Paul: Biographical Problems

In this course we will examine a number of important biographical problems having to do with the figure of the historical Paul. These include the issues of sexuality: Was he married? Did he practice asceticism? Social class: Was it high or low or somewhere in-between? Work: How slavish was it for Paul to work with his hands? Education: Did he have one? Could he read and I or write? Ethnicity: What did it mean to be "Jewish"? Religious experience: What is that? Did Paul have any? The primary method of instruction will be exegetical inquiry, or the interpretation of specific biblical texts. The purpose of the course is to discover how these different biographical assumptions and conditions shape the meaning of discourse that we find in the Pauline writings.