The First Paul

Reclaiming the Radical Visionary Behind the Church's Conservative Icon

De: Marcus J. Borg, John Dominic Crossan

Narrado por: Mel Foster

Paul is second only to Jesus as the most important person in the birth of Christianity, and yet he continues to be controversial, even among Christians. How could the letters of Paul be used both to inspire radical grace and to endorse systems of oppression - condoning slavery, subordinating women, condemning homosexual behavior?

Borg and Crossan use the best of biblical and historical scholarship to explain the reasons for Paul's mixed reputation and reveal to us what scholars have known for decades: that the later letters of Paul were created by the early church to dilute Paul's egalitarian message and transform him into something more "acceptable." They argue there are actually "Three Pauls" in the New Testament: "The Radical Paul" (of the seven genuine letters), "The Conservative Paul" (of the three disputed epistles), and "The Reactionary Paul" (of the three inauthentic letters). By closely examining this progression of Paul's letters - from the authentic to the inauthentic - the authors show how the apostle was slowly but steadily "deradicalized" to fit Roman social norms in regards to slavery, patriarchy, and patronage. In truth, Paul was an appealing apostle of Jesus whose vision of life "in Christ" - one of his favored phrases - is remarkably faithful to the message of Jesus himself.

©2009 Marcus J. Borg and John Dominic Crossan (P)2019 Tantor

What a relief!

Being raised in a conservative, fundamentalist, evangelical church which unflinchingly insisted on inerrancy of the Bible and substitutionary atonement, Paul’s writings were quoted constantly. I have evolved beliefs that are very much more liberal, left behind a fundamentalist understanding and finding my true self a liberal Episcopalian. Over the years I became increasingly suspicious of Paul’s more conservative passages. Clearly Jesus was a radical teacher but Paul’s writing seemed, at times, antithetical to the radical society changing message of Jesus. What a relief to find that Christ and the original St. Paul were playing from the same play book after all.

Great book! Must read for any believer.

Absolutely necessary reading to truly understand Paul. It his core he was a Jewish Jesus Mystic.

An all about masterpiece

John Dominic Crossan is the greatest living Christian thinker of our time, and his duet with Marcus J. Borg here is thought provoking, theologically engaging, and unafraid to take a critical look at the reality on the ground. So much is made from the timing of the letters, the places they were aimed towards, and the ways in which the concept of Paul adapted for the times. Fantastic read, I only wish the voice over was more engaging to me. Crossan has a great voice, and you can intuit his emphasis from his writing if you have heard him speak, but I don't think the voice over always matches his cadence. (Not to disparage them either- there is nothing subpar about it, jut not to my personal taste)

Amazing in depth coverage

These two authors never miss! Outstanding of Paul’s life, phases of his transformation and writings. This is a work which needs to be studied not just once read or listened.

A Redeemed and Glorious Paul

A shining, intelligent and important presentation of "the least of the apostles" - this book aided in my reclaiming and redeeming of Paul from the ugly and conservative traditions of my childhood and my misguided people.