That was my first question as I began yet another article in the New Yorker, this one on Paul, from the Bible. As a person of Sunday school - student or teacher - from three years of age until I went to college, I was appalled that I couldn't place him. I once had to memorize all the books from the New Testament.* Going to the black box, I found my answer.
Whew. While not much of a believer any more, I thought I still had some basic knowledge. After reading this morning, I'd like to say I have lots more, but really, test me in a week and I won't remember a lot of it, just the thought that it was a history or comparison of various works on how and why Paul was so important. And I can't even explain that now.
What I came away with was the wonder of it all, most specifically, that we humans want faith, belief in change, and love and compassion.
If that came from Paul, good for Paul, even if he doesn't have a book named after him.
In Many, Not One
*Our church, when I was growing up, was more affiliated with the New rather than the fire and brimstone, going-to-hell-in-a-hand basket Old Testament. I knew some stories of the Old, of course, but really what I took away was the parables that were taught in the New.
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