Paul: The Man and the Myth
opens a window into the humanity of the most influential apostle of the early Christian church and, in doing so, offers a fresh view of this important historical figure. In examining the apostle and his theology, Calvin J. Roetzel vividly depicts Paul's world—the land where he grew up, the language he spoke, the Scriptures he studied, and the lessons he learned in letter-writing and rhetoric. Roetzel presents an evangelist anxious about the welfare of his churches, a theologian facing fierce opposition, a missionary at the mercy of the elements, and a man suffering physical assault, slander, and imprisonment. In contrast to the powerful hero described in Acts and the Apocryphal Acts, Roetzel's portrayal presents a physically weak, even sickly theologian, a letter-writer, and a preacher unskilled in speech. Questioning the historicity of widely held beliefs about the apostle—including his Roman citizenship—Roetzel suggests that Paul never abandoned ties to his native Judaism or to the Hellenistic culture of his childhood. Roetzel underscores that no matter how Paul's image has changed through history, he remains forever tied to support for the weak and vulnerable, faith in one God, and the transgressing of social boundaries.