Paul, the Apostle of Christ

F.C. Baur'smonumental study Paul, the Apostle of Jesus Christ (1845) is one of thegreatest works of all time on the Apostle to the Gentiles. Laying the basis formodern Pauline scholarship, its three sections in turn thoroughly deconstructthe account of Paul found in Acts, examine the authentic, deuteron-Pauline andPastoral Epistles, and draw the various strands of Paul's thought into acohesive whole. In the first two parts Baur's historical-critical skills are attheir finest, while in the third the influence of Hegel and Schleiermacher canbe seen as Baur presents a comprehensive synthesis of Pauline theology.Since the originalnineteenth-century English translation of Baur's masterpiece is no longeradequate, Hodgson and Brown's new edition will serve as the definitive resourcefor future scholarship. They not only present a new translation of the German,but also provide critical annotations and translations of all the scripturalpassages originally quoted in Greek. Baur on Paul becomes truly available inEnglish for the first time. 

'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  

Ferdinand ChristianBaur (1792-1860) was Professor of Theology at the University of Tübingen andthe greatest historical theologian of the nineteenth century, writing seminalstudies in the history of religions, New Testament, church history, and historyof doctrine.Peter C. Hodgson isCharles G. Finney Professor of Theology Emeritus at the Divinity School ofVanderbilt University. He has specialized in works by Baur and Hegel, as wellas in contemporary issues of constructive theology.Robert F. Brown isProfessor of Philosophy Emeritus at the University of Delaware. He hasspecialized in the history of philosophy and the philosophy of religion, with afocus on German idealism.