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With nearly one million copies
printed worldwide since 1996, Walter Wangerin Jr. and his critically acclaimed,
award-winning narrative, The Book of God, have helped readers
around the world find fresh perspective on the Bible. Now Wangerin’s long-awaited second volume of scripture-based
narrative is giving readers a new vision of the Apostle Paul in a novel
entitled Paul: A Novel (Zondervan, August 2000). Wangerin’s carefully researched, vivid
volume gives flesh and blood, passion and reason to this
Pharisee-turned-Apostle whose ancient letters still instruct Christians around
the globe.
Paul: A Novel plunges readers
into the world and culture of the early church, revealing the challenges Jesus’
followers experienced after His ascension.
Persecution from Jewish leaders was just one concern of the early
Christians; they were also debating the validity of gentile conversion, the
place of Torah since Messiah had come, and who should wear the mantle of
authority in defining doctrine and morality.
So when Saul, one of the persecutors, joins their ranks through a
miraculous conversion, church leaders are concerned he will fan the flames of
violent debate. While revealing the
layers of Paul’s complex life and relationships, Wangerin opens readers’ senses
to the sights, sounds, and emotion that filled the streets of Jerusalem in that
day.
Wangerin’s signature talent for
creating unforgettable characters through vivid detail and rich emotion is
again revealed in his portrait of Paul.
Against the backdrop of an increasingly tyrannical Roman Empire,
Wangerin weaves a
--more--
Paul: A Novel/page two
tapestry
of historical fact and human drama that unfolds as the biography of the Apostle
Paul. Readers will read scripture with
renewed understanding and deeper interest once they have viewed Paul as a
friend, a brother, a single-minded leader, and a flawed, scarred defender of
the Gospel. Readers will see Paul’s New
Testament epistles as they were intended: letters from a friend.
Paul: A Novel is divided into
chapters that issue from several of Paul’s acquaintances, including Prisca and
Aquila, James, Timothy, Barnabas, Luke and Jude. Their voices describe Paul
from myriad perspectives, simultaneously adding their personal emotions and
stories to the apostle’s biography.
These unique chapters recount the major events in Paul’s life, such as:
·
The stoning of
Stephen during Paul’s days as a zealous Pharisee
·
The life-changing
revelation of Jesus on the road to Damascus
·
The disappointing
division between Barnabas and Paul
·
Timothy’s conversion
and travels with his gentile-loving friend
·
The continuing
clash with church leaders who subjected gentile believers to the keeping of
Torah
·
The tortuous
debates over old tradition and new freedom that rocked the church leaders
·
The friendship and
sacrifice of fellow craftsmen Prisca and Aquila
·
The electric
confrontation with false teachers in Corinth
·
The inevitable
arrest and imprisonment of the aging apostle
Walter Wangerin Jr. is a master storyteller, dramatic performer and an
award-winning writer who has written nearly thirty books for children and
adults. He currently holds the Jochum
Chair at Valparaiso University in Indiana where his is writer-in-residence and
a professor of writing and literature.
His award-winning The Book of God has nearly one million copies
in print since 1996. Some of his most
well-known fans include authors such as Phillip Yancey, Eugene Peterson, and
Leonard Sweet.
# # #
By Walter Wangerin Jr.
Available August 2000
ISBN: 0-310-21892-6
$22.99, hardcover, 512 pages