Paul, the Apostle of Jesus Christ
Edited by Peter C. Hodgson
Translated by Robert F. Brown
Imprint: Cascade Books
Baur's Paul, the Apostle of Jesus Christ was the major study of Paul published in the nineteenth century, and it is one of the greatest works of all time on Paul. It lays the basis for modern Pauline scholarship. The first part, "The Life and Activity of the Apostle Paul," consists of a thoroughgoing deconstruction of the account of Paul found in the Acts of the Apostles. While the author of Acts passed on historical traditions about Paul, he greatly embellished them with stories about the miraculous feats of the apostles, and constructed the entire account to show fictitious parallels between the apostles Peter and Paul. The second part, "The Epistles of the Apostle Paul," is divided into three main sections: the authentic epistles of Paul (Galatians, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Romans), the deutero-Pauline epistles (Ephesians, Colossians, Philippians, Thessalonians, Philemon), and the Pastoral Epistles (1 and 2 Timothy, Titus). In the first two parts Baur's historical-critical skills are at their finest. The third part, "The Apostle's Theological Framework," draws the elements of Pauline theology into a magnificent synthesis, where the influence of Hegel and Schleiermacher is evident. The earlier English translation is no longer adequate. Our new translation presents a very readable text with critical annotations and translations of all the scriptural passages quoted in Greek. Baur on Paul truly becomes available in English for the first time.
Ferdinand Christian Baur (1792–1860) was Professor of Theology at the University of Tübingen and the greatest historical theologian of the nineteenth century, writing seminal studies in the history of religions, New Testament, church history, and history of doctrine.
Peter C. Hodgson is Charles G. Finney Professor of Theology Emeritus at the Divinity School of Vanderbilt University. He has specialized in works by Baur and Hegel, as well as in contemporary issues of constructive theology.
Robert F. Brown is Professor of Philosophy Emeritus at the University of Delaware. He has specialized in the history of philosophy and the philosophy of religion, with a focus on German idealism.
“The monumental retrieval of Baur through greatly improved (and some new) English translations reaches a high point in this edition of his 1845 Paul. His critical analysis of Acts has survived best, but the pioneer’s insights and mistakes about the shorter epistles both remain instructive, and his Hegel-influenced interpretation of Paul’s theology is still suggestive. Reflection on both the history of biblical interpretation and the place of philosophy in theological interpretation stand to be stimulated by this refurbished classic, again very helpfully introduced by Professor Hodgson.”
—Robert Morgan, University of Oxford
“F. C. Baur’s book on Paul is one of the classics of biblical scholarship and perhaps his best individual work. Peter Hodgson and Robert Brown are to be congratulated on this excellent new translation which provides readers of English with a reliable and elegant text.”
—Johannes Zachhuber, University of Oxford
“Brown and Hodgson’s fresh and deeply learned translation of Ferdinand Christian Baur’s masterpiece, Paul, the Apostle of Jesus Christ, invites—and permits—us to revisit Baur’s claim of the centrality of Paul’s conversion to the making of Gentile Christianity. It comes at just the right moment, when the meanings—and politics—of conversion, for persons and communities, are once again the focus of intense debate across the disciplines.”
—Christine Helmer, Northwestern University
“Ferdinand Christian Baur’s Paul is an outstanding milestone in modern New Testament scholarship. The editors provide a clear translation with helpful annotations. With their concise introduction, they give us much support to understand Baur’s interpretation of Paul’s theology. Baur deals with topics of Pauline theology that are still discussed today. The editors show us Baur as a great, critical, and contemporary Pauline exegete. The spirit of freedom in Baur’s book is revealed through this edition.”
—Christof Landmesser, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen
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