Paul : his story / Jerome Murphy-O'Connor.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Murphy-O'Connor, J. (Jerome), 1935-2013.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Paul, the Apostle, Saint.

Christian saints--Biography.

Genre:

Biographies.

Physical Description:

xiii, 259 pages : maps ; 22 cm

Place of Publication:

Oxford ; New York : Oxford University Press, 2004.

Summary:

Who was Paul the Apostle? For someone who has exercised such a profound influence on Christian theology, Paul remains a shadowy figure behind the barrier of his complicated and difficult biblical letters. Debates about his meaning have deflected attention from his personality, yet his personality is an important key to understanding his theological ideas. This book redresses the balance. Jerome Murphy-O'Connor's disciplined imagination, nourished by a lifetime of research, shapes numerous textual, historical, and archaeological details into a colourful and enjoyable story of which Paul is the flawed but undefeated hero.

This chronological narrative offers new insights into Paul's intellectual, emotional, and religious development and puts his travels, mission, and theological ideas into a plausible biographical context. As he changes from an assimilated Jewish teenager in Tarsus to a competitive Pharisee in Jerusalem and then to a driven missionary of Christ, the sometimes contradictory components of Paul's complex personality emerge from the way he interacts with people and problems. His theology was forged in dialogue and becomes more intelligible as our appreciation of his person deepens. In Jerome Murphy-O'Connor's engaging biography, the Apostle comes to life as a complex, intensely human individual.

Contents:

1 The Early Years 1

Galilee 2

Tarsus 3

Going up to Jerusalem 7

A City Set on a Mountain 9

A Pharisee in the Holy City 11

Did Paul meet Jesus in Jerusalem? 15

Confrontation with Christianity 16

2 Conversion and Its Consequences 20

Recognizing the Unrecognizable 21

A Pharisee's Knowledge of Jesus 22

Encounter with the Risen Lord 23

Mission in Arabia 25

Three Years in Damascus 27

Learning a Trade 28

A Hurried Departure 31

Peter and Jesus 32

A Messiah who should not have Died 34

3 Apprenticeship in Antioch 38

The Third City of the Empire 39

A Mixed Community 41

Missions from Antioch 44

A Traveller in a Strange Land 48

4 A Journey into Europe 54

An Unexpected Visit to the Celts 56

To the West and Europe 61

The First Sea Journey 63

Partnership at Philippi 65

Missionary Strategy 70

Labour in Thessalonica 72

5 South to Achaia 76

Anxiety in Athens 76

Corinth the Crossroads 79

The First-fruits of Achaia 85

Correspondence with Thessalonica 90

Financial Matters 93

A Crucial Date 95

6 Antioch and Jerusalem 97

A Law-free Mission 98

A Meeting in Jerusalem 101

Trouble at Antioch 107

Farewell to Antioch 111

7 The First Year in Ephesus 120

A Return Visit to Pessinus 120

Ephesus 122

Crisis in Galatia 129

A Sophisticated Strategy 132

8 The Second Year in Ephesus 139

Imprisonment 139

A Mistimed Gift 143

The Weaknesses of a Pastor 144

Trouble at Colossae 147

A Pastor at his Best 151

Future Plans 155

9 Conversations with Corinth 158

Situation Reports on Corinth 159

First Corinthians 163

An Unplanned Visit to Corinth 167

Faithful Macedonia 170

10 Macedonia and Illyricum 173

An Emergency Plan 173

The Report of Titus 175

A Carefully Crafted Letter 179

Missionary in Illyricum 186

Bad News from Corinth 188

A Furious Response 189

11 Farewell to the East 193

Planning for the Future 194

Decisions on Tactics 197

A Letter to Rome 199

Journey to Jerusalem 205

Reception in Jerusalem 212

In Roman Custody 215

12 The Final Years 218

A Mission to Spain 218

Return to Illyricum 220

Macedonia and Asia 222

A Problem in Ephesus 223

A Fateful Journey to Rome 225

Back in a Roman Gaol 228

Sentence of Death 233.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages [240]-[251]) and index.

ISBN:

0199266530

OCLC:

54930368