This course is designed to engage the student in the study of the thought and times of Paul of Tarsus. Paul, the first Christian writer and theologian, has left an indelible stamp on Christianity and the Western World. The course will look at the world in which he lived and the communities to which he wrote. The course will examine the logic and rhetoric of Paul’s letters in order to discover the issues facing early Christianity, and Paul’s religious experience and theological insights. The course will also ask how Paul is to be understood in today’s world; what message Paul has for contemporary Christianity.