Of all the first-century partisans of Christianity, only St. Paul left a substantial written legacy. Letters attributed to him comprise a quarter of the New Testament, and another twelfth of its pages -- most of the Book of Acts -- are devoted to a description of his career. St. Paul's letters are the focus of this volume. Closest attention has to be paid to them, for they are our most direct and earliest primary sources from the beginnings of Christianity. They are presented here, in the Revised Standard Version, with introductions and annotations by Wayne A. Meeks. Accompanying them is a selection of critical writings on St. Paul and his influence by some of the foremost religious and philosophical minds of all time. Together with the letters, they form a thorough introduction to the man who has been called "the second founder of Christianity." - Back cover.

This Norton Critical Edition contains the complete extant works attributed to the man who, next to Jesus, was the most important and the most enigmatic figure in the initial stages of Christianity. The text is from the Revised Standard Version. The anthology of secondary works has two purposes: (1) to suggest some of the major ways in which these writings and the reactions to them have contributed to the shape of Christianity and of Western thought and (2) to provide representative examples of modern critical studies. - Preface.