Comments: In his recently released Meeting St. Paul, author Daniel Harrington, S.J. steps away from his usual scholarly audience to tell the people in the pews about Paul and his letters. The timing of this book is particularly appropriate in light of Pope Benedict XVI’s proclamation of the “Pauline Year” (June 29, 2008 to June 29, 2009) to commemorate the 2000th anniversary of the apostle’s birth.Fr. Herrington does a remarkably good job of distilling his years of study of the first apostle to the gentiles into an easily readable, well organized and compact overview of Paul’s life and letters. In sharp contrast with short passages of highlights of St. Paul’s epistles as presented in liturgy, the book helps to bring the well known passages into proper perspective within the overall contexts of St. Paul’s life and teaching. Herrington helps to answer the questions: What do we really know about Paul and his life? To what situations were his letters addressed? What are the root messages in Paul’s teachings? Meeting St. Paul is a valuable New Testament resource at the parish level on a stand-alone basis, and could serve well as a guide to a more meaningful rereading of all Pauline epistles.
10. Paul’s teaching of the mystery of Christ in the Christian and the Christian in Christ is perhaps his most far-reaching theological theme. Consider how this is played out in the life of the Church. Consider how it is played out in your own life.