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A review by nate_meyers
Paul: A Biography by N.T. Wright
5.0
"It is no accident that many of the acknowledged great moments in church history--think of Augustine, Luther, Barth--have come about through fresh engagement with Paul's work. Even those who think that those great men too partially misunderstood Paul will acknowledge the point. Paul had insisted that what mattered was not just what you thought but how you thought. He modeled what he advocated, and generation after generation has learned how to think in the new way by struggling to think his thoughts after him. His legacy has continually generated fresh dividends. It is a challenge that keeps on challenging." -p.420
In "Paul," N.T. Wright takes his decades of study on the New Testament and on Paul and writes a biography of Paul for the lay audience. The result is brilliant, a book I couldn't put down. I learned a tremendous amount, and particularly enjoyed it for these three reasons.
1. This book makes Paul incredibly accessible. Paul was a unique individual; at once a learned scholar versed in multiple languages and cultures and gifted as a writer, a salt-of-the-earth tradesman who used his tent-making craft to support his missionary journeys, and someone so convicted in his beliefs he endured repeated imprisonment, shipwreck, whipping, stoning, and other persecution. His personality was both bold, he was not one to shy away from confrontation, and vulnerable, he had a deep heart for his friends and the churches he was guiding.
2. Wright weaves Paul's letters into Paul's chronological journeys as told in Acts. It was very illuminating to learn the context for each of Paul's letters and understand the particular message he was trying to convey with each of them. The last chapter of the book, "The Challenge of Paul," is a masterclass in conclusions and in tying together all the parts of Paul's journey and character.
3. Pick any one of Paul's letters and you'll easily find scholarly disagreement about various particulars. Wright does a great job of acknowledging these disagreements, while stating his own theory and support for the theory.
Read this book.
In "Paul," N.T. Wright takes his decades of study on the New Testament and on Paul and writes a biography of Paul for the lay audience. The result is brilliant, a book I couldn't put down. I learned a tremendous amount, and particularly enjoyed it for these three reasons.
1. This book makes Paul incredibly accessible. Paul was a unique individual; at once a learned scholar versed in multiple languages and cultures and gifted as a writer, a salt-of-the-earth tradesman who used his tent-making craft to support his missionary journeys, and someone so convicted in his beliefs he endured repeated imprisonment, shipwreck, whipping, stoning, and other persecution. His personality was both bold, he was not one to shy away from confrontation, and vulnerable, he had a deep heart for his friends and the churches he was guiding.
2. Wright weaves Paul's letters into Paul's chronological journeys as told in Acts. It was very illuminating to learn the context for each of Paul's letters and understand the particular message he was trying to convey with each of them. The last chapter of the book, "The Challenge of Paul," is a masterclass in conclusions and in tying together all the parts of Paul's journey and character.
3. Pick any one of Paul's letters and you'll easily find scholarly disagreement about various particulars. Wright does a great job of acknowledging these disagreements, while stating his own theory and support for the theory.
Read this book.