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The Living Paul: An Introduction to the Apostle's Life and Thought
The apostle Paul has long had his admirers and revilers. And contemporary Christians often harbor private misgivings about this prominent apostle. Paul sounds harsh, intolerant, misogynistic, and his gospel surely misconstrues the message of Jesus. "How is it," they want to ask, "that some Christians can speak so fondly of Paul?" Anthony Thiselton is an unabashed admirer of Paul, a student of his letters and a devotee of his gospel. Over a range of issues, Thiselton cleans the lens and sharpens the focus to give us snapshots of Paul's life, mission and thought. Whatever your level of knowledge and experience of Paul, you will find The Living Paul informative and interesting, nuanced and inspiring. A portrait of Paul rendered in the deft strokes of a master.
190 pages, Paperback
First published August 17, 2009
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83 people want to read
About the author
Anthony C. Thiselton
53 books23 followersAnthony Charles Thiselton is emeritus professor of Christian theology at the University of Nottingham and a fellow of the British Academy. His recent publications include Approaching Philosophy of Religion, Discovering Romans, Systematic Theology, The Holy Spirit, and The Last Things.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
November 18, 2014
The apostle Paul is alternately portrayed as the true founder of Christianity and the control-freak who destroyed the beautiful thing Jesus began and hated women. Anthony Thiselton, in this succinct portrait, gives us a much more nuanced picture of Paul.
One of the first things Thiselton does is deal with two of the "deal-breakers" that would keep many from paying any further attention to Paul. The first is that he shows the continuity between Paul and Jesus in the grace he proclaimed that is also evident in both the parables and the gracious works of Jesus. This is also the key place where he deals with Paul's treatment of women, pointing to his close associations with women throughout his ministry and the active ministry roles they shared with him. Secondly he deals with the stark divide many perceive between old and new creation in Paul, setting alongside this Paul's theology of progress and growth toward maturity in Christ.
His next two chapters give us a narrative of Paul's life covering his conversion, the "hidden years" and his missionary journeys. He suggests probable dates for different events and the provenance of different letters, while acknowledging scholarly difference on these issues.
In subsequent chapters, Thiselton gives concise overviews of Paul's contribution to our theology of the Trinity, of the nature of fallen and redeemed humanity, the work of Christ and the crucial Pauline insight of our union with Christ, his development of a theology of the church, the sacraments, Christian ethics, and the last things. He considers the present question of justification and the views of Luther, Dunn, and Wright, coming down with a synthesis of Luther and Wright.
The final chapter was probably of greatest interest as Thiselton considers the major figures of post-modernism in relation to Paul. A key insight not often discussed are the parallels between our time and Paul's in confronting pluralism, power, and meta-narratives.
Throughout, Thiselton is a model of concision, which may be frustrating for those looking for a more exhaustive treatment but just right for those struggling with their view of Paul and willing to consider a more nuanced view.
One of the first things Thiselton does is deal with two of the "deal-breakers" that would keep many from paying any further attention to Paul. The first is that he shows the continuity between Paul and Jesus in the grace he proclaimed that is also evident in both the parables and the gracious works of Jesus. This is also the key place where he deals with Paul's treatment of women, pointing to his close associations with women throughout his ministry and the active ministry roles they shared with him. Secondly he deals with the stark divide many perceive between old and new creation in Paul, setting alongside this Paul's theology of progress and growth toward maturity in Christ.
His next two chapters give us a narrative of Paul's life covering his conversion, the "hidden years" and his missionary journeys. He suggests probable dates for different events and the provenance of different letters, while acknowledging scholarly difference on these issues.
In subsequent chapters, Thiselton gives concise overviews of Paul's contribution to our theology of the Trinity, of the nature of fallen and redeemed humanity, the work of Christ and the crucial Pauline insight of our union with Christ, his development of a theology of the church, the sacraments, Christian ethics, and the last things. He considers the present question of justification and the views of Luther, Dunn, and Wright, coming down with a synthesis of Luther and Wright.
The final chapter was probably of greatest interest as Thiselton considers the major figures of post-modernism in relation to Paul. A key insight not often discussed are the parallels between our time and Paul's in confronting pluralism, power, and meta-narratives.
Throughout, Thiselton is a model of concision, which may be frustrating for those looking for a more exhaustive treatment but just right for those struggling with their view of Paul and willing to consider a more nuanced view.
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April 20, 2010The Living Paul
Subtitled, An Introduction to The Apostle's Life and Thought, this book lives up to its title.
Written by Anthony C. Thiselton, professor of Christian Theology at the University of Nottingham, The Living Paul will be a helpful addition to any Bible student's library.
The first four chapters deal with Paul as a person, preacher, writer, apostle, etc. and introduce us to the man.
The following chapters deal with Pauline thought. Referencing various theologians and various viewpoints time and again, this book seeks to draw from learned men for the purpose of presenting Paul to us, and has done a good job for a book that is an introduction.
What I appreciate the most of this book is the arrangement of it. While I appreciate its content, and benefit from it, the arrangement is very helpful. Not only does it provide a bibliography, but a good index. The arranging of the chapters is well done, too. One only need to go to the table of contents to determine where he shall find that aspect of Paul's thought he wishes to consider. In that sense this book is a mini encyclopedia of Pauline thought and doctrine.
Of special interest is the fact that the author deals with much modern thought as he deals with Pauline thought. The New Perspective on Paul is discussed as well as postmodernism. The latter shows how relevant Paul is to today's issues.
The con is that I believe there are many who would be put off by the fact that the author does not see Paul as a complementarian when it comes to the roles of men and women. While I think Paul was, I do not see this as a reason to reject the whole book.
The Living Paul will not only be a read-through-at-once book, but also a good reference book.
Subtitled, An Introduction to The Apostle's Life and Thought, this book lives up to its title.
Written by Anthony C. Thiselton, professor of Christian Theology at the University of Nottingham, The Living Paul will be a helpful addition to any Bible student's library.
The first four chapters deal with Paul as a person, preacher, writer, apostle, etc. and introduce us to the man.
The following chapters deal with Pauline thought. Referencing various theologians and various viewpoints time and again, this book seeks to draw from learned men for the purpose of presenting Paul to us, and has done a good job for a book that is an introduction.
What I appreciate the most of this book is the arrangement of it. While I appreciate its content, and benefit from it, the arrangement is very helpful. Not only does it provide a bibliography, but a good index. The arranging of the chapters is well done, too. One only need to go to the table of contents to determine where he shall find that aspect of Paul's thought he wishes to consider. In that sense this book is a mini encyclopedia of Pauline thought and doctrine.
Of special interest is the fact that the author deals with much modern thought as he deals with Pauline thought. The New Perspective on Paul is discussed as well as postmodernism. The latter shows how relevant Paul is to today's issues.
The con is that I believe there are many who would be put off by the fact that the author does not see Paul as a complementarian when it comes to the roles of men and women. While I think Paul was, I do not see this as a reason to reject the whole book.
The Living Paul will not only be a read-through-at-once book, but also a good reference book.
May 3, 2018
This book starts out with a couple chapters on the Apostles' life, his travels, and the letters he wrote to the churches; which included 1st and 2nd Corinthians, Galatians, Romans, 1st and 2nd Timothy, and Titus. This book also talks about his conversion from Judaism to believing in Christ. It accounts for his time as a Pharisee, his education as a Pharisee, and it also talks about how he was martyred in Rome. The book then goes on to talk about a pretty broad overview of his theology. It talks about his views on sin, the Trinity, and his most well-known teaching on the justification by faith, which was also later rediscovered by Martin Luther during the [Lutheran] Reformation.
This book was very well written and a very interesting read. I had to read this as part of a school assignment, and I was expecting a very dry textbook like you'd normally see in a theology course; but no, this was actually written in more of a story-type tone, and it wasn't dry. The author gave Biblical support for all the claims it made; sighting verses in every chapter. This would be a great book for anybody who wants to learn, not just about Biblical teaching, but also about Paul and a very simple overview of his overall views on theology. I really enjoyed this book, and I give it 5 stars.
This book was very well written and a very interesting read. I had to read this as part of a school assignment, and I was expecting a very dry textbook like you'd normally see in a theology course; but no, this was actually written in more of a story-type tone, and it wasn't dry. The author gave Biblical support for all the claims it made; sighting verses in every chapter. This would be a great book for anybody who wants to learn, not just about Biblical teaching, but also about Paul and a very simple overview of his overall views on theology. I really enjoyed this book, and I give it 5 stars.
February 20, 2014
Compact and full of life. While not as narrow as Sander's, Thiselton is more able to, as it were, get us inside Paul's head.
April 23, 2020
Honestly, I had a hard time finishing the book. It is meant as a primer of Pauline thought and theology, and therefore isn't a systematic theology, nor truly a commentary. Each chapter presents a study of Paul, his letters, or summarizes Pauline thought on a particular subject such as the nature of the Trinity. Due to this structure, each chapter is somewhat self-contained, but it means that it can be challenging to find an overall message or concept that defines the book.
An essential element to the book is its response to scholars of the 'New Perspective' and what Thiselton calls 'value-neutral' historians. Thiselton disagrees with those who hold to the New Perspective, and he offers an objective and thoughtful summary of their arguments while presenting his rationale against them. This material is presented succinctly in chapter 11 concerning justification by faith, which is the source of much of the controversy surrounding New Perspective scholars.
I found the most exciting chapter to be the last, which summarizes various postmodern interpretations of Pauline thought and Thiselton's disagreement with them. It also includes hypothetical Pauline counterarguments to postmodernity, which Thiselton argues is not solely an intellectual movement confined to a particular era, but a mood present throughout the ages. Despite my mixed feelings for the book, I agree with Thiselton's take on postmodernism and second his idea that the cross will outlive the cynicism of our age, and Paul's voice will inspire through the ages.
An essential element to the book is its response to scholars of the 'New Perspective' and what Thiselton calls 'value-neutral' historians. Thiselton disagrees with those who hold to the New Perspective, and he offers an objective and thoughtful summary of their arguments while presenting his rationale against them. This material is presented succinctly in chapter 11 concerning justification by faith, which is the source of much of the controversy surrounding New Perspective scholars.
I found the most exciting chapter to be the last, which summarizes various postmodern interpretations of Pauline thought and Thiselton's disagreement with them. It also includes hypothetical Pauline counterarguments to postmodernity, which Thiselton argues is not solely an intellectual movement confined to a particular era, but a mood present throughout the ages. Despite my mixed feelings for the book, I agree with Thiselton's take on postmodernism and second his idea that the cross will outlive the cynicism of our age, and Paul's voice will inspire through the ages.
November 17, 2017
Excellent book on understanding Pauling Theology better!
June 16, 2024
Good introduction to Paul and his letters. Thiselton also adds helpful layers of social-scientific research to his presentation. Great book!
August 30, 2016
Not the best book about Paul that I've read and not the worst. Just average.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews