Showing results for "Behaving Badly" in Religion & Spirituality

Many think of God as wrathful and angry, smiting people right and left for no apparent reason. The Old Testament in particular seems at times to portray God as capricious and malevolent, wiping out armies and nations, punishing enemies with extreme prejudice. But wait. The story is more complicated than that.

The Apostle Paul was kind of a jerk. He was arrogant and stubborn. He called his opponents derogatory, racist names. He legitimized slavery and silenced women. He was a moralistic, homophobic killjoy who imposed his narrow religious views on others. Or was he? Randolph Richards and Brandon O'Brien explore the complicated persona and teachings of the Apostle Paul. Unpacking his personal history and cultural context, they show how Paul both offended Roman perspectives and scandalized Jewish sensibilities.

Everybody likes Jesus. Don't they? We overlook that Jesus was: Judgmental - preaching hellfire far more than the apostle Paul. Uncompromising - telling people to hate their families. Chauvinistic - excluding women from leadership. Racist - insulting people from other ethnic groups. Anti-environmental - cursing a fig tree and affirming animal sacrifice. Angry - overturning tables and chasing moneychangers in the temple.