Conflicting Theology: Review of “Paul and Jesus” Part 1

Natural Spirituality - Loving Forum for Spiritual Harmony & Growth

Do you know why Paul may well be the most influential thinker in Western History? Perhaps exceeding Jesus himself?

Yes, I mean above even famous philosophers or political leaders.  Many Christians dispute that he is perhaps more influential than Jesus (or have never thought about it)! It is an unexpected and radical thought to many, Christian or not.  Certainly, it is because of Jesus and beliefs about him that Paul ended up being such an impacting figure.

Saint George Preca has been likened as a successor to Saint Paul’s evangelical work on the island of Malta. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Still, as to the upcoming review, let’s start here:  That Paul was indeed more influential than Jesus on the eventual shape of Christianity is the contention of Dr. James Tabor, author of Paul and Jesus: How the Apostle Transformed Christianity.  It’s not so much about comparative ratings but that…

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Conflicting Theology: Review of “Paul and Jesus” Part 2

Natural Spirituality - Loving Forum for Spiritual Harmony & Growth

This post is the continuation of a review of James D. Tabor’s Paul and Jesus: How the Apostle Transformed Christianity begun last week in my last post.  

Dr. Tabor is a decades-long scholar of the New Testament, an archaeologist and totally fascinated by the Apostle Paul and his influence.  He declares,

“… Paul became the most influential defining figure for later Christianity, even beyond the historical Jesus, but he is also a man waiting to be discovered, even after nearly two thousand years.  Paul transformed Jesus himself, with his message of a messianic kingdom of justice and peace on earth to the symbol of a religion of otherworldly salvation in a heavenly world.  Recovering the authentic Paul, as he was in his own time, and from his own words, is my task in this book.”

English: Ananias restoring the sight of Saint Paul (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

You know how…

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