Paul

A Biography

By: N. T. Wright

Narrated by: James Langton

In this definitive biography, renowned Bible scholar, Anglican bishop, and bestselling author N. T. Wright offers a radical look at the apostle Paul, illuminating the humanity and remarkable achievements of this intellectual who invented Christian theology—transforming a faith and changing the world.

For centuries, Paul, the apostle who "saw the light on the Road to Damascus" and made a miraculous conversion from zealous Pharisee persecutor to devoted follower of Christ, has been one of the church’s most widely cited saints. While his influence on Christianity has been profound, N. T. Wright argues that Bible scholars and pastors have focused so much attention on Paul’s letters and theology that they have too often overlooked the essence of the man’s life and the extreme unlikelihood of what he achieved.

To Wright, "The problem is that Paul is central to any understanding of earliest Christianity, yet Paul was a Jew; for many generations Christians of all kinds have struggled to put this together." Wright contends that our knowledge of Paul and appreciation for his legacy cannot be complete without an understanding of his Jewish heritage. Giving us a thoughtful, in-depth exploration of the human and intellectual drama that shaped Paul, Wright provides greater clarity of the apostle’s writings, thoughts, and ideas and helps us see them in a fresh, innovative way.

Paul is a compelling modern biography that reveals the apostle’s greater role in Christian history—as an inventor of new paradigms for how we understand Jesus and what he accomplished—and celebrates his stature as one of the most effective and influential intellectuals in human history.

Fine Narration

Wright’s work needs no introduction, but Langston’s fine narration also deserves credit. He perfectly captures Wright’s brand of scholarly prose with occasional first-person digressions and handles theological terminology and Greek and Latin quotations with aplomb. First rate performance.

Impact

Wright presented Paul and I tasted Christ. Plausible reasoning about how Paul’s genius and energy helped the story of Jesus as Messiah of Israel take hold across the Roman Empire as

Loved it!

I know we won’t ever truly get to know who Paul was, but NT Wright did a great job of doing this.

For years, I have read his various epistles and have certainly grown and learnt from them, but just having his epistles is probably the equivalent of internet dating. You only see what the person you’re talking to wants you to see.

NT Wright, with his wonderful research of this historical period allows the reader to almost catch a real life glimpse of who this remarkable man was. I say almost, because no one alive, has met him and we can only glean from what historical knowledge we have.

Well done to both author and narrator.

Zeal

Fascinating and well-thought out, chronological description of Paul's life and journey. I learned so much about his legacy and roots and how his zealous nature towards his tradition, struck with the events with the Spirit, evolved into his missions abroad. N.T. Wright also highlights the human aspect of Paul - his anxiety, self-doubt as well as the trials and tribulations that he later faces in life.

wonderful read for the curious Christian

wonderfully read with lot of historical context as to the life of Paul and his writings that comprise a majority of the new Testement