Paul: A Biography

Prof. N.T. Wright guides students toward a thorough grasp of the apostle Paul's lasting role in Christian history.

What you'll learn

Students will have a thorough knowledge of the apostle Paul's background.
Students will gain an understanding of how and why Paul wrote the things he wrote.
Students will be able to explain why Paul's writing and thinking are so important for today's society.
Students will discern the importance of historical pursuit as part of New Testament studies.

Requirements

Students should have a hunger to learn more about the apostle Paul, author of many letters in the New Testament.
Students should be ready to engage in theological thinking with other students and through interaction with the instructors.
Students should acquire the textbook, Paul: A Biography by Prof. N.T. Wright (optional).
Students should be eager to learn about the history and background of the apostle Paul.

Description

N. T. Wright's definitive biography of Paul reveals the apostle's lasting role in Christian history as an inventor of new paradigms for how we understand Jesus and what he accomplished. Wright celebrates
Paul’s stature as one of the most effective and influential intellectuals in human history, while shedding fresh light on his writings, thoughts, and ideas. Consider these remarkable facts: Paul's writing occupy less than 90 pages in a modern translation yet they have, page per page, generated more sermons, books, monographs, and journal articles than any other writings from the ancient world.

This course endeavors to answer the questions:

How did this impact result from a man like Paul?
What was Paul doing and what did he think about why he was doing it?
How did someone with his background and upbringing end up speaking, traveling, and writing in the way he did?
What, exactly, happened on the road to Damascus that changed the course of Paul's life and the course of human history?

These and other questions are the focus of this comprehensive course.

Who this course is for:

Anyone interested in learning about the apostle Paul, one of the most influential writers in history.
Anyone interested in the New Testament and particularly the development of thought regarding Jesus during the early church period.