The Apostle Paul, also known as Saint Paul, is one of the most influential humans in history. Yet he is also one of the most misunderstood and misrepresented characters of all time.
Historically, Paul has been framed as a Western-minded, modern Christian on a mission to start a new religion. That's the familiar Paul. The Weird Apostle presents Paul in a way that makes him quite weird compared to traditional portrayals. Ryan Lambert suggests Paul was a Torah-observant Jewish man who functioned entirely within Judaism as the apostle to the Gentiles. Not only can this less familiar view of Paul help readers better understand this unique, global game changer, but making Paul weird again can also help counter historical trends and modern voices that use Paul's writings, intentionally or otherwise, to advance anti-Semitic and anti-Judaism perspectives.
Christians, Jews, and anyone interested in this incredible influencer have much to gain by doing the hard work of reframing Paul in terms that are less customary but more faithful to his ancient Jewish and Greco-Roman context.