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Apostle Paul: A Novel
The iconic Saint Paul – in his lifetime a scholar, prosecutor for the high court of the Jews, accomplice in murder, adventurer, traveler, orator, writer, advocate, and organizer of a new faith – was in fact a Jewish-Hellenistic citizen of the Roman Empire, a man who by the force of his intellect and indomitable will changed the course of history. Eventually he became the leader of the movement that delivered the social and moral authority of Christianity to a pagan world. Given a message – that man and woman had a purpose in earthly life and a future beyond the grave – he carried it first and unsuccessfully to his fellow Jews, then successfully to the gentiles and all mankind. His quality of mind and ability to exhort and persuade, his personal commitment to ethical conduct and values, and his courage and indefatigability made Paul one of the continuing forces in the progress of Western civilization.Author James Cannon has written about political leaders as a journalist, has served with leaders in public life, and has written feature stories while on the staffs of Time and Newsweek. Now he has taken the story of one of the most momentous quests in history and brought it to life with a vitality and immediacy that is at once gripping, informative, and inspiring.
433 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 8, 2005
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95 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
September 30, 2019
A solid book that weaves Biblical text, early Church history, cultural history of the 1st century AD, and a large dose of fiction to create a tale of Paul, a man both reviled and loved by the Christians of that day and today still.
The author had to create Paul's early life from nearly whole cloth, since his family and background is given little more than a few paragraphs in the New Testament. What Cannon did though was weave those bits of information into a young man that was probably quite common to the family of a successful merchant in those times.
From there, the reader gets to see how the young Saul of Tarsus came to accept traditional Jewish law in place of the family that he helped to tear apart through stubbornness and a lack of ability to see from another's POV; specifically his father. When he became the zealous persecutor of the first Christians, it comes as no surprise that he would pursue the goal as mercilessly as the young Saul once pursued knowledge for its own sake.
Saul's life changing event on the road to Damascus is beautifully done, with the roles of Ananias and the others who were his earliest supporters fleshed out in a reasonable manner. Cannon continued this throughout the Apostle's life and eventual death in Rome with Peter.
If you like historical fiction, this is a good example of the genre. If you are a fan of the Biblical events and worry that this goes against those, don't worry. It is only in Paul's youth, which we know nothing, where the author takes liberties. None of those go against how Paul conducted himself as an adult or what he taught.
Find it! Buy it! READ IT!
The author had to create Paul's early life from nearly whole cloth, since his family and background is given little more than a few paragraphs in the New Testament. What Cannon did though was weave those bits of information into a young man that was probably quite common to the family of a successful merchant in those times.
From there, the reader gets to see how the young Saul of Tarsus came to accept traditional Jewish law in place of the family that he helped to tear apart through stubbornness and a lack of ability to see from another's POV; specifically his father. When he became the zealous persecutor of the first Christians, it comes as no surprise that he would pursue the goal as mercilessly as the young Saul once pursued knowledge for its own sake.
Saul's life changing event on the road to Damascus is beautifully done, with the roles of Ananias and the others who were his earliest supporters fleshed out in a reasonable manner. Cannon continued this throughout the Apostle's life and eventual death in Rome with Peter.
If you like historical fiction, this is a good example of the genre. If you are a fan of the Biblical events and worry that this goes against those, don't worry. It is only in Paul's youth, which we know nothing, where the author takes liberties. None of those go against how Paul conducted himself as an adult or what he taught.
Find it! Buy it! READ IT!
March 12, 2020
Apostle Paul by James Cannon
The subtitle of this book is: “A novel of the Man who brought Christianity to the Western World.” The key word is novel. What was I thinking trying to take this as book of fact? Suddenly I realized at page 87 this is a bunch of illogical ramblings of a man who is not a biblical scholar, but a previous diplomat who wanted to write a novel. It is full of made up circumstances and of course dialogue and events that could never have occurred -but it is a historical novel! The dream of many to write. It was published by an obscure press, Steerforth Press, 2005. I am done with this and any other books by this author.
The subtitle of this book is: “A novel of the Man who brought Christianity to the Western World.” The key word is novel. What was I thinking trying to take this as book of fact? Suddenly I realized at page 87 this is a bunch of illogical ramblings of a man who is not a biblical scholar, but a previous diplomat who wanted to write a novel. It is full of made up circumstances and of course dialogue and events that could never have occurred -but it is a historical novel! The dream of many to write. It was published by an obscure press, Steerforth Press, 2005. I am done with this and any other books by this author.
March 14, 2007
This is a novel about the life of the Apostle Paul. It is true to the New Testament story and includes a lot of Paul's writings. The author created a "backstory" about Paul's family that is plausible but certainly fictional. There are some other fictional touches including a love interest. The focus is on Paul's spiritual development. It is well written.
January 23, 2020
Paul has always been my favorite person in the Bible. This book provided a look into his life as a regular man who experienced amazing things. I learned so much and I enjoyed reading about him from his youth until the end of his life.
January 31, 2012
This book was boring!!! I already knew Paul's story but this author actually made Paul have an illegitimate child!!! Come on!!! That was just to make Pauls story more interesting which this author did not. He put the writing in small font to make the book not seem so long. Sure most of the traveling and mission work was Bible based but if you are going to write a historical fiction novel at least make it a page turner. Most people that read this book are already going to know most of the historical biblical basis. Don't bore us with the obvious. And if you are trying to make it a page turner, throwing in sex and a little bit of romance in between all the boring stuff, a page turner does not make. Read the Bible if you really want to learn about Paul. I know this is fiction but I expected a little more of family life and maybe some other things the Bible didn't really elaborate on. Not some sex thrown in with his missions. This book was long and boring. Can't believe it was rated so highly.
December 15, 2017
I was able to read halfway through the book, but got quite a bore for me. The writing was pretty long-winded in some areas that I am not sure if it was even biblical related to his life; yet it is fiction. However I like that this author took the challenge to write about the great apostle Paul overall. I hate I didn't finish the other half of the book though due to my time schedule and after his awakening, meeting the disciples and went on his mission, I was a bit bored. I truly wanted to like it, however, I did fast forward to the last short chapter to see his end.
I am thankful for a fictional reading of Paul. (I am now waiting to complete via audiobook available on the digital library since I didn't get to complete the physical copy before my move).
Adrienna Turner
Author of God is in the Equation and The Day Begins with Christ.
I am thankful for a fictional reading of Paul. (I am now waiting to complete via audiobook available on the digital library since I didn't get to complete the physical copy before my move).
Adrienna Turner
Author of God is in the Equation and The Day Begins with Christ.
April 21, 2008
Great book! For those like me who did not have much understanding of very early Christianity, this book is a perfect starting place. Provides much historically accurate information, but in novel format to fill in the blanks and make for a more interesting read.
September 20, 2014
This was good. It certainly changes the way I look at Paul (Saul) and Peter. Even though it is fiction, there is quite a bit of fact in it too. I enjoyed it.
February 5, 2010
A must read for people who want to know the man who worked dilligently to spread the word of the Lord.
December 15, 2017
I found this book very interesting. Really enjoyed going along for the journey with Paul in a fiction novel.
July 26, 2021
This is the second novel about Paul's life that I've read this year. The previous was by Taylor Caldwell and was five stars. This is also five stars but will satisfy a wider Christian audience. Why? First, it includes a much broader and deeper discussion about how Paul built his writings upon the spiritual revelation on the Damascus Road and later as he founded the first Christian churches in Cyprus, Anatolia, Macedonia, and Greece and then appointed and supervised their fledgling first generation of ministers. It also describes conditions within these churches that led Paul to write the epistles to the Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Thessalonians, and Romans. These, and the four Gospels, Acts, and Revelation comprise the foundation of Christian theology. Many scenes describe the circumstances in these churches forcing Paul to write these letters. The whole story is presented well and includes how Paul assembled teams to act as Elder advisors, scribes, and editors to facilitate writing the letters while Paul's reading vision deteriorated. A great novel!
January 28, 2022
This was a fun look into the life and possible life events of the Apostle Paul. I enjoyed the book overall. My biggest challenges with it was that about half of the book was set before Paul entered the Biblical Story of Acts, which is fun, but doesn’t seem like the best use of space for the book. So the biggest stories of Paul felt rushed. And then I wasn’t a fan of the way that James, the brother of Jesus was portrayed along with his relationship and Peter’s relationship with Paul. It seemed like a forced attempt to introduce unnecessary conflict into the story. This was a tough task for sure. Paul is such a known and beloved character; it is a really big job to write a historical fiction book about him. But I am glad that I read the book. It’s worth the investment.
July 26, 2021
Riveting, Christian fiction
From first page I wanted to know all about the apostle Paul. I only knew him through the New Testament, but hadn't stopped to consider him and his life as a man, as well as an apostle. The author brings him to life in a dramatic, yet poignant way. I've known for 50 yrs that Paul was beheaded,but I still cried as I read about his persecution. Excellent writing by this author!!
From first page I wanted to know all about the apostle Paul. I only knew him through the New Testament, but hadn't stopped to consider him and his life as a man, as well as an apostle. The author brings him to life in a dramatic, yet poignant way. I've known for 50 yrs that Paul was beheaded,but I still cried as I read about his persecution. Excellent writing by this author!!
July 20, 2018
Excellent portrayal of the life of St Paul. Interesting explications of all major events and characterizations of prominent figures of the time. Beautiful language to appreciate in Paul's writing. Always interested in themes pertaining to women, including their strong support and use in the foundation of the Christian Church.
September 30, 2022
Well researched!
June 12, 2024
interesting
Very detailed and well written. If you are easily offended pass this but if you’re looking for a good read, this is a solid choice.
Very detailed and well written. If you are easily offended pass this but if you’re looking for a good read, this is a solid choice.
January 3, 2022
Interesting
This was an interesting take on the life of Paul. It brings life to his story. And for the most part does go along with the New Testament accounts.
This was an interesting take on the life of Paul. It brings life to his story. And for the most part does go along with the New Testament accounts.
April 15, 2012
I thought this was a fairly interesting book. Admittedly I know very little about the true history of the Bible and the beginnings of the church, so what of this book was true and what was fiction I'm not sure. However I like the idea of giving humanity to St. Paul and seeing him as a man who has faults and sins just like the rest of us. The book did get a bit long and tedious at times, especially at the end, but overall it kept my attention. I'd recommend it if you're looking for religious historical fiction.
January 22, 2018
Another one of my all-time favorite books! I’m not a bible thumper nor do I attend service regularly (in fact, I regularly don’t attend), if that helps in any way.
This book is as well-researched as possible (kudos to the author) and impressively tells the story of Paul’s entire life, from youth through adulthood. A wonderful, wonderful read.
This book is as well-researched as possible (kudos to the author) and impressively tells the story of Paul’s entire life, from youth through adulthood. A wonderful, wonderful read.
January 6, 2012
Loved this book. Very expansive about the history of Christianity through the eyes of one of the first apostle's Paul. Very well researched and written.
March 6, 2022
Did pass the 100 page test. This is why I don’t like historical fiction. If there is too much fiction on the historical side I lose patience.
June 28, 2016
Enjoyed the book. some of the info right from the books of the bible, that Paul wrote.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews