Customer Reviews

The Catholic Perspective on Paul: Paul and the Origins of Catholic Christianity

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This is a fascinating book. As a Reformed Protestant, I obviously don't agree with every theological conclusion it draws---but I discovered that I agree with more Catholic theology than I previously would have thought. The book also helped me better understand the origins of, and have a greater appreciation for, several Catholic doctrines on which I remain unconvinced. Marshall writes with clarity and grace, and he has a knack for using simple analogies to distill and explain complicated issues. I found his "pie-piece" illustration near the beginning of the book very helpful in understanding many of the conflicts between Catholic and Protestant theology. I commend this book to Catholics and Protestants alike; I found it enjoyable, challenging, and edifying.

As a Christian who was once Reformed and is now Catholic I would like to say that this book is helpful in highlighting the differences from a Catholic point of view. I am grateful that this work has been done because it was needed.

I don't think, however, that this is just a Catholic book. Even a Protestant will appreciate the way in which Mr. Marshall explains Paul's life, message and ministry.

One can see that the author has a very solid and tremendous scholastic background. He has command of the topic that he presents, and his work is widely researched. But what is most astonishing is that, Mr. Marshall writes in simple, direct and comprehensible way, the kind that can be understood by the average reader. There is no air of being too scholarly and stuffy, but his approach is simply that he is sharing with the reader what he knows about the subject matter, and in this case, St. Paul.

This book, Catholic Perspective on Paul, gave me a better understanding of the mind of St. Paul. Where I really did not have much of an opinion about him before, except that he is always quoted, the author successfully paints him as a tenderly passionate lover of Jesus, and invites his reader to look at St. Paul's Doctrine of Participation in Christ that takes precedence over "justification, faith, works, law or predestination". This is a new approach and everything makes sense to me at this point. I have a better comprehension of how St. Paul's mind works, even if I do not have any full knowledge of the problems that he was addressing in the different places like Corinth, Ephesus, etc.

I also have a clearer understanding of the much-debated "justification by faith alone" and more. On the topic of the sacrament of Confirmation, the verse, "For we are the aroma of Christ to God (2 Cor 2:15,)" took on a new and exciting meaning for me (p.83)! This book has greatly enlightened me in many areas that I really did not fully grasp before. Reading it brought me oftentimes to an "Aha!" moments. St. Paul has come to life, not as a harsh, domineering and bombastic personality, but a real lover of Jesus. Mr. Marshall has a way of introducing the reader to this wonderful Apostle of Christ. This book is not only an excellent one, but a keeper!

Taylor Marshall makes an incredibly compelling argument for understanding St. Paul in light of the entire corpus of his New Testament writings. Taylor's work is timely as it interacts with the latest Pauline scholarship, but it is also faithful to the 2000 year history of the Catholic Church, where Paul has always been understood as the defender of the one, true, Apostolic faith. Although the book engages the highest levels of Pauline studies, it is also an easy read as Taylor approaches the subject in a personal, witty, and thoroughly enjoyable manner. Most importantly, this book points beyond Paul himself as it directs the reader to the one whom this great saint lived to serve.

I discovered this book almost by accident, What a pleasant surprise.!! like many Christians, i don't know much about Paul. Even though i attended catholic schools all my life i was never properly introduced to Paul. Maybe he was discussed but I wasn't listening. To me, Paul was the author of several"letters" which usually made up , to me, a very dreary "second reading" at Sunday mass. and yet, I always wondered about him. I knew there was something profound there, but I was missing it. Many friends of mine thought they understood Paul, but I never really believed them.

And then, this book landed on my lap. I picked it up and could not stop reading. In fact I was going too fast because it is so eminently readable. i went back to the beginning and started reading more slowly this time. Even though it is a very easy read, there is much here to be learned. I savored the book as if eating ice cream or even better, sipping single malt Scotch whiskey. each page contains an awful lot of scholarship. but most of all, I can understand it. The author is gifted.. I will now read anything he has ever written.

William A Vanson

Stewart Manor, NY

St. Paul is, of course, a favorite source for Protestant preaching and doctrine. The truth is, everything he said, did and wrote is absolutely congruent with Catholic theology. Taylor Marshall takes various doctrinal principals and show how Paul addressed them. A wonderful Catholic apologetic.

I really enjoyed this book and appreciated the authors writing style. I am not a scholar or theologian, but I do read quite a bit and try to ensure I have a solid understanding of and reason for what I believe.

Taylor Marshall is a convert to Catholicism who credits the theology of N.T. Wright and other New Perspective authors with becoming a bridge to Catholicism. In the Acknowledgements, Marshall says, "I am grateful to N.T. Wright, E.P. Sanders, and James D.G. Dunn for dismantling the Protestant consensus regarding Saint Paul." These are charged words. People like Peter Enns, Richard Gaffin, and Peter Leithart may be surprised to find themselves acknowledged too.

The Catholic Perspective on Paul is an attempt to ground Catholic theology and practice in the letters of Paul. He sees the doctrine of participation at the heart of Paul's theology. He accuses Martin Luther of doctoring the text in order to make "faith alone" more prominent. Each chapter of the book seeks to trace Catholic theology back to Paul, including doctrines like baptismal regeneration, Purgatory, transubstantiation, priestly celibacy, etc. The book ends with an appendix in which Marshall includes 10 questions for N.T. Wright regarding Catholicism and its distinctions from Protestantism.

I knew when I received this book that I would be reading an apologetic for Catholic theology. What surprised me was how much this book confirmed my Protestant beliefs! In an indirect way, Marshall's case reaffirmed my Protestantism by demonstrating how much of the Catholic theological edifice is built upon brief texts, mere phrases, or words whose original meanings are obscure. (Example: The full-blown doctrine of Purgatory is assumed and built upon elaborate interpretations one or two vague references). In the end, Marshall's apologetic reminded me of the importance of seeking to study Scripture without imposing a theological framework (whether it be Calvinism, Dispensationalism, Catholicism, etc.) upon the text.