What do you think?
Rate this book
The Lost Message of Paul
We have misunderstood Paul, badly.
We have read his words through our own set of assumptions and values. We need to begin with the ideas that informed Paul’s worldview and culture. Our goal is simple – to see things the way he saw them rather than the way we see them.
· What if the whole idea of ‘original sin’ was never part of Paul’s thinking at all?
· What if the idea that we are saved by faith in Christ, as Luther so strongly argued, was based on a mistranslation of Paul’s words, and even more seriously on a misunderstanding of Paul’s thinking? Was Luther – and Calvin who followed him – simply terribly wrong?
‘The tragedy,’ writes Steve Chalke, ‘is that over the centuries the Church has time and again failed to communicate, or even to understand, the core of Paul’s message. Although Paul has often been presented as the champion of exclusion, he was the very opposite. He was the great includer; a revolutionary who saw a new inclusive world dawning and gave his life to help bring it in.’
Steve Chalke MBE is a Baptist minister, founder and leader of the Oasis Charitable Trust, and author of more than 50 books.
We have read his words through our own set of assumptions and values. We need to begin with the ideas that informed Paul’s worldview and culture. Our goal is simple – to see things the way he saw them rather than the way we see them.
· What if the whole idea of ‘original sin’ was never part of Paul’s thinking at all?
· What if the idea that we are saved by faith in Christ, as Luther so strongly argued, was based on a mistranslation of Paul’s words, and even more seriously on a misunderstanding of Paul’s thinking? Was Luther – and Calvin who followed him – simply terribly wrong?
‘The tragedy,’ writes Steve Chalke, ‘is that over the centuries the Church has time and again failed to communicate, or even to understand, the core of Paul’s message. Although Paul has often been presented as the champion of exclusion, he was the very opposite. He was the great includer; a revolutionary who saw a new inclusive world dawning and gave his life to help bring it in.’
Steve Chalke MBE is a Baptist minister, founder and leader of the Oasis Charitable Trust, and author of more than 50 books.
295 pages, Paperback
First published June 20, 2019
42 people are currently reading
111 people want to read
About the author
Steve Chalke
73 books21 followersSteve Chalke is a British Baptist minister, social entrepreneur, author, and speaker widely recognized for his work in promoting social inclusion and justice. He is the founder of the Oasis Charitable Trust, an organization he launched in 1985 with the vision of building inclusive communities where everyone is valued and empowered. Under his leadership, Oasis has become one of the UK's largest charities, operating across a wide spectrum of services including housing, healthcare, education, and youth and community development—both in the UK and internationally.
Chalke's commitment to education is reflected in his founding of Oasis Community Learning, a multi-academy trust responsible for over 40 schools throughout England. The trust seeks to support not just academic achievement, but whole-community transformation through education. He also serves as the founding minister of Oasis Church Waterloo in central London, a place of welcome and inclusion for people of all backgrounds.
In 2006, Chalke launched Stop the Traffik, a global coalition working to end human trafficking through awareness, education, and systemic change. The organization has mobilized tens of thousands of activists in nearly 100 countries. His work in this field led to his appointment as a United Nations Special Adviser on Human Trafficking.
As an author, Chalke has written extensively on theology, faith, and social justice. His notable books include The Lost Message of Jesus, Apprentice: Walking the Way of Christ, and The Lost Message of Paul, among others. He has also written numerous articles and is a frequent speaker on topics related to spirituality, ethics, and public life.
In recognition of his tireless efforts, he was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to social inclusion and has received multiple honorary degrees and fellowships. He also holds the Guinness World Record for the most sponsorship money raised by an individual marathon runner, having raised over £2.3 million during the London Marathon.
Throughout his career, Steve Chalke has consistently challenged societal norms and church traditions in pursuit of compassion, equality, and justice, making him one of the most influential voices in contemporary British Christianity.
Chalke's commitment to education is reflected in his founding of Oasis Community Learning, a multi-academy trust responsible for over 40 schools throughout England. The trust seeks to support not just academic achievement, but whole-community transformation through education. He also serves as the founding minister of Oasis Church Waterloo in central London, a place of welcome and inclusion for people of all backgrounds.
In 2006, Chalke launched Stop the Traffik, a global coalition working to end human trafficking through awareness, education, and systemic change. The organization has mobilized tens of thousands of activists in nearly 100 countries. His work in this field led to his appointment as a United Nations Special Adviser on Human Trafficking.
As an author, Chalke has written extensively on theology, faith, and social justice. His notable books include The Lost Message of Jesus, Apprentice: Walking the Way of Christ, and The Lost Message of Paul, among others. He has also written numerous articles and is a frequent speaker on topics related to spirituality, ethics, and public life.
In recognition of his tireless efforts, he was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to social inclusion and has received multiple honorary degrees and fellowships. He also holds the Guinness World Record for the most sponsorship money raised by an individual marathon runner, having raised over £2.3 million during the London Marathon.
Throughout his career, Steve Chalke has consistently challenged societal norms and church traditions in pursuit of compassion, equality, and justice, making him one of the most influential voices in contemporary British Christianity.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
June 17, 2019
One of the most frustratingly mixed books I've ever read.
Engagingly written - it is like reading someone discovering something for the first time - but full of holes.
Attempts a popularisation of 'The New Perspective on Paul' without noting that such a perspective is not monolithic (we could refer easily to multiple perspectives!) and doesn't come with the support of any Pauline scholars, let alone NPP ones (not that important, but telling, given that Wright said 'The Lost Message of Jesus' was worth reading).
An infuriating blend of research and rhetoric - at some fairly key points the supporting resources are from either an older generation of scholarship, or not actually there, or just plain odd. Very difficult to take seriously someone claiming that Wright, for example, thinks something based on a blog post rather than, say, 'Paul and the Faithfulness of God'...
Inconsistent and illogical - occasionally quite hard to follow as Steve's excitement gets away from him.
Overall I'm glad I read it, but I REALLY wouldn't recommend it to anyone.
There are much better books on Paul, the Kingdom, and the end of the world. Try Conrad Gempf!
I was privileged to be given a review copy of Steve Chalke’s latest book, from his latest publisher, SPCK. The back of the book invites the reader in;
“We have misunderstood Paul, badly.
We have read his words through our own set of assumptions. We need to begin with Paul’s world view, to see things the way he saw them“.
Full (2000 words!) review on my blog: https://www.thomascreedy.co.uk/book-r...
Engagingly written - it is like reading someone discovering something for the first time - but full of holes.
Attempts a popularisation of 'The New Perspective on Paul' without noting that such a perspective is not monolithic (we could refer easily to multiple perspectives!) and doesn't come with the support of any Pauline scholars, let alone NPP ones (not that important, but telling, given that Wright said 'The Lost Message of Jesus' was worth reading).
An infuriating blend of research and rhetoric - at some fairly key points the supporting resources are from either an older generation of scholarship, or not actually there, or just plain odd. Very difficult to take seriously someone claiming that Wright, for example, thinks something based on a blog post rather than, say, 'Paul and the Faithfulness of God'...
Inconsistent and illogical - occasionally quite hard to follow as Steve's excitement gets away from him.
Overall I'm glad I read it, but I REALLY wouldn't recommend it to anyone.
There are much better books on Paul, the Kingdom, and the end of the world. Try Conrad Gempf!
I was privileged to be given a review copy of Steve Chalke’s latest book, from his latest publisher, SPCK. The back of the book invites the reader in;
“We have misunderstood Paul, badly.
We have read his words through our own set of assumptions. We need to begin with Paul’s world view, to see things the way he saw them“.
Full (2000 words!) review on my blog: https://www.thomascreedy.co.uk/book-r...
April 27, 2020
A fascinating fresh look at the gospel message of Jesus as refined and framed by Paul in his letters. Provocative and thought-provoking although guilty of circular arguments in places.
April 16, 2021
I love reading and study so there is nothing I like more than freshly ground coffee and a thought provoking book. Sadly, this latest tome from Steve Chalke offers neither subtle flavour nor scholarly insight. Steve doesn’t do subtle, but he does do caricature to such an extent that this book angered me in a way that no good scholarly work ever has. I enjoy being challenged and made to think but this work is so full of misrepresentations it borders on chicanery and is cartoon-like in its portrayal of historical or modern Christian theology. Steve tries to sidle up and whisper in your ear like a friendly uncle, appealing to fear and misinformation that he claims to be believed by most of the church.
He alleges that the Apostle Paul has been badly misunderstood and countless Christians and the world judge, him to be a pariah (p8), but the good news is, Steve has found the true Paul, in the wreckage of this misrepresentation by the church. For, Paul wasn’t a Christian but a Jew (p33) argues Steve, and a Second Temple Jew at that, so those who thought this man born in Tarsus, with dual citizenship, would be able relate to the Gentile as their Apostle, would be badly mistaken. For in fact, his Jewishness so defined him as make his teachings inscrutable to the average Western Christian, but fortunately for the world, Steve is around to provide the correct lens to understand and discover the lost teachings of the Apostle. With Gnostic prescience Steve is able to bring the correct interpretations on ‘faith’ and ‘salvation’ using in part a focus enabled by the school of the New Perspectives on Paul, with Ed Saunders and his disciples (p22), anchoring Paul’s perspective firmly into 520 BC.
This key is so foundational that to miss it is to lock yourself out of the truth and into the fear mongering of the modern church with its focus on sin and hell. Steve several times mentions that he has been given the shivers by this false Christian theology which has persisted for nearly 2,000 years.
He states that the cross is not central to the Christian message and didn’t become this until the 5th century - and any reference to it being hidden as a forbidden symbol of the persecuted church, is conveniently overlooked. Even though in the catacombs there are many examples both in plain sight and hidden in anchors, and of course the Chi-rho symbol, formally adopted by the first Christian Emperor in 312 AD and then after Christians began to be tolerated following the Edict of Milan (313 AD), the cross started to be used less covertly, but all this is missed and interpreted as an indication that the cross is as foreign to early Christianity as sound teaching is to the contemporary church.
And don’t start Steve on Martin Luther, as this flawed German is dealt the fatal blow by overlooking all his early writings to merely note his most controversial piece written in later life that was anti-Semitic (p47). So, the great Reformer is now rubbished into silence as part inspiration behind the Nazi holocaust! Clearly, Luther is now kryptonite to Steve’s superman vision of Paul, so has been silenced as generally toxic, unscholarly and irrelevant. Luther clearly didn’t understand ‘grace’ and his fearmongering and conversion in the tower of Wittenburg was not towards grace, but strangely biased him further towards works? All Luther’s struggles with a work based faith (confession, penance and indulgences etc.) is totally ignored and his emphasis on ‘Sola Fide’ claimed to put ‘faith’ more firmly into the category of a work (p105).
Besides, for Steve, a Hebrew is saved not by faith but by his DNA, in being one of the Chosen Race, but Luther didn’t understand this (p59) and the true grace of God avoided his reasoning. Ironically, then Steve alleges that Luther’s faith is empty of behavioural change, that it is without works (p63) and is merely a call for intellectual ascent (p60/80). So, the problem is how much faith do you need to be saved (p64) - this at least is novel if not slightly ridiculous. This results for Steve in ‘salvation anxiety’ (p64) which has haunted him, and is all due to a misunderstanding of the Greek word for ‘faith’ which is not really ‘faith’ at all but ‘faithfulness’ and does not refer to the believer but the Saviour Himself (p215). Steve fails to acknowledge those other pesky Hebrew words for ‘trust’ and all references to belief and faith in the Old Testament and elsewhere, as they might remove a load bearing card.
Here you will notice that there is truth, we are saved by Christ’s faithfulness, but Steve’s great skill it to stack the deck in such a way, that you are left with half-truths and unnuanced statements that when taken alone might seem plausible to those who have not read much Scripture or theology and like the Chick tracts of old, reduce the complex into the overly simple and thus plausibly lead people to a poor conclusion or even, preferably for Steve, to new ‘revelations’. Steve’s revelations are wonderful in their simplicity but incredible in that most of Christendom has missed these for so long? Like the Messiah, Steve Chalke has been a long time coming!
Luther, Calvin and the other Reformers, took the church from indulgences and led them into a theology of straw that makes faith a work (p84ff), that is of no value and just leads to fear and salvation insecurity which is all wrong because our faith is irrelevant as Jesus has done everything for us, and his faithfulness is redemptive - whether you care to follow him or not.
Steve, is claiming to be revolutionary, holding the banner of a New Reformation, but in reality there is little new here at all. His key is love: ‘God is not wrath; God is love’ (p125 c.f. p115). Except Steve’s definition of love is much like that of John Fletcher of the 1960’s who gave us Situational Ethics, and whilst he argues we need to get away from the sentimental theology of the west (p143) he indulges in such himself, gushing as a father who would never stop loving his child no matter how they behaved and projects that human sentimentality, like the German Philosopher Ludwig Feuerbach, upon God. Because any father would feel this way, it is self-evident that God must. Therefore, Steve defines for us the nature of God’s love and not God himself.
Besides, the first couple didn’t ‘sin’ but ‘stumble’ (p124) which is not a fall but a loss of innocence for Steve. This however, makes God’s banishment from Eden a bit of an overreaction for a mere ‘stumble’? Not much divine love or grace there then. This leads to one of his great hates that of God’s wrath and judgement (hence his dislike of cross imagery). God is not a God who judges because ‘that’s not love - it’s megalomania’ (p126). Rather, sin is punished in the present consequences and not in the future (p128). So, Jesus is not experiencing the wrath of God on the cross - that thought is alien to Paul - (p139) rather the picture is not that of sacrifice as divine sponge. Jesus absorbs evil into himself through the cross in a way more reminiscent of a Steven King novel than the Bible (p141). Jesus literally sucks up the injustice and sin of humankind.
When we come to the idea of hell Steve starts to use familiar language and alleges any concept of a judgement resulting in hell as tantamount to an abusive parent that would have any decent human being reaching for the phone and the digits 999! Why? Because God excludes no one, rather all are invited to heaven and furthermore Jesus has achieved salvation for all by his faithfulness, thus the qualifying criteria is merely being human (p180). So, ‘Paul’s theology is thoroughly collective’ (p197). Sadly, Steve so takes away free-will and personal consequence that he makes the Gospel bad news for those who want to reject God, because you can’t! Your decisions are irrelevant in salvation terms as you are loved by God to such an extent that Steve turns love into suffocation, the kind of love that is coercive and doesn’t allow for rejection. In Steve’s dismissal of the concept of hell as child abuse, he fabricates an image of God as a divine stalker who literally will not let you go (p251), everyone is in (pp272, 280-1, 289), even if you don’t want to be!
Chalke has already rubbished Luther for his contribution to German National Socialist ideals during the 1930’s but then strangely adopts as his authority two theologians who were actually part of the Nazi war machine, and a third, the German Philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche (p279), whose writings conceived the ‘superman’ concept (Übermensch) that so inspired Hitler and German National Socialism in their ideal of the Master Race. Is it me, or is Steve being inconsistent here?
Finally, and most sadly, there is an arrogance to Steve’s writing that borders on hubris. He seems to see himself as the new Luther (p280), and the ultimate Reformer for the 21st Century Church (p98). It is here that this book most disturbs me, as it appears Steve has swallowed his own myth. In short, this is a book best left on the shelves.
He alleges that the Apostle Paul has been badly misunderstood and countless Christians and the world judge, him to be a pariah (p8), but the good news is, Steve has found the true Paul, in the wreckage of this misrepresentation by the church. For, Paul wasn’t a Christian but a Jew (p33) argues Steve, and a Second Temple Jew at that, so those who thought this man born in Tarsus, with dual citizenship, would be able relate to the Gentile as their Apostle, would be badly mistaken. For in fact, his Jewishness so defined him as make his teachings inscrutable to the average Western Christian, but fortunately for the world, Steve is around to provide the correct lens to understand and discover the lost teachings of the Apostle. With Gnostic prescience Steve is able to bring the correct interpretations on ‘faith’ and ‘salvation’ using in part a focus enabled by the school of the New Perspectives on Paul, with Ed Saunders and his disciples (p22), anchoring Paul’s perspective firmly into 520 BC.
This key is so foundational that to miss it is to lock yourself out of the truth and into the fear mongering of the modern church with its focus on sin and hell. Steve several times mentions that he has been given the shivers by this false Christian theology which has persisted for nearly 2,000 years.
He states that the cross is not central to the Christian message and didn’t become this until the 5th century - and any reference to it being hidden as a forbidden symbol of the persecuted church, is conveniently overlooked. Even though in the catacombs there are many examples both in plain sight and hidden in anchors, and of course the Chi-rho symbol, formally adopted by the first Christian Emperor in 312 AD and then after Christians began to be tolerated following the Edict of Milan (313 AD), the cross started to be used less covertly, but all this is missed and interpreted as an indication that the cross is as foreign to early Christianity as sound teaching is to the contemporary church.
And don’t start Steve on Martin Luther, as this flawed German is dealt the fatal blow by overlooking all his early writings to merely note his most controversial piece written in later life that was anti-Semitic (p47). So, the great Reformer is now rubbished into silence as part inspiration behind the Nazi holocaust! Clearly, Luther is now kryptonite to Steve’s superman vision of Paul, so has been silenced as generally toxic, unscholarly and irrelevant. Luther clearly didn’t understand ‘grace’ and his fearmongering and conversion in the tower of Wittenburg was not towards grace, but strangely biased him further towards works? All Luther’s struggles with a work based faith (confession, penance and indulgences etc.) is totally ignored and his emphasis on ‘Sola Fide’ claimed to put ‘faith’ more firmly into the category of a work (p105).
Besides, for Steve, a Hebrew is saved not by faith but by his DNA, in being one of the Chosen Race, but Luther didn’t understand this (p59) and the true grace of God avoided his reasoning. Ironically, then Steve alleges that Luther’s faith is empty of behavioural change, that it is without works (p63) and is merely a call for intellectual ascent (p60/80). So, the problem is how much faith do you need to be saved (p64) - this at least is novel if not slightly ridiculous. This results for Steve in ‘salvation anxiety’ (p64) which has haunted him, and is all due to a misunderstanding of the Greek word for ‘faith’ which is not really ‘faith’ at all but ‘faithfulness’ and does not refer to the believer but the Saviour Himself (p215). Steve fails to acknowledge those other pesky Hebrew words for ‘trust’ and all references to belief and faith in the Old Testament and elsewhere, as they might remove a load bearing card.
Here you will notice that there is truth, we are saved by Christ’s faithfulness, but Steve’s great skill it to stack the deck in such a way, that you are left with half-truths and unnuanced statements that when taken alone might seem plausible to those who have not read much Scripture or theology and like the Chick tracts of old, reduce the complex into the overly simple and thus plausibly lead people to a poor conclusion or even, preferably for Steve, to new ‘revelations’. Steve’s revelations are wonderful in their simplicity but incredible in that most of Christendom has missed these for so long? Like the Messiah, Steve Chalke has been a long time coming!
Luther, Calvin and the other Reformers, took the church from indulgences and led them into a theology of straw that makes faith a work (p84ff), that is of no value and just leads to fear and salvation insecurity which is all wrong because our faith is irrelevant as Jesus has done everything for us, and his faithfulness is redemptive - whether you care to follow him or not.
Steve, is claiming to be revolutionary, holding the banner of a New Reformation, but in reality there is little new here at all. His key is love: ‘God is not wrath; God is love’ (p125 c.f. p115). Except Steve’s definition of love is much like that of John Fletcher of the 1960’s who gave us Situational Ethics, and whilst he argues we need to get away from the sentimental theology of the west (p143) he indulges in such himself, gushing as a father who would never stop loving his child no matter how they behaved and projects that human sentimentality, like the German Philosopher Ludwig Feuerbach, upon God. Because any father would feel this way, it is self-evident that God must. Therefore, Steve defines for us the nature of God’s love and not God himself.
Besides, the first couple didn’t ‘sin’ but ‘stumble’ (p124) which is not a fall but a loss of innocence for Steve. This however, makes God’s banishment from Eden a bit of an overreaction for a mere ‘stumble’? Not much divine love or grace there then. This leads to one of his great hates that of God’s wrath and judgement (hence his dislike of cross imagery). God is not a God who judges because ‘that’s not love - it’s megalomania’ (p126). Rather, sin is punished in the present consequences and not in the future (p128). So, Jesus is not experiencing the wrath of God on the cross - that thought is alien to Paul - (p139) rather the picture is not that of sacrifice as divine sponge. Jesus absorbs evil into himself through the cross in a way more reminiscent of a Steven King novel than the Bible (p141). Jesus literally sucks up the injustice and sin of humankind.
When we come to the idea of hell Steve starts to use familiar language and alleges any concept of a judgement resulting in hell as tantamount to an abusive parent that would have any decent human being reaching for the phone and the digits 999! Why? Because God excludes no one, rather all are invited to heaven and furthermore Jesus has achieved salvation for all by his faithfulness, thus the qualifying criteria is merely being human (p180). So, ‘Paul’s theology is thoroughly collective’ (p197). Sadly, Steve so takes away free-will and personal consequence that he makes the Gospel bad news for those who want to reject God, because you can’t! Your decisions are irrelevant in salvation terms as you are loved by God to such an extent that Steve turns love into suffocation, the kind of love that is coercive and doesn’t allow for rejection. In Steve’s dismissal of the concept of hell as child abuse, he fabricates an image of God as a divine stalker who literally will not let you go (p251), everyone is in (pp272, 280-1, 289), even if you don’t want to be!
Chalke has already rubbished Luther for his contribution to German National Socialist ideals during the 1930’s but then strangely adopts as his authority two theologians who were actually part of the Nazi war machine, and a third, the German Philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche (p279), whose writings conceived the ‘superman’ concept (Übermensch) that so inspired Hitler and German National Socialism in their ideal of the Master Race. Is it me, or is Steve being inconsistent here?
Finally, and most sadly, there is an arrogance to Steve’s writing that borders on hubris. He seems to see himself as the new Luther (p280), and the ultimate Reformer for the 21st Century Church (p98). It is here that this book most disturbs me, as it appears Steve has swallowed his own myth. In short, this is a book best left on the shelves.
July 16, 2019
This is a brave book offering an alternative interpretation of Paul's theology or even that of the whole New Testament story. Although there is a lot of academic content, Chalke has managed to keep it readable and accessible. He has certainly given a lot to reflect on, much of which may prove new or unfamiliar to general readers, although less so to the world of theological scholarship where it is more a gathering together of themes. Am I convinced? There is much I want to shout yes to, much I would be nervous about what my colleagues might think of it (some definite red lines crossed for many evangelicals), and some I need to think further on. Regardless, I think this is a significant work encouraging an honest response to some of the difficult issues traditional interpretations involve.
August 12, 2019
If anyone is open to a book about misunderstanding and misinterpreting Paul, I am. But this was a disappointment. Just not well organized or written. It is an attempt to popularize certain academic understandings or scholarly debates but does so at a superficial level and in one sided fashion. The style is discursive and meandering jumping between theology and devotional and social issues seemingly at random. Just does’t flow. There really sin’t anything particularly new here for anyone who has been following this debate and you can’t recommend such a meandering and hard to follow book to someone who wants to learn. Much better books out there for those want to look at New Perspectives on Paul.
March 9, 2020
When I look at the overarching message he is trying to convey, it is striking and causes me to completely reframe how I understand the entire message and ministry of both Paul and Jesus. If it’s true, it’s beautiful beyond words. That being said, I didn’t think this book was written very well. Most of his arguments felt like they formed caricatures of his theological opponents, which I found to be off-putting. As someone who came from the evangelical world, if I had read this book when I was in the thick of my Calvinist days, I would think he was misrepresenting what I believe. Because of this, it makes his arguments feel emotionally charged and logically fallible. If you can look past of all this, there is some really great content that will give you much to consider.
June 16, 2020
Whatever you think of Chalke's theology (and for the record, I find it compelling and brilliant), what makes this book a must-read is his pure joy in revealing our loving God to his readers. Rather than telling us what to believe, he shares his own beliefs and understanding in such a thoroughly faithful way, that we cannot help but get caught up in his central thesis: that God loves each and every one of his people and that any interpretation that leads to anything other than love purer than we can fathom simply cannot be truth.
May 22, 2021
Excellent and Thought Provoking
I have really enjoyed reading this book slowly, in stages. There is so much to reflect on. It challenges so much of what I was taught and things I have assumed without fair reflection and constructive criticism. The power of love over evil and the example of the universal Christ are set out so well. Thank you Steve!
I have really enjoyed reading this book slowly, in stages. There is so much to reflect on. It challenges so much of what I was taught and things I have assumed without fair reflection and constructive criticism. The power of love over evil and the example of the universal Christ are set out so well. Thank you Steve!
July 25, 2019
Just Awful
This is an appalling book. Full of caricatures, straw men, lax exegesis of key texts, misrepresentation, scripture twisting. I was gonna write a review but David robertson summed it up really well here
https://theweeflea.com/2019/06/10/the...
This is an appalling book. Full of caricatures, straw men, lax exegesis of key texts, misrepresentation, scripture twisting. I was gonna write a review but David robertson summed it up really well here
https://theweeflea.com/2019/06/10/the...
July 9, 2020
Chalke has developed an idea, which other thinkers have also suggested, that theologians and bible students have profoundly misunderstood St. Paul's message. His book contains a few stimulating arguments and is based on a thorough understanding of the historical context of Paul, as of his use of Greek.
But it is incredibly badly written, so much so that it irritates and irks more than it illuminates. Other than the fact that I promised someone I would read it, I would have chucked this in the bin (well, the Oxfam bookshop) days ago.
There is far too much repetition and recapitulation, giving the text a highly recursive feel. Chalke likes to use short paragraphs, frequently single sentences. This is a powerful technique in writing fiction; here it just feels that no argument is ever allowed to 'get going'. A chapter then becomes a series of soundbites.
There is extensive use of footnotes but not to enable extension or amplification of a point: Chalke thinks a footnote is to let him manifest his erudition. And if he sees value in academic apparatus, he should have included an index.
Several chapters are slugs of researched knowledge that are totally irrelevant to the 'lost message' theme: chapter 16 is a potted set of notes on ancient views of the afterlife; chapter 17 similar for random aspects of early medieval theology and chapter 24 is like a glossy magazine's attempt to overview psychology and neuro-pathology; it's title "Wired", says it all.
The writing is a mess, mixing a high style ("hermeneutical principles", "decontextualization", "eschatological") with a knowing post-modern tone that seems inserted to prove what a hip guy Chalke is ("Paul got the memo. He had it sussed.").
He is also fond of anecdotes that, in my view, are irrelevant and can be cringe-inducing: "My eldest grandson loves sharks. All sharks. When he was three, I bought him a blow-up plastic shark ...". This one drivels on for a page and a half, to 'explain' the importance of the intangible. There are many other examples. Does he really believe that his audience needs little human stories to understand abstract constructs?
Tom Wright's 'The Day the Revolution Began' covers much of this ground, and more, in a far better style - admittedly, it is a longer work.
I feel my one star may be generous.
But it is incredibly badly written, so much so that it irritates and irks more than it illuminates. Other than the fact that I promised someone I would read it, I would have chucked this in the bin (well, the Oxfam bookshop) days ago.
There is far too much repetition and recapitulation, giving the text a highly recursive feel. Chalke likes to use short paragraphs, frequently single sentences. This is a powerful technique in writing fiction; here it just feels that no argument is ever allowed to 'get going'. A chapter then becomes a series of soundbites.
There is extensive use of footnotes but not to enable extension or amplification of a point: Chalke thinks a footnote is to let him manifest his erudition. And if he sees value in academic apparatus, he should have included an index.
Several chapters are slugs of researched knowledge that are totally irrelevant to the 'lost message' theme: chapter 16 is a potted set of notes on ancient views of the afterlife; chapter 17 similar for random aspects of early medieval theology and chapter 24 is like a glossy magazine's attempt to overview psychology and neuro-pathology; it's title "Wired", says it all.
The writing is a mess, mixing a high style ("hermeneutical principles", "decontextualization", "eschatological") with a knowing post-modern tone that seems inserted to prove what a hip guy Chalke is ("Paul got the memo. He had it sussed.").
He is also fond of anecdotes that, in my view, are irrelevant and can be cringe-inducing: "My eldest grandson loves sharks. All sharks. When he was three, I bought him a blow-up plastic shark ...". This one drivels on for a page and a half, to 'explain' the importance of the intangible. There are many other examples. Does he really believe that his audience needs little human stories to understand abstract constructs?
Tom Wright's 'The Day the Revolution Began' covers much of this ground, and more, in a far better style - admittedly, it is a longer work.
I feel my one star may be generous.
October 31, 2019
Steve Chalke takes on some big topics here, including the meaning of Paul's teaching, universalism, how much power God has over creation, but manages to pose some interesting and thought provoking questions. I'm sure he'll draw plenty of criticism, but he's never been afraid of that and I for one am glad to see prominent leaders who are willing to risk their cosy lives and reputations in the search for more understanding.
August 16, 2021
I've read all the reviews. I enjoyed the book and though some reviewers claim the ideas are not new, they are for me. I completely agree that God is love essentially; Steve's book encourages a much more inclusive faith, through a different interpretation of Paul's message in the new testament. Steve also touched upon, and challenged; the idea of damnation and hell. As I'm new to reading theology I thought it not to heavy, very accessible and thought provoking.
Thank you Steve
Thank you Steve
February 7, 2022
I started reading the book with a wow, this is great! By the middle of the book I was thinking, hmm, how interesting. By the end I was was just hmm. But the first half of the book is really worth reading...as is the second, but for different reasons. Chalke has not skimped on his studies, that is for sure, but I think this is a case of I simply agree to disagree on some of his applications. But it is a challenging book and you had better know why you do not agree!
April 30, 2022
I have found this book most interesting, and its arguments are excellent. Designated to make you think and think again. Is Steve trying to institute a new reformation? Not a repeat of the Luthor reformation, but a new one or maybe an old one. Is he right? I think you need to read it and make up your mind.
September 1, 2019
Thought provoking and packed with reasonable arguments that should be considered. It’s sad to think that so many Christians might not engage in these topics, because of unfair labels placed upon Steve Chalke.
October 20, 2019
Was the message really lost?
This is accessible theology. I am.not sure that it really is a reappraisal of Paul, but it's good reading. It inspired me to read more about Paul, anyway.
This is accessible theology. I am.not sure that it really is a reappraisal of Paul, but it's good reading. It inspired me to read more about Paul, anyway.
April 27, 2020
This is a really, really thought-provoking book that turns much of the message/teaching of Paul around on its head, and has significant implications for modern "evangelical" views of the core Christian gospel. It's theology-rich but accessible. Your head might spin, but in a good way!
April 4, 2021
New perspectives indeed
A fascinating look at some alternative interpretations of Paul's words, this wasn't always wholly convincing and yet I often felt that I could see a path to validating the interpretations and finding new hope in the words of the Apostle.
A fascinating look at some alternative interpretations of Paul's words, this wasn't always wholly convincing and yet I often felt that I could see a path to validating the interpretations and finding new hope in the words of the Apostle.
August 2, 2019
Steve is prepared to ask the difficult questions in this book. He backs up his assertions with quotes and references from eminent theologians and stories of ordinary people.
August 17, 2019
Readily readable Storytelling style. Wanders a bit, but keeps bringing the reader back to the main track.
November 15, 2019
Well argued and thought provoking.
January 19, 2020
All Christians should read this liberating book
April 23, 2020
This gave me a whole lot to think about.
September 12, 2020
Amazing book
I learned so much from this book and especially love his interpretation of Paul’s belief about the Renewal of all things.
I learned so much from this book and especially love his interpretation of Paul’s belief about the Renewal of all things.
December 27, 2020
Wonderful overview on the New Perspective of Paul (or at least one of the new perspectives). Great Stuff!
July 7, 2021
Doesn’t have anything new to say and not particularly coherent.
Good review here: https://theweeflea.com/2019/06/10/the...
Good review here: https://theweeflea.com/2019/06/10/the...
April 18, 2022
Really interesting and theological challenging. Although raises lots mm ire questions.
July 21, 2022
Refreshing new (for me) look at Paul’s writings. Totally changed what I had been taught to accept all these years. Food for thought and a challenge to read more.
February 8, 2022
I'm sufficiently impressed by how cogent and humane this book is that I'm giving it 5 stars even though at one point Chalke likens St Paul to a "transnational thought leader"
April 10, 2020
This is a seriously brilliant book which just 'rings true' in everything it says.#
Just as good on second read.
Just as good on second read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews