Über Judentum und Hellenismus hinaus: Die paulinische Theologie als neues Wissenssystem

Abstract The new Paul within Judaism Perspective claims that Paul remained a Jew and loyal to the Torah throughout his entire life. His letters were addressed exclusively to Gentile Christians. However, all the Pauline letters do not give the impression that their contents only applied to certain groups within the different congregations. Without a doubt, Paul remained closely tied to Judaism throughout his life, but numerous texts document a break with the past and a departure towards something new. In addition, the Paul within Judaism Perspective ignores the theological standpoint and the organizational efforts required by the emerging group of Christians to establish themselves as a religious community. Any group who decides to set up its own meeting places, give itself a new name, develop new rituals and laws, organize its own communal meals, determine a new holy day and celebrate its own worship services based on a new and unique group image cannot be seen as part of another religious group. Ultimately, a new, impressive theological world comes to light, expressed in its own original style and with an extraordinary literary production. Neither the Jews, nor the strict Jewish Christians, nor the Romans of the time perceived the apostle Paul as someone who continued to consider himself and his congregations to be within the framework of Judaism.