St Paul is traditionally thought of as a Jewish thinker, someone who was originally a Pharisee and whose ideas came out of his encounter with Jesus and a background of Judaism. In book the Jewish scholar Hyam Maccoby argues that Paul is best understood as someone strongly influenced by Greek religious ideas, in particular Gnosticism and the mystery religions. In addition it seeks to show that Paul had only a superficial understanding of Jewish ideas and often showed a fundamental misunderstanding of Jewish concepts.

Chapter 1 - Gnostic Antisemiticism

Maccoby begins by examining the phenomena of Gnosticism. He defines Gnosticism as a religion which sees the world as fundamentally evil, and salvation as a mystical escape to the higher realms beyond this world. Historically Gnosticism has identified the God of the Jews as the creator of the world, and hence the source of evil. The God of the Jews according to Gnosticism is a deluded God, as he believes none is greater than him, whereas there are numerous realms above this world which are greater than it.

The Jews in this scheme of things are essentially fools who have been taken in by this false God. The Jews themselves are not regarded as evil or dangerous, as much as laughable and to be pitied.

Gnosticism is interesting because of its links with Judaism - why did it fix on the God of the Jews as its evil God? Some believe Gnosticism came out of Christianity - Maccoby argues this is unlikely as there is plenty of Gnosticism which deals directly with Judaism with no mention of Christianity or Christian ideas. Some believe Gnosticism came out of Judaism. This Maccoby takes more seriously, but argues against it because there is so much in Gnosticism which is alien to Judaism. However it is true that some Gnostics show a great deal of knowledge of the Jewish scriptures, and often seek to identify alternative traditions within those scriptures - for example those who follow the teachings of Seth (son of Adam and Eve). Maccoby concludes that Gnosticism was the result of the spread of Jewish ideas into Greek thought by such writers as Philo, a Jewish thinker who sought to combine Greek philosophy and Judaism. These ideas aquainted Greeks with the Old Testament, and those who opposed links between Greek philosophy and Judaism then took what they had learned about Judaism and turned it around, arguing that the ultimate God, far from being the God of Israel, was in fact far higher and greater than the God of Israel.

Maccoby concludes that although Gnosticism opposed the Jewish religion, it had two characteristics which meant it was not as antisemitic as Christianity was to become. Firstly it never identified the Jews themselves with evil, only their God, so making the Jews at best duped by their God. Secondly the God of the Jews wasn't dangerous - he could never do any harm, as those higher than him could not be harmed by him.

Christianity turns this around. The God of the Jews is good, it is the Jews themselves who are evil - forever turning from God and killing his prophets. Even worse, the evil the Jews do is far from harmless, as they actively prevent the work of God, and indeed even kill God's Son.

Chapter 2 - Paul and Gnosticism

Paul identifies Satan as the "God of this world" (2 Cor 4:4), and views this world as being a place of evil. This is a concept very far from Judaism which sees the world as fundamentally a good place, created by God.

Paul argues that the Torah was given by angels, not God (Gal 3:19, Act 7:53, Heb 2:2), and indeed the phrase in Gal 3:19 is that the angels were the authors of the Torah, not simply the transmitters. This is done to justify Paul's claim that the Torah was temporary. Maccoby is particularly interesting on Colossians (p.45), where he argues against the traditional view that Paul's opponents are angel-worshipping Gnostics (as traditionally thought) but Jews who effectively worship angels because of their veneration of the Torah.

Although in 1 Cor 6:12-20 it appears that Paul is arguing against Gnostics, Maccoby argues Paul is being a moderate Gnostic against extreme Gnostics.

Chapter 3- Paul and the Mystery Religions

Maccoby argues that fundamental to the mystery religions is the God who dies and comes back again, to mystically redeem the morally hopeless condition of mankind.

Maccoby argues that Paul's moral pessimism (e.g. Rom 7:14-8:1) is alien to Judaism, where it is always claimed that God's law can be kept (e.g. Deut 30:11-14), but such pessimism is consistent with mystery religions.

Mystery religions are full of dying and rising Gods. Dionysus is torn to pieces by the Titans and brought back to life again by Rhea. Adonis is killed by a boar and raised on the third day. Baal is killed by Mot then comes back to life. Attis is dismembered and dies from his wounds then comes back to life and dances. Osiris is dismembered by Set then put together again and becomes a god. In Mithraism the bull killed by Mithras provides life through its body and blood for the whole universe.

Maccoby argues that the idea of a vicarious sacrifice is unknown in Judaism, but common in mystery religions, hence it is highly likely this is where Paul got the idea from. Maccoby also makes the connection here between Paul's view of the Jews as being the divine executioners in killing Jesus, and the fundamental anti-semitism of Christianity in making the Jews as a whole responsible for this evil act.

Chapter 4 - Paul and the Eucharist

Maccoby has two main points to make on the Eucharist. Firstly, the original sources point to Jesus making 'apocalyptic' remarks at the passover prior to his death. Jesus states that he will not eat or drink until he comes again. The bread and wine referred to are part of the traditional Jewish meal, not the Eucharist. Maccoby argues these sources gradually became corrupted by Paul's view of the "Lord's Supper" as a mystery rite instituted by Jesus prior to his death. Secondly Maccoby seeks to show that these original 'apocalyptic' remarks are understandable as part of traditional Judaism, whereas Paul's remarks on the Lord's Supper - with its "eat my body drink my blood" remarks - only make sense against a mystery religion background. Even the term "Lord's Supper" is common in mystery religions, and Maccoby argues the Jewish term "Eucharist" was used instead by Christians to distance the rite from the mystery religions of the same name.

What Maccoby is saying is that Paul had a vision in which he was shown that Christians need to keep the Eucharist, for by eating Christ's body and drinking his blood they will participate in his death. The Gospel writers then tried to add this back into the gospel account. The fact that the gospels contain such discrepancies in their account of the Last Supper indicate that there was no agreement about how Paul's account of the Last Supper should be mixed with the original, historical account.

This chapter goes into a great deal of detail, as a lot of scholarship has argued against Paul creating the Last Supper, and argued that it was indeed instituted by Jesus. Maccoby takes issue with the various scholarly arguments, but his basic points remain those described here.

Chapter 5 - Paul and Pharisaism

Paul often claimed that he had been brought up a Pharisee. Maccoby argues that the evidence is against this. First he does not follow the literary style of the Pharisees. Second, he does not observe the rabbinical rules for their arguments, instead using the imprecise, rhetorical style of Hellenistic literature. Third, he muddles his analogies which would be unthinkable for rabbinic legal thinking. Fourth he always quotes from the Greek translation of the Old Testament, a Pharisee would use the original Hebrew. Fifth his quotes from the Old Testament ignore the original context - something a Pharisee would never do. Sixth he is illogical - his conclusions do not follow from their premise, which is highly untidy by rabbinic standards. Seventh Paul often uses phrases from the Old Testament in a Greek or Gnostic context, showing he is more at home in Hellenism than the Old Testament.

Chapter 6 - The Gaston-Gager-Stendahl thesis

In recent years (in the 1970s and 1980s) a view has arisen that Paul believed in two covenants. He was to convert the Gentiles, but the Jewish Torah was sufficient for the Jews. This is known as the Gaston-Gager-Stendahl thesis. It is clear from the work of the scholars who propose this thesis that it is done in the context of better relations between Christianity and Judaism, and the attempt to make Judaism a valid religion from a Christian viewpoint.

These scholars take the various passages in which Paul appears to attack the Jewish covenant and argue that the meaning is not how it appears. For example 2 Cor 3:6-18 is actually an attack on Jewish opponents in Corinth, Gal 4:21-31 is attacking the myth that God made other covenants with the gentiles. Maccoby argues that this interpretation of the New Testament is incorrect - Paul does not believe in two covenants, only one. Maccoby also

In this more in-depth sequel to _The Mythmaker_, Hyam Maccoby continues to mount his case that Paul was not a Pharisee at all but something of a rogue who patched together a new religion out of Gnostic elements and a superficial smattering of Torah quotes.

One of the highlights of this volume is Maccoby's analysis of Paul's claim to have received his information on the "Lord's supper" by direct revelation rather than from any of the apostles. There may be treatments of this topic that respond adequately to Maccoby's claims, but I have not seen them.

Another highlight is a full-chapter rebuttal of the well-intended but arguably wrongheaded views of Lloyd Gaston, John Gager, and Krister Stendhal, who think Paul was merely offering a new way of salvation to non-Jews but didn't really mean to supersede the Torah for Jews. Here again, I do not know of any adequate reply to Maccoby's merciless dissection of this claim.

Maccoby is also the author of _Revolution in Judea_, highly recommended as well. If either of these books returns to print (or any of Maccoby's other out-of-print books, for that matter), grab them at once.

I was just checking this out on the rock and roll hall of fame the last song "It doesn't Matter Anymore" that was released after Buddy Holly's death was Written by Paul Anka but Buddy sang it, wow just wanted to say thats an awesome song

GREAT BOOK ON MR. ANKA, HE GET'S BETTER & BETTER EVERY YEAR! WHILE ALL THE OLD TEEN IDOL'S HAVE FADDED WAY, AND U NEVER HERE ABOUT THEM ANY MORE....PAUL IS STILL TOURING & DOING CONCERT'S!!! HE IS ALSO IN UP 2DATE MOVIES....MOST ALL HIS CONCERT'S R SOLD OUT! WHEN HE DOES A CONCERT, HE JUST FALL'S IN LOVE WITH THE AUDIENCE, & THEY LOVE HIM. HE SINGS 2 THE FAN'S, ON STAGE, NEVER 2 BUSY 2 TAKE PIC. WITH FAN'S.....HE IS JUST WELL WORD'S JUST CANT EXPLAIN HOW THE PUBLIC TAKE'S 2 HIM. & HE IS SOOO SEXY!!!! WOW!!!......HERE'S 2 ANOTHER 20 YRS PAUL!!!

A book on Paul Delaroche by Stephen Bann is necessary to understand the Romantic movement following the Neo-Classical period pioneered by J L David. A Frenchman, his most famous paintings surprisingly are on English history, chiefly his The Execution of Lady Jane Grey, The Princes in the Tower, and Cromwell and Charles I.
His few forays into Napoleonic memorabilia resulted in two fine paintings of Napoleon in his Study and Napoleon at Fontainbleu, and the later Napoleon crossing the Alps, an uninteresting painting, even if somewhat historically more accurate than David's earlier heroic depiction of Bonaparte crossing the St Bernard Alps, calmly mounted on an unconvincing charger.
The author has made a very informed attempt to flesh out Delaroche's psyche through thematic discoveries in his paintings.
One error that I found was that Henri-James Guillaume Clarke was never Marshal under Napoleon, but was Duc de Feltre and Minister of War under Napoleon. He was created Marshal under the Bourbon Restoration.
The end result is a very illuminating biography on an unremarkable artist whose style was outmoded. Delaroche was lauded in his lifetime - a protégé of Horace Vernet and possibly Jean L. Gros, he continued on in the tradition of history paintings but without the flair of David. He has been eclipsed by his other more famous contemporaries, Ingres and Delacroix, who are most closely connected with the Romantic movement and he has been largely ignored in this century.

Stephen Bann's book is a true joy and a work of art. Paul Delaroche was one of the great artists of the 19th century, but has never obtained the position in modern day, art history books he so rightly deserves. Bann analyzes works such as "The Execution of Lady Jane Grey" and "The Young Christiam Martyr." Bann's examination is thorough and fair. So little is written on Delaroche, that it is a joy to find such a complete study. The color plates are stunning. A very well written book.

This concise book is divided into two parts: 1) a copy of the published ISAF rules--a must for all would-be racers 2) interpretations of said rules by Elvstrom himself.

If you don't already know it, Elvstrom is a legendary sailor (winner of four Olympic gold medals and numerous other sailing prizes). His expertise shines through as he explains the rules of racing. There aren't any long drawn out stories in this book. No anecdotes of any kind; just simple explanations of situations that you encounter on the race course. He clearly points out who is right and who is wrong in each situation and thus you gain an understanding of what is and isn't proper while racing. This is an excellent book for the beginning racer who wants to gain a firm understanding of the rules in a short period of time. If you are looking for something more extensive and lively I recommend the Dave Perry's explanation of the rules!

The best book of rules, made the hard way to understodd the racing rules very easy

This book is a very good introduction to the artistic work of Paul Klee. The author explains in easy and helpful manner how the music influenced the painting production of Klee. A carefully attention is given how Klee tried to reproduce musical concepts as poliphony and rhythm in his painting. The book is rich in good quality photos. The only lacks are the absence of a bibliography and Duechting doesn't tell any anectodes about Klee, because anectodes are very usefull to remember the works and the life of artists. I advice to read this book all people they are interesting in modern painting.

This beautifully illustrated and wonderfully informative monograph is devoted to the reasonable (and wholly accepted) thesis that Paul Klee's dedication to, and love for, musical forms informed his prolific life in art, specifically drawing and painting. Duchting has chosen illustrations that consistently reinforce his assertions. The commentary is smart, informed, and lively. Even if you dozed in Art History, this book is excellent. Duchting has done his homework, consulting Klee's own (published) diaries, notebooks, and sketchbooks, and the extensive writings of Klee friend and biographer Will Grohmann, and additional early biographers. In addition Duchting has spent a lot of time looking at the paintings themselves. Some of Klee's incredible lecture notes (which you must see to believe) from his years of teaching art are included, as are several quick drawings and works of artists who were associated with Klee.

This book has terrific production values. The paper is good,and the approximately 100 color reproductions are exquisite. Photographs of Klee, his wife Lily, and his studio. Page layout is a visual treat. It's really a gem of a book, right down to the lemon-yellow endpapers. There is a a short biography, pages of good endnotes, and a 'Selected Bibliography' (page 111).

Paul Sills' Story Theater: Four Shows is a compilation of four plays adapted for the stage by Paul Sills. The stories include "The Blue Light and Other Stories"; Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol"; Rainer Maria Rilke's "Stories of God"; and Rumi in a verse translation by Coleman Barks. Paul Sills' Story Theater is enhanced with theater fames for story theater by Viola Spolin. Paul Sills' Story Theater is a highly recommended addition to any school or community theater reference collection.

Paul Sills' Story Theater: Four Shows is an invaluable new collection of plays adapted from classics of world literature (Rumi, Dickens, Rilke and traditional stories from the Brothers Grimm and others). Sills is the legendary creator of Story Theater, as well as the founding director of the Compass, Second City and the Game Theater. Story theater is a way of performing literature on stage without the use of a narrator. Story Theater's lively use of the transformational space work found in Sills' mother Viola Spolin's landmark book Improvisation for the Theater, is ideal for bringing great books to life on stage while remaining true to the words of the author. This book also includes a list of Theater Games for Story Theater by Viola Spolin. Highly recommended for professional or amateur theater companies as well as school and university drama departments. All four of these plays have a lot of roles for both men and women, which is another reason it is an especially useful text for the drama teacher. At the beginning of each play Sills writes a short history of the production, making this book a fascinating document of how this form of theater came into being.

This is a great book, it includes the music in both notation and tab. The transcriptions are perfect, they are exactly what is on the recording. The best part about the book is that for each song, there is a page or two describing how to finger each chord (some of the songs are really hard to play if you use "normal" fingering, if you use the alternate fingering he suggests, you can do the chord switches MUCH easier!)

Using this book, I had Bookends and Scarborough Fair down in two days!

The only thing preventing me from giving this book a 5 : It had some songs I didn't know, and was missing two songs I really wanted : The Boxer, and Sounds of Silence.

There are so many guitar books for Simon and Garfunkel, and until I saw this book, I was convinced that they were all useless.

This book has really accurate transcriptions, obviously done by someone who has a personal interest in Paul Simon's guitar playing; it shows in the song selection.

If you don't know how to play Kathy's Song, Overs, Peace Like a River, 59th St Bridge Song, Scarborough Fair, American Tune (and some others), this is a great, great book. You will learn so much from this book. The two part vocal harmonies are transcribed too, for the relevant songs.

I just wish the book could've been longer (keep an eye out for Brad Priddy's web page), but there was enough material in this book to keep me going for at least 9 months.

I have to be honest i only got the book at 1st because Davorin has the same last name as me. the book was hard to get into at first but after a while i found myself ingrossed in it, it is very well written and even thou i do not read very many religous books, I found it very informative. it is how ever a hard read, i did have a hard time understanding everthing but i have to admit it was interesting, if you want to understand more about the apostle paul and letters this is the book for you

This is a must read for anyone who desires to understand the Apostle Paul and his letters. D. Peterlin has done students of the New Testament a great service by demonstrating the highly personal nature of the Apostle Paul's letter to the Philippians. He carefully builds a credible case for reading this document as a single letter which treats a single problem: the dispute between two women on the leadership team at the church in Philippi threatens to ruin the local church. Dr. Peterlin masterfully constructs his case in such a way that lets the reader appreciate the "hints," in the Greek text, Paul's use of irony and the message readers were likely to infer between the lines. Peterlin goes far beyond a mere demonstration of the unity of this little letter. He constructs a solid picture of the theme of the epistle, demonstrating how each paragraph contributes to the whole in the context of the relationship between Paul and the Philippian church. His approach to Philippians relies heavily on sociological methods without being to heavy with theory. Citations of the Greek text are not translated, which is not a problem for most students of the New Testament. However, the untranslated citations of German works at key points is an occasional annoiance.

Its a good book to who wants to study the pelagian heresy, is the first tentative to translate to english the pelagian writings. With this commentary you will have a idea of the pelagian controversy and thinking

This book is very helpful for students of theology (amateurs or those pursuing a theological degree) in understanding what Pelagianism is all about. It is quite popular for some Western Christians to attack any form of synergism as "Pelagian". Reading this book opened my own eyes to Pelagius's teaching and what was wrong with it. With careful reading, Pelagius's subtle error -- that man is a completely neutral being, independent of the Triune God, looking out over a range of equally possible moral options -- becomes apparent. After reading this, I decided that no one should call anything "Pelagian" without reading any Pelagius.

"Plum Blossom Hand" is the fourth volume in the Praying Mantis Kung Fu series. Sifu Paul Eng demonstrates this form in 32 movements, including applications. Directions are written in Chinese and English, and are clear and precise. Paul Eng has studied Seven Star Mantis under Kam Yuen (the fellow who taught David Carradine everything he knows for the "kung fu" t.v. series back in the '70's), Tai-chi Praying Mantis under Jiu Jook Kite, and several other kung fu styles from other accomplished teachers.

An excellent book especially of you already know some of the intermediate Praying Mantis forms. The hands, steps, and the coordination between them as done in the Plum Blossum Hand will be no mystery.