The Apostle Paul and the Roman World

3 units

The letters of the apostle Paul now constitute a significant section of Christian Scripture in New Testament and are often read by Christians as timeless truths for proper lifestyle and belief. But what situations, questions, and controversies prompted Paul to write these letters in the first place? This course examines Paul's missionary activity in cities of ancient Mediterranean world, and how his views are shaped by the cultures in which he lived, including ancient Judaism and Greco-Roman society. We will study specific problems that Paul had to overcome in the course of his lifetime- such as competition from other missionaries, challenges to his credentials response as an apostle, even accusations of fraud- and how he formulated his own religious beliefs in response to these challenges. We will also look at the multicultural and cosmopolitan world of the ancient Mediterranean, and religious alternatives to Paul's churches such as the popular "mystery" religion of the Egyptian goddess Isis.