The mid-1960's erupted in a virtual volcano of dissent against historical interests when reading ancient authors and texts. Authors were declared “dead,” “texts” were redefined, and revolutionary literary theories swept the academic landscape. Concurrently, studies on Paul exploded into new perspectives, counter perspectives, wildly different “lives of Paul,” and a general disillusionment that anything at all about the “real Paul”could be known.

In the face of such explosive views, I Paulos poses a daring two-fold thesis: First, an “authentic” Paul can be known from at least the letter of 1Thessalonians, just as much as anyone can be known from a personal encounter. For what is “authentic” about authors inhabits particular kinds of texts like this one. Second, Paul can be seen in this letter as carrying on conversations on multiple levels and in a variety of shades, not only with his immediate audience, but with God through earlier authors and texts.

I, Paulos is a new kind of commentary— a contextual and conversational analysis of 1Thessalonians.