, Theology, Biography, Nonfiction

Paperback

First published December 2, 1983

About the author

Karen Armstrong is a British author and commentator of Irish Catholic descent known for her books on comparative religion. A former Roman Catholic religious sister, she went from a conservative to a more liberal and mystical Christian faith. She attended St Anne's College, Oxford, while in the convent and graduated in English. She left the convent in 1969. Her work focuses on commonalities of the major religions, such as the importance of compassion and the Golden Rule.
Armstrong received the US$100,000 TED Prize in February 2008. She used that occasion to call for the creation of a Charter for Compassion, which was unveiled the following year.

Reviews

[Colette! · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this book is now out-of-print. I have been looking for it for years and finally remembered that, as a university student, I have pretty much open access to most academic libraries nationwide. Unfortunately, as a university student, I have little spare time to read, but I carved out time in a rather hectic October to make it work.

I've taken classes on Pauline Christianity and this was a nice, less technical and Greek-filled version of what those were all about. Namely: Paul is the author of Christianity as we know it. Most of what Luke and John write in their gospels is heavily influenced by Paul, and you can cross out Colossians, I and II Timothy, Titus, 2 Thessalonians, Ephesians, as Paul probably never wrote them. The masochistic and the disenchanted attitudes Christianity likes to adopt come from Paul's writings, and this is troublesome considering Paul never expected the world to go on this long. Long story short, it's all messed up. That was strangely reassuring for me.

My guess as to why this is hard to find might be the timing and tone in which it was written. Having read her other works, namely her memoirs set during and after her time in a convent, one could easily think this is Karen Armstrong's "falling out of love" with Christianity book, even though she expresses a great admiration for Paul in her forward. She's understandably shaken by the premise that what she spent years on is nothing at all, and more than a little bitter at the Catholic Church in their interpretation of certain scriptures. I didn't mind it so much, but I can see it creating a bias for some readers.

[нєνєℓ ¢ανα · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best works relating to St Paul's ministry and influence..... a must to read....

[Morgan Dhu · Rating 4 out of 5]

An early work by the acclaimed writer on religious issues, Karen Armstrong, The First Christian explores the life and writings St. Paul, giving insight both into how his became the voice that shaped the philosophical core of Christianity, and why it was his views that prevailed over those of other early interpreters of christian ideas and ideals.

Interesting read for anyone curious about the history of religions in general or Christianity in particular.

[Mike Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

A rare book, written in 1963 by an author who would go on to become one of the world's most respected authorities on the world's religions, this is a short treatise written for a BBC TV series. Armstrong gives the case for Paul as the author of his own writings long before the gospels were written, and who was, almost single-handedly, responsible for the success of the Christian church.