2007 Handbooks

Who was Paul? How did Paul describe himself? How did his contemporaries, friends, and enemies see him? What were the political forces at work in his day? What were the ethical boundaries in which he had to live and work? This unit seeks to answer some of these questions. It begins with some imaginary technology from contemporary culture to highlight the difference between describing the past through our perspective and context, and letting the past tell us about itself in its own words. This unit considers how to use the New Testament and other sources to reconstruct the life and ideas of Paul. Paul was surrounded by an intense power struggle between a wide range of social, political and religious forces. He confronted kings, religious leaders, and the general populace. He contested the marketplace of ideas. He addressed many political and ethical concerns in a world vastly different from ours. This unit seeks to contextualise his ideas and principles in our modern world.