The Christ of Paul; Or, The Enigmas of Christianity

The author argues that the Pauline portrait of Christ and early Christian practice diverged markedly from later second-century church representations, tracing conflicts between Paul and contemporaneous groups such as the Therapeutæ/Essenes and alleging subsequent ecclesiastical manipulation of texts and traditions. Chapters reconstruct Paul's conversion, ministry, and disputes with rival teachers, analyze contested authorship of the Fourth Gospel and the role of Irenaeus, and contend that churchmen of the second century promoted a fabricated hierarchy and doctrines that marginalized Pauline emphases. The work combines close readings of New Testament episodes, critiques of patristic testimony, and a survey of institutional developments to explain doctrinal shifts and the religion's expansion.