I posted this as a reference for Christians who tell me that they have encountered on many occasions, people who claim that Paul “invented” Christianity.
The basic idea is that Jesus taught a pure and ethical form of Judaism that focused on God and gracious living, while Paul developed a religion that worshiped Jesus rather than God.
Though this idea literally makes no sense historically, it’s gotten a lot of run. Even the occasional serious academic book “blames” Paul for perverting Jesus’ message in inventing Christianity.
Hence, this article.
The last time I ever heard of the Pauline theology, or the gospel of Paul was in the 70’s ... mid 80’s
On the other hand, there is Hyam Maccoby’s “Revolution In Judaea: Jesus and The Jewish Resistance” which gives a fairly strident Jewish perspective on the issue.
Whenever I read assertions that Saul of Tarsus invented Christian doctrine, I am apPauled...
S&A: “I posted this as a reference for Christians who tell me that they have encountered on many occasions, people who claim that Paul “invented” Christianity.”
Thank you. Many years ago, in a spiritual chatroom, I ran into a person who called himself Christian, but excluded all of St. Paul’s letters from his version of the Bible. His arguments never made sense to me. And I rejected them.
He was the only person I’ve ever seen declare that “belief.”
Thanks for gathering so much material.
Paul referenced the Old Testament much more often than the teachings of Jesus. If anything, he should be accused of trying to keep early Christians close to Judaism.