Paul by Walter Wangerin Jr.

Paul Reviews

• 
  John

  Walter Wangerin Jr.'s novel is imaginative even though it relies heavily on biblical texts.
  He tells the story of the Apostle Paul through various eyes: Prisca, Timothy, Titus, Jude, James, Barnabas, Luke, Paul himself, the Roman philosopher Seneca (to provide the picture of what was going on in the empire at the time). For the most part, the Luke passages are direct quotations from Acts, and the Paul sections are quotations from his epistles. Portions of the other chapters also quote directly from his letters.
  I'm sure that Wangerin would hope people who read this novel also would be familiar with the New Testament so they can separate fact from fiction. There's nothing in the Bible, for example, about Prisca taking Paul's place in prison.
  Although reading "Paul" is certainly no substitute for reading the Bible, it did put flesh on the life of the great apostle for me. For example, it helped me get a better idea of why Paul might have sounded so testy in his letter to the Galatians. ("You foolish Galatians" ... "I wish those who are troubling you would even mutilate themselves.")
  Paul was a larger-than-life figure: great theologian, adventurer, traveler, church-planter, evangelist, writer. One of my favorite pastors commented that everywhere Paul went either a riot or a revival broke out. I suspect Paul was easy to love but not always easy to live with.
  No book could do more than scratch the surface of Paul, but Wangerin gives us a good scratch.
• 
  John Gardner

  Rarely have I encountered a book with such brilliant wordsmithing as this one. Wangerin, a Lutheran pastor and professor at Valparaiso University, is possibly the best storyteller I’ve ever read. Many times I re-read passages just to marvel at how beautifully written they were!
  
  “Paul” is a novelized version of the life of the apostle Paul, narrated by those who knew him, including Prisca, Luke, Timothy, James, Titus, and Barnabas. While obviously a work of fiction, Wangerin has done a lot of research into the geography, lifestyle, and political landscape of Paul’s time. While he has taken some artistic liberties in describing things left unsaid in Scripture (such as what specifically was the thorn in Paul’s flesh mentioned in 2 Corinthians 12:7), most of the “story” is taken directly from the Bible and historically reliable extra-Biblical accounts.
  
  Under most circumstances, I would frown on an attempt to write this sort of novel, but I believe Wangerin has done a masterful job. It’s important to realize that this book is NOT written by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, but it has greatly helped my understanding of the New Testament and the early Church seem much more “real”. Buy it
  here.
• 
  Chris Gager

  I picked this book up recently because of the subject matter. My older brother is a pretty famous scholar concentrating on the early stages of Christianity and the only book of his that I've read was "Reinventing Paul." I wondered how a nice, straightforward historical fiction account might flesh out Paul's life. So ... I started this book last night with high hopes for such an outcome but was so turned off by the goofy-giddy prose style of the author that I gave up pretty quickly. The author is a teacher of English and Theology/Religion at Valparaiso(Valpo to basketball fans) University in Indiana, a school with a strong Lutheran affiliation. I take it that the author is a true believer(of Christ's divinity) himself and that makes all the difference to me. In other words ... UGH! The true believer fanaticism comes through right from the git-go and is very off-putting(to me). Religionism has no appeal for me, so I will wind up now w/o making anybody unhappy. If you're looking for a straightforward and well-written(that means that the writing is good, as well as the story) account of a significant historical human being and his times this is NOT the book for you. If you don't care how bad(over-elaborate and flowery, with bits of Greek tossed in for no reason) the writing is then this will work. There are plenty of high ratings on G'reads(not that that means much, of course).
• 
  Mamabee

  I really wanted to like this book. I enjoy well-researched historical fiction, and I liked the idea of Paul's story told from multiple perspectives. It was just way too much, and so much of it was just odd.
  
  A more tightly edited book of 250-300 pages would have worked better. The author was clearly trying to use distinct voices for each narrator, but many of them ended up sounding clunky and unrealistic, with a lot of inconsistency in tone within narratives. "I lowered my looking" is just a weird way to say "I lowered my eyes," and it doesn't add anything to do this or the dozens of strange wordings like it.
  
  The friendship between Paul and Priscilla was uncomfortable to read from beginning to end. I am very sure the author meant no implication of romantic or sexual tension between them. But it's almost like it didn't occur to him that a reader even *could* think that, so he didn't steer clear of wording that could imply it to any reader with the worldliness of your average 8th grader. Having Priscilla be clearly enthralled with Paul in front of her husband (who is mostly described as nice, quiet, and with bad vision) is squicky, and the scene of her massaging the painful scar tissue on Paul's back, after dark, without her husband around - it takes a special kind of clueless to think that doesn't have some inappropriate overtones for a married woman and an apostle.
  
  I appreciate Wangerin's decision not to portray Paul as tall, handsome, with a beautiful speaking voice. But he went way, way too far with this. If I had to read about Paul's moist lips one more time I was going to start editing with my own pen. He is described dozens of times as being short and thin with a large head and skinny neck, thin arms and legs, bowlegged, with disfiguring scars on his head, tiny eyes, perpetually damp lips, and a loud, high, grating whine for a voice. The incessant descriptions of his high-pitched giggle and squealing laughter got really old - he came to seem like a caricature from a Lewis Carroll story after the hundredth derogatory description of his appearance and voice.
  
  It's too bad. There was a lot about the book that worked well and told a familiar story in a new way, but when every few pages something made me go "ewww, no", it got hard to keep my eye on the story.
• 
  Lee Harmon

  You may know Wangerin from The Book of the Dun Cow. I love Wangerin’s writing and I loved Paul. From the insatiable and inexplicable drive of the book’s hero, Paul of Tarsus, to the endearing antics of his biggest fan Titus, this is a captivating story in a fascinating era.
  
  Wangerin knows his Bible; that much is clear, yet he makes the Bible fun. When you grow up in a church atmosphere, Bible characters become legend, untouchable, bigger than life. This book brings them back to earth and gives them breath. Paul, especially, becomes human again. Love him or hate him, you will admire him and shake your head in wonder at his passion.
  
  Readers of my reviews know fiction is not my favorite. It has to be historical and well-researched, it has to be thought-provoking, and it has to be moving, for fiction to make the top shelf. This one has it all.
• 
  Patricia

  Fictional but based in Scripture and history. Brought St. Paul to life and showed the struggle of the early Christian church making its way after the ascension of Jesus. Interesting!
• 
  James Korsmo

  Paul comes to life! The well-known writer and Valparaiso professor Walter Wangerin lends his pen to this novelization of Paul's ministry years. Wangerin shows a thorough knowledge of the relevant scholarship, and especially of the New Testament text, as he weaves together the narratives in Acts and the relevant data from Paul's own letters to form a coherent story of Paul's post-conversion life. Starting with his journey to Damascus, we met Paul and a broad cast of characters that come alive off the pages of the New Testament. Paul is of course the focus of the book, and it is the compelling characterization that Wangerin gives him that makes this book work so well. Paul is a driven personality, captivated by Jesus Christ and single-minded in his pursuit of God's call.
  
  Wangerin does, I think, a good job of portraying some of the tensions that beset early Christianity, especially relating to questions of the Law and Jew-Gentile relations, portraying the relationship between Paul and James as a genuine but rocky friendship. He also brings out Paul's displeasure with the pronouncement of the Jerusalem council (Ac 15), asserting that Paul was deeply disappointed that they didn't go far enough in breaking down barriers.
  
  Paul is a well-written novel, and it follows nicely the outline of Acts. Wangerin also peppers Paul's speech with words right from his own letters, both enlivening the often familiar words and also keeping his characterization of Paul close to that found in the NT especially in Paul's own writings. There could of course be quibbles about various details large and small with regard to Paul and early Christianity (e.g., Wangerin relates Ac 15 to the visit Paul relates in Gal 2, certainly a legitimate interpretation, though not one I favor; or the depth of the rift between Paul and James), but these are certainly eclipsed by the value that comes with Wangerin's imaginative yet faithful writing.
• 
  Sara Joseph

  Sometimes it takes a book like this to remind me of what I already know. It is nothing short of incredible that the Bible has survived this long. It never ceases to amaze me how many times the truths that I hold dear today could so easily have been snuffed out. Political powers, raging tyrants, rules and regulations of governments, natural disasters, time, distance or language seem to have been no deterrent for what is ultimately a work of God. All aspects of the Bible, especially the New Testament could only have survived because of the Almighty hand of God ensuring that nothing that was vital for today's believer would be left out of the account.
  
  In Paul, the author vividly captured the times and all the forces that were at play, while a vulnerable man with a powerful message, prevailed against great odds. The account was kept interesting because each chapter was a narrated by a different person, all of whom should be familiar to any reader of the Bible. All the characters came alive in their accounts painting a rich background against which Paul's life sparkled in all its complexity.
  
  This was a well written account that brought to life what we can only imagine it must have been like during the time of Paul. I doubt I'll ever read any of the epistles in quite the same way again!
• 
  The other John

  This is one of those books that just sucks me in and causes me to neglect my daily chores to read just one more chapter. I wasn't expecting this, really. I mean, I like Walt Wangerin's work, but I'm not a big fan of his. But then I just devoured this book. The reason, I suspect is the source material. Paul is a fictionalized tale of the life of the apostle Paul. As such, it naturally draws its plot from the Bible, from the book of Acts. In my opinion, Acts is the most readable book of scripture, so it makes sense that I would also enjoy reading this one. Mr. Wangerin embellishes the tale with appealing characters--fleshing out the names of those early saints into people whom you might encounter in your own church. Of course, the tale is also enhanced by liberal quotes from Paul's letters, dramatized to give a sense of how Paul's own understanding and teaching might have developed. Perhaps I should give this book another reading, and pay closer attention to the book's theology instead of just the literary aspects. Maybe it would make it less enjoyable. Either way, I think I'd like to get Paul on my shelf.
• 
  Jonelle

  I read this book for my church book group this month. Largely based on the book of Acts and some of Paul's letters (Romans, Galatians, Ephesians), it provides a great description of life at that time, and the activities of Paul as he spread faith in Christ to the Gentiles. Wangerin took an interesting approach by using multiple characters to provide windows into Paul's work. Plus, there were several moments where Wangerin's narrative reallly brought the Bible to life for me. For example, it was the first time that I've ever read a description of a Biblical stoning that actually gave me a sense of its terrible violence. However, on the whole, I don't think I would read another book by Wangerin. It's too easy to confuse Wangerin's fictional events with those in the Bible. I think I prefer to non-fiction books about the period and research into Paul's work.
• 
  Robin Luftig

  Beautifully written. I "read" this book via audio version and it worked well in that format. I felt I was being told a story in an old English way. The challenge for me was the tension was not consistent. When there was tension, it was riveting, but there were a spots throughout the story that went a bit long. But all in all, this story, while fiction, helped me imagine what could have been. The Bible is so understated at times; these accounts could have happened. Thanks, Mr. Wangerin, for writing such a melodic account of a great man of God.
• 
  Ty

  Paul isn't any more likeable here than he is in the New Testament. I liked this a lot, it made me want to be the world's foremost scholar of Bible fan fic until forty seconds ago when I googled "bible fan fic".
• 
  Chris

  Good insight to early church. Shows the danger they ere constantly in, Paul's abrasive personality. But the writing is so over-the-top flowery it was distracting
• 
  Richard Moreno

  Paul, by Walter Wangerin. Masterful, imaginative, and powerful work of storytelling revealing a comprehensive knowledge of history, scripture and much meditation. A great read!
  
• 
  Mary

  Could not finish book. Got 50 pages into book and the writing was all over the place. Writing was poor. Do not recommend this book.
• 
  Circle of Hope Pastors

  I think Walter Wangerin's book should be better known. It is a splendid fictionalization of one of the greatest stories people don't really understand -- the invention of the church by the power of the Holy Spirit. Wangerin traces Saul/Paul on his way through the account of his conversion and deployment in Acts. Along the way, he adds some wonderful flesh to the other names mentioned in Acts and the letters Paul wrote to his churches. A great deal of the narrative is a retelling of the history, the rest falls into the category of "if this isn't true, it should be." The relationship of Paul to Barnabas, James, Peter, Timothy, Prisca, Titus, and Erastus are particurlarly moving. Adding in Seneca (related to Gallio, mentioned in Acts) makes the Roman angle come alive. Each character (except Paul) is given their own voice to describe what is going on. As a result, Wangerin does what he does best: concoct a human story charged with faith, hope and love to which we can all relate.
• 
  Cynthia

  This was an excellent telling of Paul and those around him - James, Priscilla, Aquila, Peter ... and of course a host of original characters created by the author. We hear everybody's point of view, including Paul (and his words as well as James' are mostly taken from their Biblical letters). The author does not gloss over the real and serious disagreements among the founders of the Christian church, nor how ugly and violent they got. These are real people and they feel passionately about their beliefs and are generally incredulous that another follower of Jesus could actually feel and believe differently about such vital points. There is something very topical about that. This book is also a total immersion in a very different time and place which is always fun in a book.
• 
  Evan Hays

  Well, I only got to skim read this since I didn't have much time to read since I was using it to teach a class, but once again, Wangerin just is such a great story teller. And the amazing amount of research he clearly put in to be able to write this is so impressive. I will read this again more carefully someday when I get a chance, and what I will do is read it along with re-reading Acts and the rest of the Pauline epistles in the New Testament. That's what this book does--it brings the New Testament alive by especially drawing out the characters. Such an ambitious task, and I can't think of anyone who could do it better.
• 
  Michael Yundt

  Overall, a good read. The best aspect of this book is that the author takes all of the separate accounts and letters and weaves them into a single timeline, all centered around Paul, from all of the many people involved.
  The narrative is from the perspective of each character — Timothy, Luke, Priscilla, etc., — as if you, the reader, were hearing first-hand accounts from these people. It’s similar in style to “The Eternity Artifact”, by L. E. Modesitt. It’s quite a joy to see certain key versus appear in regular conversation.
  I found the style a little rough to read; not difficult, but not smooth and free flowing. That was my only reason for giving 4 stars.
• 
  Aja

  I give this a good 4.5/5 stars. This was quite an impressive feat by Wangerin again. I was really intrigued on how he reconstructed Paul's missionary journeys and conflicts within the Church between the Jewish and Gentile communities, especially in handling hard passages within the book's dialogue. I appreciate Wangerin's effort to truly humanize Paul as a flawed yet passionate person who wants to further the mission of God because of how much he believes in the grace of Jesus. I liked the various perspectives, especially Prisca's/Priscilla's, James, Barnabas, and Timothy.
• 
  Amanda

  This was a very interesting book. It was not a quick, easy, light read. I liked the different perspectives shown by having different narrators tell the various parts of the story. It did help to get a feeling for how much time passed, which is easy to miss when reading the Bible. Some of the author's interpretations were interesting. For example, Paul himself goes through quite a transformation during the story. I'm not sure if I agree that Paul changed his mind about the role of the Law in comparison to Jesus. It is definitely food for thought.
• 
  Irene

  I really liked the work of the author! He is amazing! How he can place the lector at the time of St. Paul, how he put himself in Paul’s friends and no friends, I like how every character talks about that time from theirs personal perspective.
  
  I just think that it was missing an important point of view of one of the greatest apostles of that time: Peter. I just don’t understand why the author can skip this important part of the history.
• 
  Dave

  This fictional account of a portion of the Apostle Paul's life was well done, using the words of people who were close to him, and some words from the New Testament. The author stayed fairly close to the New Testament account with only a few exceptions, and developed the personalities of other NT characters / authors.
• 
  sylvia abraham

  I could have liked it, even with few unlikely scenes regarding pork and how we see freedom, but... The unlikely scene of Paul waking Priscilla to put lotion on his wounds and her not waking her husband in that situation was just too far fetched. I could not imagine it possible and it made me think how poor is the research in the rest of the book.
• 
  Jill Hudson

  Walter Wangerin is a hugely talented writer whose impressive scholarship never gets in the way of his ability to tell a great story. He brings the apostle Paul to glorious life, interweaving his lifestory skilfully and seamlessly with events on the bloody stage of Roman history. A masterly piece of historical fiction if ever there was one.
• 
  Christy Tuohey

  I really liked the way the author of "Paul" described the Apostle's life and ministry through the eyes of others and their multiple viewpoints. Everyone from Paul's fellow Christian workers Prisca and Timothy to the ancient philsopher Seneca to the Apostle Luke weighs in. The book makes Paul's letters come alive in vivid detail.