The Mysticism of Paul the Apostle (The Albert Schweitzer Library)

Schweitzer was author of "The Quest of the Historical Jesus." I have spent years now trying to understand the relationship between Jesus and Paul. How did Paul manage to take over Christianity to the extent that he could call it his gospel, his laws and rules, and contradictions between his teachings and what one reads in the gospels about Jesus' teachings? Schweitzer is the starting place for this kind of study. Most modern Christians will not even acknowledge the issues between these two characters.

Few modern Christians would use the term mysticism to characterize their religion, yet they might do so after reading Albert Schweitzer’s The Mysticism of Paul the Apostle. First published in German in 1929, this is the final book in a 3-volume series by the noted theologian and medical missionary; see also The Quest of the Historical Jesus and Paul and His Interpreters, first published in 1906 and 1911. Actually, the first two volumes are not necessary to a reasonably full understanding of Schweitzer’s message. Indeed, they are so poorly written that they could well put the reader off of tackling this third book.Schweitzer begins by identifying the major differences between what he terms primitive Christianity – the apocalyptic expectation of the imminent end of time by the introduction of the Kingdom of God, as preached by Jesus and his immediate followers – and the theology of Paul. Schweitzer finds that the indefinite delay in the coming of the Kingdom of God rendered primitive Christianity increasingly untenable. Strongly influenced by the Hellenistic culture of Asia Minor and surrounding regions, Paul took some basics of Jesus’ message and added the mystical idea of “being in Christ.” According to Schweitzer, this mystical approach resonated with people in the Hellenistic culture and proved to be a major factor in the long-term survival and widespread development of Christianity.Fortunately, in this third volume of the series, Schweitzer abandons his tedious practice of taking issue with numerous fragments of writings by dozens of 19th-century German theological authors. Instead, he develops a coherent and learned study of mysticism in general but especially of mysticism as developed in the writings and preaching of Paul. Especially interesting are Schweitzer’s analysis of Paul’s borrowing of certain approaches and practices of the gnostic and mystery religions of Asia Minor, for example in the practice and symbolism of the Eucharist.The Mysticism of Paul the Apostle is an important early work concerning Paul’s essential contribution to the development of Christianity. Anyone concerned with theological history should read it. At 400 pages, the book is longer than it needed to be, but much of the length consists of copious references that scholars will appreciate.

I tried reading the first chapter and the last to get an idea where the book was going--I highly recommend this approach. The chapters in between develop the ideas presented. One idea is that the important thing is reaching the Kingdom of Heaven, which is a spiritual state of faith involving freedom from constraints of doctrine (the law), the bondage of the will do wrong instead of right (sin), and death (or the fear of death). To do this requires a constant dying and resurrection in Christ--following His example. The author indicates that living in this way removes the problem that the apocalypse never happened, and allows Christianity to constantly renew itself in any age or culture. (Of course this freedom from doctrine did not make Paul acceptable to the Church deciding on the Canon, so certain letters [Ephesians, Colossians, 2 Thessalonians, 1-2 Timothy, and Titus] and certain passages were added to bring him into conformity with the hierarchy--something most of his letters opposed.)

What a book! A very scholarly reference by the famous Albert Schweitzer on the Mysticism of Saint Paul in his witings in the New Testament. This is not a sit down and read book, but one that must be used as reference material, and read along with your Bible. It's focus is on the Believers Union with Christ, and will provide a lifetime of study and thought.

I bought this book as a fan of the author and his Historical Jesus. This read did not pull me in and I did not find it compelling.

A very good older edition. Minor underlining.

Scholarly

Good book.

Reading this book made me wonder if it is the greatest study of Paul ever written. Schweitzer's views are probing and incisive and he makes the reader confront what the Bible actually says. The section where he comments on the important Apostolic Father Ignatius and his connection to John and the development of John's theology are also remarkable, seeing in them the start of the special development within Greek Christianity. His comments on the development of the Eucharist are especially valuable seeing it as a later development from the idea of a Messianic Banquet connected to the last times. His view is that John's Gospel has no account of the Institution of the Eucharist because from John's view it could only have been instituted after the giving of the Holy Spirit whereby the bread and the wine become the body and blood of Christ through the power of the Spirit: "Since the Spirit who makes the bread and wine into the flesh and blood of Christ has His being in the world only after and in consequence of the death and resurrection of Jesus, it is for the author of the Fourth Gospel unthinkable that Jesus Himself at the last meal with the dosciples should have given them bread and wine as His body and his blood.".