Paul: A Critical Life

Here Jerome Murphy-O'Connor presents a completely new, and much more vivid and dramatic account of the life of Paul than has ever previously been attempted. From his childhood in Tarsus and his years as a student in Jerusalem to the successes and failures of his ministry, this biography has no peer in terms of its detailed reconstructions of Paul's movements and motives. Traditionally, the Acts of the Apostles has provided the framework for the lives of Paul. In recent years, however, the historical value of the Acts has been called into question. Despite the accuracy of many details, they have been linked in ways which reflect the interests of Luke rather than objective reality. Critical assessment is called for if they are to be incorporated into a life of Paul. The prime source for a reconstruction of the Apostle's life must be his own writings. Recent advances in the study of the letters have brought to light new depths which enables them to be used for biographical purposes. The originality of this book lies in the combination of these two approaches, which are reinforced by close attention to the social and cultural aspects of Paul's ministry as revealed by archaeology and contemporary texts--and it transforms a fountain of theological ideas into a human being.

Table of Contents:
Available

About the Author :
Jerome Murphy-O'Connor is Professor of New Testament at the Ecole Biblique et Archeologique Francaise, Jerusalem.

Review :
`Specialists will undoubtedly challenge some aspects of this book's detailed and dense argumentation; but it presents a coherently argued whole which needs to be taken seriously. I suspect it may well become a standard treatment of its topic.' Ruth B. Edwards, Theology `Specialists will undoubtedly challenge some aspects of this book's detailed and dense argumentation; but it presents a coherently argued whole which needs to be taken seriously. I suspect it may well become a standard treatment of its topic.' Ruth B. Edwards, Theology, March '97 `He is extremely well read, and he knows a lot about the archaeology and social background to the New Testament, more perhaps than his predecessors did. He has a lively mind which probes questions ignored by some of them. Murphy-O'Connor is learned, and there is no conclusion for which he does not put a reasoned argument.' Times Literary Supplement `a very detailed account of Paul's life, interspersed with discussions of the more important features of the letters' Philip F. Esler, University of St Andrews, The Expository Times `J Murphy O'Connor has written a life of Paul which is vivid, full of insights, sometimes speculative but always clear. ... The book is full of detail which is both informative and clearly up to date. His approach is always plausible. ... This book makes a valuable and important contribution to studies of Paul. It is detailed, carefully argued, often provocative, sometimes surprising ... but always worth reading, whether to gain an overview of the apostle or to understand more deeply his life, ministry and thought.' Church of England Newspaper, 22 August 1997 `Genuinely Modern' TLS `A detailed but readable biography of the apostle Paul by a leading scholar, informed by recent research and laudably precise about chronology and geography..This should not be the first biography of Paul that one reads, but all specialists will need to reckon with it.' Religious Studies