Books from the In Brief series of Books for Busy People
Books from the In Brief series of Books for Busy People
Lecturer, and author of the In Brief series of Books for Busy People
Lecturer, and author of the In Brief series of Books for Busy People
Lecturer, and author of the In Brief series of Books for Busy People
It is often said that without Paul the Apostle there would have been no Christian Church. Certainly it was Paul who took the message of Christ beyond the region of Palestine to the Gentiles of Asia Minor and it was Paul who established the first Churches across Anatolia and beyond, into the Greek Peninsula. It is therefore arguable that if it had not been for Paul, the Church would not have become the worldwide Faith that it is today.
It is also arguable that without the structure of the Roman Empire of the First Century, the early Church would not have spread as it did.
This book places Paul in his historical context; the Graeco-Roman world of the Pax Romana.
-
Part One of the book explains how the Eastern Mediterranean came to be Greek in culture but Roman in government.
-
Part Two looks at the life of a Jew or early Christian at that time, living under Roman rule.
-
Part Three follows the life of Paul; a Roman Citizen, an urban, well-educated Jew of the Diaspora; born in Tarsus, which was then a prosperous and cosmopolitan port city.
This is not another Biblical study on the life of St Paul, or a work of Christian apologetics. Rather it looks at the radical Jew of the First Century who challenged the status quo. He was a man who faced both the hostility of the Jews and the might of the Roman Empire.
Including some useful maps, it is short and accessible and should appeal to the general reader who wants to learn about the man Paul of Tarsus: a First Century Radical, from a historical perspective rather than the more usual avenue, through Scripture.
Very brief but comprehensive in its own way. Gives an overview of the political, and cultural, world of the first century Roman Empire and how St Paul fits in to the bigger picture . January 2016
This is an informative book with real insight into the historical basis, the person of Paul and his influence in the context of the early Christian church. Its clarity would appeal to those with or without pre-knowledge. It is clear and easy to read making it accessible. May 2014
Anne Davison has produced a splendid, succinct, overview of the remarkable life of Paul of Tarsus. Providing a cleverly summarised account of the history of the whole Mediterranean area, leading up to the emergence of Paul and continuing with the story of his quite extraordinary life as it unfolded. A highly recommended read for anyone interested in clear and unbiased facts of a man who, unknowingly, would shape the world for the next two millennia. October
2013