Paul between Damascus and Antioch: The Unknown Years [Paperback]

Martin Hengel (Author), Anna Maria Schwemer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 1997

A fresh exploration of Paul's activities during the hidden years of his life, from his conversion in Damascus to his familiar ministry in the book of Acts. With an unparalled wealth of historical material and a reconsideration of Paul's own writings, a new picture of Paul's life emerges.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: German

About the Author

Martin Hengel was Professor Emeritus of New Testament and Early Judaism at the University of Tubingen in Germany until his death in 2009.

Anna Maria Schwemer has taught at the Melanchthon Foundation in Tubingen, Germany.

Product Details

• Paperback: 544 pages
• Publisher: Westminster John Knox Press (April 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0664257364
• ISBN-13: 978-0664257361
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,321,639 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars This book is not primarily about Paul, January 25, 2000

By 

Timotheus Josephus - See all my reviews

This review is from: Paul between Damascus and Antioch: The Unknown Years (Paperback)

The title of this book, "Paul Between Damascus and Antioch", is a little misleading. This book is not nearly as much about Paul as it is about earliest Christianity.

Hengel explores the first 15-20 years of the Christian movement in great detail. Unlike many scholars today, Hengel gives the book of Acts a great deal of respect as a reliable source of historical information for this era. This aspect was refreshing.

Unfortunately, I did not come away from this book with the belief that I had learned much of anything about the person of Paul. However, I did learn a great deal about the Christian movement in the 30's and 40's C.E.

A basic knowledge of Greek vocabulary would be beneficial to the reader of this book, but its certainly not necessary. You can know nothing of the Greek language and still learn much.

A much superior book on Paul is by F.F. Bruce entitled, "Paul - Apostle of the Heart Set Free".

15 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hengel is matchless, August 11, 2000

By 

Rick C. Miller (Laguna Niguel, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Paul between Damascus and Antioch: The Unknown Years (Paperback)

Dr. Martin Hengel is currently the top NT historian alive in the eyes of many NT authorities. Here he is at his best. This rich treatment of Pual's early history as a convert has already made a huge impact on Pauline studies around the globe. Hengel's capacity to surface an authentic sketch of earliest Christian history and issues related to first century Judaism sets the standard for leading edge NT scholarship. I recommend this book very highly for anyone serious about the subject matter.

Greek language skills are recommended, but perhaps not necessary.

1 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Bad translation, March 19, 2008

By 

Jorg Galan "velocity391" (Berkeley, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Paul between Damascus and Antioch: The Unknown Years (Paperback)

This book was apparently written in German and then translated into english. And it certainly reads as clearly as any instruction manual transled from Japanese. After struggling through the first chapter, I just put it down.