Book contents
- The New Cambridge Companion to St. Paul
- Cambridge Companions to Religion
- The New Cambridge Companion to St. Paul
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Map
- Contributors
- Abbreviations
- Part I Paul, Letters and Communities
- Part II The Pauline Letter Collection
- Part III Paul’s Theological Discourse
- 9 What Did Paul Think Is Wrong in God’s World?
- 10 What Did Paul Think God Is Doing about What’s Wrong?
- 11 What Did Paul Think God Is Doing in Christian Communities?
- 12 How Did Paul Read Scripture?
- 13 Did Paul Abandon either Judaism or Monotheism?
- 14 Why Were People Attracted to Paul’s Good News?
- 15 How Was the Reception of Paul Shaped in the Early Church?
- 16 What Makes Paul Challenging Today?
- Bibliography
- Index of Biblical and Ancient Writings
- Index of Modern Scholars
- Cambridge Companions to Religion (continued from page iii)
- References
14 - Why Were People Attracted to Paul’s Good News?
from Part III - Paul’s Theological Discourse
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 19 June 2020
Edited by
Book contents
- The New Cambridge Companion to St. Paul
- Cambridge Companions to Religion
- The New Cambridge Companion to St. Paul
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Map
- Contributors
- Abbreviations
- Part I Paul, Letters and Communities
- Part II The Pauline Letter Collection
- Part III Paul’s Theological Discourse
- 9 What Did Paul Think Is Wrong in God’s World?
- 10 What Did Paul Think God Is Doing about What’s Wrong?
- 11 What Did Paul Think God Is Doing in Christian Communities?
- 12 How Did Paul Read Scripture?
- 13 Did Paul Abandon either Judaism or Monotheism?
- 14 Why Were People Attracted to Paul’s Good News?
- 15 How Was the Reception of Paul Shaped in the Early Church?
- 16 What Makes Paul Challenging Today?
- Bibliography
- Index of Biblical and Ancient Writings
- Index of Modern Scholars
- Cambridge Companions to Religion (continued from page iii)
- References
Summary
The possible reasons why people were attracted to Paul’s message have been rather neglected in Pauline studies but are important to consider. However, we need to approach the task cautiously and make careful comparisons, for various reasons, not least to avoid any presumptions of Christian superiority. Possible reasons for the appeal of Paul’s “good news” are considered, ranging from more theological or religious reasons, such as escape from divine wrath and mystical experience, to more personal and social ones, such as Paul’s charisma and zeal, and community meals and mutual support.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- The New Cambridge Companion to St. Paul , pp. 260 - 277Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2020
References
Further Reading
Beard, Mary, North, John, and Price, Simon. Religions of Rome: Vol 1: A History. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1998.Google Scholar
Bird, Michael F. Crossing over Sea and Land: Jewish Missionary Activity in the Second Temple Period. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2010.Google Scholar
Bremmer, Jan. Initiation into the Mysteries of the Ancient World. Berlin: De Gruyter, 2014.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Burkert, Walter. Ancient Mystery Cults. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1987.Google Scholar
Clauss, Manfred. The Roman Cult of Mithras: The God and His Mysteries. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2000.Google Scholar
Donaldson, Terence L. Judaism and the Gentiles: Jewish Patterns of Universalism (to 135 CE). Waco, TX: Baylor University Press, 2007.Google Scholar
Hurtado, Larry W. Why on Earth Did Anyone Become a Christian in the First Three Centuries. Milwaukee, WI: Marquette University Press, 2016.Google Scholar
Longenecker, Bruce W. Remember the Poor: Paul, Poverty, and the Greco-Roman World. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2010.Google Scholar
Meeks, Wayne A. The First Urban Christians: The Social World of the Apostle Paul. 2nd ed. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2003.Google Scholar
Meyer, Marvin W., ed. The Ancient Mysteries: A Sourcebook. San Francisco, CA: Harper and Row, 1987.Google Scholar
Mitchell, Stephen, and Van Nuffelen, Peter, eds. One God: Pagan Monotheism in the Roman Empire. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Turcan, Robert. The Gods of Ancient Rome: Religion in Everyday Life from Archaic to Imperial Times. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2000.Google Scholar
Wendt, Heidi. At the Temple Gates: The Religion of Freelance Experts in the Roman Empire. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2016.Google Scholar
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