Liberating Paul: The Justice of God and the Politics of the Apostles

National Catholic Reporter, March 24, 1995 by William C. Graham

In Liberating Paul: The Justice of God and the Politics of the Apostle (Orbis, 308 pages, $18.95 paperback), Neil Elliott writes for those who have found Paul a stumbling block in their attempt to follow Jesus in peace and justice. He is certain that what many experience as the scandal of Paul -- in discussions of war, domestic violence or economic injustice, for example is really the unfortunate consequence of the way Paul has often been read and misread in churches.

Elliot aims to show that traditional assumptions about Paul are, in fact, hotly debated by interpreters today. He wants to show how a new understanding of Paul, drawn from recent scholarship, can remove this obstacle.

He writes not just for the lay reader but for other scholars as well, convinced that Paul's legacy is more liberative than many have been led to think.

This study, both well written and well researched, is sure to engender much discussion.