Taking another look at Paul

Thanks to Mark Nanos for sending over this interesting article from the Kansas City Star

Taking another look at Paul
Researchers are clearing apostle's name of anti-Semitism associations
By BILL TAMMEUS

The article features quotations from John Gager, Lloyd Gaston and Mark Nanos and is surprisingly helpful for a journalistic piece. Good for Tammeus and the Kansas City Star. Anyone who makes an effort to communicate the results of recent New Testament scholarship in a reasonable and balanced way gets the thumbs up here.

"The dismal picture of Judaism in Christian history is drawn largely from a misreading of Paul's own letters," Gager says. "This anti-Jewish Paul has played an enormous role in the history of Christian dogma and practice." . . . .

. . . . "Eventually," Nanos says, "I hope that engaging each of the flashpoints that have been taken to demonstrate Paul against (Jewish) identity and behavior (will) show quite the opposite."

It will be important, he says, for Christians to understand that Paul's "struggle with his fellow Jews was engaged in from within Judaism, not from outside (and) not against … Jewish people who did not agree with him, but on their behalf."

There's another piece on Paul the same day (last Saturday) referenced by Bible and Interpretation. It appears in Roanoke.com:

Scholars defend St. Paul
Two new books consider the case against the apostle, often faulted for his views on slavery and women.
By Richard N. Ostling

No interviews here, but a mention of Tom Wright and then a summary of some of the views of Ben Witherington III.