Book Review: Saint Paul, by Pope Benedict XVI

    Pope Benedict XVI's, Saint Paul, is a series of Catechesis focused talks given in his General Audiences from July 2, 2008- Febuary 4, 2009.  Saint Paul was an instrumental figure in spreding the Gospel and cultivating unity amongst a vastly diverse cultural seting.  Benedict's intention is to help Christinas today learn from Saint Paul's gift to the world and the Church, not only 2,000 years ago, but today as well.  To make his point, Benedict highlights Saint Paul's ability to unify through cultural differnces, maintrain Apostalic Tradition, and preach the Paschal Mystery as foundational to the faith.

    Saint Paul was able to bring a unique perspective to the spred of Christianity in large part due to his upbringing.  Saint Paul was a Jew but also a Roman citizen whihc gave him a firm understanding of the Jewish faith but also Roman culture which was exposed to many cultures with tolerance, to a point. [1]  Having been exposed to this, Saint Paul was able to see that differences were not always irreconcilable to unity.  This varied dramatically from traditional Jewish culture which was structured around their separation from others.  With Saint Paul, the new Christians would be able to break from the Jewish "cultural separation" and embrace, Gentiles and Greeks, spreading the Gospel to all of creation, just as Jesus commanded. [Mark 16:15]

    Second, Benedict expressed Saint Paul's unwavering grasp of Tradition and the Apostolic faith.  This was done through Saint Paul's conversion after Jesus's Ascention, making Saint Paul the only apostle to not be personally commisioned during Jesus' earthly existence,  but he was still personally called through his encounter with the "Risen One".  Scholars agree that Saint Paul's mission was unique and proof of this is found in Saint Luke's Acts to the Apostles where he gives Saint Paul a designation as a chosen vessel for the Gentiles, kings, and children of Isreal. [2]. Saint Luke recognized the authority given to Paul as equal and valid in the Acts.  

By the nature of his vocational call being differnet, Saint Paul redifined what it meant to be an apostle which would continue to serve as foundational to the Catholic understanding of "Apostolic Faith".  Benedict said Saint Paul's concept of an apostle was two fold: the first was "to have seen the Lord" and the second was "to have been sent".[3]  This definition makes it clear to readrers today, than apostle (bishop) is not a political office, nor a herititary one, but a personal commision, chosen by Christ, not for the sake of himself, but for the Church.                                                                

   

    Thirdly, Benedict spent a considerable amount of time speaking to Saint Paul's theology of the Cross and Resurection as "at the heart of his preaching (1 Cor 2:2, 15:14).[4]  As Paul mentioned, it was primarily, the "folly of the cross" that made it a "stumbling block" for many.  In order to profess Christ as their Savior, they must accept the dereliction of the Cross, which led to the glory of the Resurection.  Making this point was important for all Christians to understand who seek to embrace Christianity at its most profound truths.

    Overall, Pope Benedict XVI succeeded in painting a picture of Saint Paul as a valuable instrument for Christians today. He did this by defining Pauline Theology which explained how "he developed certain topics and exhorted his churches to practice a more intense Christian life", something fundamental to Pauline Theology. [5]. The talks were informative of the historical Saint Paul in a digestable manner, relevant to Christians today seeking a path through many conflicts issues.   

[1] Pope Benedict XVI, Saint Paul, (Ignatius Press: San Francisco, 2017), 8.

[2] Gregory E. Sterling, "From Apostle to the Gentiles to Apostle of the Church: Images of Paul at the End of the First Century," Zeitschrift fur die nentestamentliche Wissenschaft und die Kunde der alteren Kirche 99 no. 1 (2008), p. 78.

[3] Benedict, Saint Paul, 28.

[4] Benedict, Saint Paul, 51.

[5] Joseph A Fitzmyer, "Pauline Theology," in The New Biblical Commentary, ed. Raymond E. Brown et al. (Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1990), 82:3, p. 1383.