The First Paul: Reclaiming the Radical Visionary Behind the Church's Conservative Icon

"Borg and Crossan reveal a figure who, besides being neither anti-Semitic, anti-sex, nor misogynist, stresses social and political equality among Christians and between them and others. A refreshing and heartening exculpation of a still routinely maligned figure of the first importance to culture and civilization." -- Booklist (starred review) John Dominic Crossan and Marcus J. Borg--two of the world's top-selling Christian scholars and the bestselling authors of The Last Week and The First Christmas--once again shake up the status quo by arguing that the message of the apostle Paul, considered by many to be the second most important figure in Christianity, has been domesticated by the church. Borg and Crossan turn the common perception of Paul on its head, revealing him as a radical follower of Jesus whose core message is still relevant today.

About the Author :
Marcus J. Borg (1942-2015) was a pioneering author and teacher whom the New York Times described as "a leading figure in his generation of Jesus scholars." He was the Hundere Distinguished Professor of Religion and Culture at Oregon State University and canon theologian at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in Portland, and he appeared on NBC's The Today Show and Dateline, ABC's World News, and NPR's Fresh Air. His books have sold over a million copies, including the bestselling Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time, Reading the Bible Again for the First Time, Jesus, The Heart of Christianity, Evolution of the Word, Speaking Christian, and Convictions. John Dominic Crossan, professor emeritus at DePaul University, is widely regarded as the foremost historical Jesus scholar of our time. He is the author of several bestselling books, including The Historical Jesus, How to Read the Bible and Still Be a Christian, God and Empire, Jesus: A Revolutionary Biography, The Greatest Prayer, The Last Week, and The Power of Parable. He lives in Minneola, Florida.

Review :
"A growing number of new evangelical leaders value the major themes in their biblical research. That's because their central theme--based on their life-long research into biblical texts and long periods working on the ground in the Middle East--is that the Bible's message is full of great hope for our dangerous world today." - Read the Spirit "Widely perceived as the founder of Christianity and an enduringly controversial figure, Paul is often seen today by the church as a conservative icon. But many others see him as an offensive figure, given his views on women, homosexuality, and slavery. Borg and Crossan paint a different picture of the apostle. In this scholarly and engaging account, Paul is situated firmly in his firstcentury context and portrayed against the backdrop of history as a revolutionary figure who chose the way of Jesus as a countercultural alternative over the way of the Roman empire. Through the lens of history, Borg and Crossan transform Paul's theology into a mystical experience with the risen Jesus and a reimagined form of Judaism that bears little resemblance to the modern stereotypes that often surround him. Borg and Crossan successfully argue that we must separate the genuine writings of the apostle from the writings attributed to him, which were in essence reactionary attempts to conceal Paul's radicalism to a later generation living comfortably in the midst of Roman imperial culture. VERDICT This well-researched and highly readable account is recommended for all students of Paul as well as interested lay readers." - Library Journal "In this scholarly and engaging account . . . Borg and Crossan successfully argue that we must separate the genuine writings of the apostle from the writings attributed to him . . . This well-researched and highly readable account is recommended for all students of Paul [and] interested lay readers."" - Library Journal 'We're seeing a more widespread, popular lay interest in Paul, ' says the Rev. Victor Paul Furnish, an eminent Pauline scholar and emeritus professor of New Testament at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. 'Indeed, next to Jesus, many consider the apostle Paul the second most important figure in Christianity.' - United Methodist Reporter "The apostle Paul has a mixed reputation. On the one hand, he's known as the quintisential Christian, the man who wrote almost half of the New Testament. On the other, he's long been read as misogynistic boor, urging slaves to obey their masters and wives to obey their husbands. Marcus Borg says we've got it all wrong, and reveals the crucial fact scholars have known for decades: many of Paul's letters were written by somebody else." - Interfaith Voices "A refreshing and heartening exculpation of a still routinely maligned figure of the first importance to culture and civilization." - Booklist (starred review) "Paul is one of the most controversial figures in Christian history--and one of the most misunderstood. . . . Many will be thrilled with this fresh, erudite portrait of the man." - Publishers Weekly