The First Paul

The First Paul: Reclaiming the Radical Visionary Behind the Church's Conservative Icon

“Borg and Crossan reveal a figure who, besides being neither anti-Semitic, anti-sex, nor misogynist, stresses social and political equality among Christians and between them and others. A refreshing and heartening exculpation of a still routinely maligned figure of the first importance to culture and civilization.” — Booklist (starred review)
John Dominic Crossan and Marcus J. Borg—two of the world’s top-selling Christian scholars and the bestselling authors of The Last Week and The First Christmas—once again shake up the status quo by arguing that the message of the apostle Paul, considered by many to be the second most important figure in Christianity, has been domesticated by the church. Borg and Crossan turn the common perception of Paul on its head, revealing him as a radical follower of Jesus whose core message is still relevant today.
"PAUL IS SECOND ONLY TO JESUS as the most important person in the origins of Christianity. Yet he is not universally well regarded, even among Christians. Some find him appealing, and others find him appalling; some aren’t sure what to think of him, and others know little about him. The cover of Newsweek for May 6, 2002, asked, “What Would Jesus Do?” The story inside referred to Paul as well, citing passages attributed to him on slavery, anti-Semitism, misogyny, and heterosexism: The Biblical defense of slavery is: “Slaves, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, in singleness of heart as you obey Christ,” writes Saint Paul. Anti-Semitism was long justified by passages like this one from I Thessalonians: the Jews “killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets.” And the subjugation of women had a foundation in I Timothy: “As in all the churches of the saints, women should be silent in the churches.... If there is anything they desire to know, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church.” And yet in each case, enlightened people have moved on from the worldview such passages express...."