PAUL AND HIS WORLD
By Stephen Tomkins
Lion. 192 pages. £8.99
ISBN 0 7459 5129 5
This beautifully illustrated and easy-to-read production in the Lion Histories series might seem the perfect present to give any thoughtful person.
It has 22 chapters packed with information, plus an introduction, a chronology, suggestions for further reading and a general index, all with the intention of getting to know one who 'has had a greater impact on the development of Christianity than any other person except Christ'.
The book has helpful chapters on Paul's Roman and Jewish background, marginal comments by well-known authors both ancient and modern, maps, colour photographs of Roman sites and pictures by famous artists. At various points in the book there are boxes giving details, for instance, of Greek philosophers, of some of the well-known cities that Paul visited and even examples of Pauline phrases that have become part of everyday English language due to the Authorised Version.
Despite the author's credentials of having gained a PhD in church history at the London Bible College, the contents, as a whole, cannot be recommended as a safe and helpful guide to Paul's life and thought.
In using the New Testament as his main source, he treats it as if it were just another historical document among many. He asserts quite categorically that the Bible does not claim to be infallible and historically accurate. He therefore does not have any qualms about stating that Acts is less reliable than Paul's 'authentic' letters. We are led to believe that Luke fills in gaps with guesswork, is unreliable when speaking of Jewish persecution of Christians and stories about Peter 'give the impression of being legendary'. Tomkins fails to mention Paul's teaching on penal substitution and that Christ died to save us from God's wrath. He finds the 'new perspective' ideas on justification of 'tremendous help in understanding Paul' and informs us that 'the loving marriage of equals' was not in Paul's sights when he wrote about 'same sex activity'.
This is definitely not a book to give people interested in Christianity or to undiscerning Christians.
Philip H. Eveson,
Principal of the London Theological Seminary
