moorezw

I recently finished this book.

Crossan doesn't make any case for a connection between Jesus and Paul other than the similarity of their messages. In his "The Historical Jesus: Life of a Mediterranean Jewish Peasant," Crossan portrayed Jesus through the 'Kingdom of God' paradigm as a mystical counterpoint to Roman Imperialism in Judea. Likewise, Crossan paints Paul as advancing a 'Lordship of Christ' paradigm as a mystical counterpoint to the 'Lordship of Caesar' emporer-cult that permeated the Roman Empire at the time.

Crossan makes use of Reed's archaeological analysis to paint a picture of the culture throughout Asia Minor and Greece, to contextualize the words of Paul and provide support for his thesis.

It's an interesting read, and while I find myself to be skeptical of some of Crossan's conclusions, I can't help but wistfully admire the pictures he paints- I find myself almost liking Paul at the end of it.

BibleBelted

National Public Radio's Fresh Air has an interview with Crossan about this book. Here's a link:

Crossan interview on NPR