St. Paul for the Perplexed: His Life, His Letters, His Story

by Charles P. Anderson

In non-technical language the author conducts the reader into Paul’s world through a careful and critical reading of his seven authentic letters and the Acts of the Apostles. Motivated by a mystical experience to join the Jesus movement, Paul spent the remainder of his life creating and nurturing a network of communities in the larger Greco-Roman world dedicated to living in imitation of Jesus. In the process, Paul formulated a counter-cultural narrative in which conventional divisions, such as ethnicity, social class, and gender, were replaced by egalitarianism and compassion. His story incorporated an analysis of the human condition not unlike modern concepts of destructive addictions or communicable diseases. And it offered a resolution—participation in a healing community in which mutual concern for one another enables spiritual healing for self. Paul's letters and teaching continue to be profoundly relevant for the transformation of a world addicted to fear, hatred, and violence.

Charles P. Anderson is an associate professor emeritus of the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. He has taught courses on World Religions, Christian Origins, and the New Testament. He holds the M. Div. degree from Union Theological Seminary in New York and the Ph. D. from Columbia University.

432 pages, Paperback

First published December 9, 2012