Who Made Early Christianity?: The Jewish Lives of the Apostle Paul

Gager, a professor of religion at Princeton, tackles the long-held belief that the apostle Paul was an anti-Jewish Christian in this scholarly and well-researched volume, part of a series of lectures under the direction of the American Academy of Religion. To support his claim that Paul was, in fact, a loyal Jew whose words have been misconstrued by an anti-Jewish Christian imagination, Gager paints a portrait of the social, religious, and historical milieu in which Paul lived. Beginning with Paul's writings, which until very recently have been viewed as Christianity's go-to text for anti-Jewish thought, Gager asserts that when Paul's letters are read in their appropriate context, a startlingly different image of Paul's agenda emerges. To accomplish this task, Gager presents a host of contemporary historians' opposing views and either validates or deconstructs them piece by piece, always with a strict adherence to facts and historical context. While some might argue with his interpretation of certain passages, Gager provides copious, informative footnotes to back up his points and provide outlets for further inquiry. His clear and thorough journey, taking scripture into account as well as other relevant texts and artifacts%E2%80%94including works by both Jewish and Christian historians%E2%80%94will engage and impress any student of Abrahamic history. (June)