Recommended Reading and Resources on St. Paul
This list is a revised and expanded version of the one found in the back of my book A Still More Excellent Way: How St. Paul Points Us to Jesus. These are all materials I’ve enjoyed and found helpful in deepening my understanding of who St. Paul was, and more importantly, who St. Paul is and what he’s saying to us today. —Joe Dureposnonfiction • fiction • videos • audio cds • internet
Hard Sayings of Paul
by Manfred R. Brauch; InterVarsity PressAny study of St. Paul will inevitably raise as many questions as it will answer. This book will help you gain a perspective on some of the more challenging statements St. Paul made.
The Collegeville Bible Commentary: New Testament; The Liturgical Press
I found my study of St. Paul greatly enhanced by this volume of commentary from some of the finest biblical scholars in the United States.
The Cambridge Companion to St. Paul
by James D. G. Dunn; Cambridge University PressThis volume features chapters written by many of the leading Pauline scholars of our time and is organized in a particularly helpful way.
The Gospel According to Paul: The Creative Genius Who Brought Jesus to the World
by Robin Griffith-Jones; HarperSanFranciscoThis is a rollicking, entertaining, oversized look at St. Paul. I really loved the author’s energy and passion. This is a highly rewarding book and a great starting place for learning about St. Paul.
Paul’s Prison Letters: Spiritual Commentaries on Paul’s Letters to Philemon, the Philippians, and the Colossians
by Daniel J. Harrington; New City Press
Meeting St. Paul Today: Understanding the Man, His Mission, and His Message
by Daniel J. Harrington; Loyola PressFr. Harrington, a Jesuit priest and scripture scholar, writes about St. Paul with authority and concision. His commentary on the prison letters will not only add greater context and understanding of your knowledge of St. Paul, but also open your heart to a deeper spiritual experience of the great apostle.
In Meeting St. Paul Today, Fr Harrington has created one of the best one volume introductions to St Paul for general readers.
Holman Bible Atlas: A Complete Guide to the Expansive Geography of Biblical History
by Thomas BriscoWhat a great resource this is! Not only are the maps and photos wonderful, the text itself is a highly readable and engaging narrative treatment of the Bible. This volume enhanced my understanding of every aspect of St. Paul’s travels and the development of the early Church.
The Gospel According to St. Paul: Meditations on His Life and Letters
by Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini, SJ; The Word Among Us PressA short volume of elegant meditations on the life and teachings of St Paul.
Paul: His Story
by Jerome Murphy-O’Connor; Oxford University PressThis is a wonderful, inspiring look at the life of St. Paul; highly recommended. An adaptation of Murphy-O’Connor’s academic work, Paul: A Critical Life for general readers.
Paul: A Very Short Introduction
by E. P. Sanders; Oxford University PressThis is part of a great series of brief, often brilliant, books by leading scholars on their topics of expertise. Sanders is among the most influential of our contemporary Pauline experts, and this little book is terrific.
The Apostle Paul: An Introduction to His Writings and Teaching
by Marion L. Soards; Paulist PressThis is an accessible textbook that serves as a solid introduction to the life, letters, and theology of St. Paul.
Reading the Letters of Saint Paul: Study, Reflection,and Prayer
by Carolyn Thomas, S.C.N.; Paulist PressAn excellent resource for introducing readers to the major themes and teachings of St Paul. It’s also very prayerfully arranged and terrific for devotional study.
What Paul Meant
by Garry Wills; VikingI love this book. The author’s insights into St. Paul are remarkable. This highly recommended work is small, but potent.
The Paul Quest: The Renewed Search for the Jew of Tarsus
by Ben Witherington, III; InterVarsity PressThe last three decades have brought immense new developments in understanding St. Paul and his world. This book offers a highly readable survey of those developments by a biblical scholar who writes successfully for a popular readership.
101 Questions & Answers on Paul
by Ronald D. Witherup; Paulist PressPart of the publisher’s series of Q&A formatted works by experts writing for a popular readership, this volume is a wonderful reference for quick access to the most important questions and themes about St Paul, his life and his letters. Highly recommended.
Saint Paul Called to Conversion
by Ronald D. Witherup; St Anthony Messenger PressFr Witherup, provincial superior of the U.s. Province of the Society of St. Sulpice is an excellent retreat master in this seven day retreat manual on St Paul. Perfect for personal devotion or small groups.
What Saint Paul Really Said: Was Paul of Tarsus the Real Founder of Christianity?
by N.T. Wright; W. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.Paul: In Fresh Perspective
by N.T. Wright; Fortress PressWright is perhaps the foremost Pauline scholar of the day and one of the leading contributors to the emerging and sometimes controversial “new perspectives” on St. Paul and his world. He is an engaging writer and generous thinker, often as charming as he is knowledgeable.
Apostle Paul: A Novel of the Man Who Brought Christianity to the Western World
by James Cannon; SteerforthA wonderful, though underappreciated, narrative fictional account of the life of St. Paul. I found this a captivating read, and the author is to be commended for his stunning re-creation of the world of St. Paul.
Life after God
by Douglas Coupland; Pocket BooksSpecial thanks to Douglas Coupland, whose book has nothing whatsoever to do with St. Paul but was definitely inspiration for my book on St. Paul. It was in this book I encountered one of the clearest modern statements of a St. Paul-like hunger for God—just stunning and brave.
Paul: A Novel
by Walter Wangerin; ZondervanImpressionistic, poetic, multi-voiced novel on the life of St. Paul, the book starts a little slow but soon picks up speed and delivers a powerfully emotional ending.
From Jesus to Christ: The First Christians
4 hours, 1998PBS documentary on the beginnings of Christianity, interesting background information, I enjoyed this but found myself disagreeing with several of the commentators throughout.
Paul the Apostle from The Bible Collection
directed by Roger Young, 180 minutes, 2004This German/Italian TV miniseries has an unnecessary bad-guy subplot and some hammy moments. But it also features several scenes from the life of St. Paul that are beautifully filmed and undeniably moving.
Peter and Paul
directed by Robert Day, 194 minutes, 1981This epic 1981 miniseries features a fiery performance by Anthony Hopkins as St. Paul. I felt this film caught much of the heartbreak St. Paul encountered and ultimately overcame.
The Story of the Twelve Apostles and The Story of Paul the Apostle, The Apostles Collection, Parts 1 and 2
66 minutes each, 2003Two solid documentaries produced for the History Channel and A&E with excellent Martin Sheen narration.
Empires: Peter & Paul and the Christian Revolution
110 minutes, 2003A fine PBS documentary on the beginnings of Christianity and its two most important apostles.
Paul: Contending for the Faith
by Stephen Ray, Ignatius Press, 90 minutes, 2004Adventurous bio/documentary with energetic host and narrator Stephen Ray going to the places St Paul lived and taught.
The Search for Paul
88 minutes, ABC News Presents, Peter Jennings Reporting, 2004.Peter Jennings is terrific in this documentary filmed in the footsteps of St. Paul. He also interviews many of the leading Pauline scholars. This is highly recommended.
Saint Paul: His Life, Faith and Writings
by Fr. Ronald D. Witherup, S.S., Ph.D., Now You Know MediaThis is a great audio presentation Fr. Witherup on St. Paul, it’s like taking a great course from a master teacher. Highly recommended.
Paul: In Fresh Perspective
by N.T. Wright, read by Simon Vance. Approximately 8 hours on 6 CDs. Hovel Audio, Inc. 2007This is an unabridged audio presentation of Wright’s thoughtful book. Listening to it seemed to open up my mind in ways different from reading the text. Together, the book and audio are a great introduction to one of the most formidable biblical scholars of our day.
Inspired by . . . the Bible Experience: The New Testament
18 CDs and 1 making-of DVD, Zondervan, 2007When I desired to hear St. Paul’s words brought to life with passion and poetry I was blessed to discover this extraordinary audio production, featuring Today’s New International Version of the Bible and the vocal talents of some of my favorite actors including Cuba Gooding Jr., Samuel L. Jackson, and Denzel Washington. This CD set also contains a number of devotional songs performed by top gospel choirs that create the feel of sitting in a joy-filled, African-American church on fire with the Holy Spirit.
The Paul Page is a great resource for keeping up on articles, papers, reviews, and announcements about Pauline studies.
nonfiction • fiction • videos • audio cds • internet
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