I am happy to announce the publication of my latest book, Meet Paul Again for the First Time: Jewish Apostle of Pagan Redemption (Wipf and Stock, 2021). This book offers a new way to read and understand the self-styled “apostle to the Gentiles,” not as a hopeless sinner, not as an apostate Jew, not as a founder of a new religion, and not as a teacher of a “law-free gospel.” This approach takes Paul at his word. We discover that he was a faithful Jew, a mystic receiver of revelation, and one chosen by God to fulfill the end-time Biblical prophecies. His mission: to bring the non-Jewish nations into a right relationship with the God of Israel and enable them to join their Jewish brothers and sisters and be preserved from the wrathful judgment due shortly on the great and terrible Day of the Lord. Check out my post at davidchristianclausen.com for more or go directly to https://wipfandstock.com/9781666719567/meet-paul-again-for-the-first-time/ or  https://www.amazon.com/Meet-Paul-Again-First-Time/dp/1666719560/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=9781666719567&qid=1640125197&sr=8-1 to get your copy today!

From the back cover:

This bold, new look at the apostle Paul will challenge longtime thinking about the “apostle to the gentiles.” Unfortunately, common misperceptions and outdated characterizations continue to prevail in mainstream teaching and preaching about Paul. Meet Paul Again for the First Time introduces readers to a brand-new Paul which, as it turns out, was the original Paul all along. With clarity and purpose, Clausen rejects unfounded preconceptions about the apostle. For example, he did not teach a “law-free gospel,” he did not reject Judaism or the law, and he did not see himself as a miserable sinner who found forgiveness only in Christ. Based on a reappraisal of first-century Judaism, recognition of the pagan targets of Paul’s mission, and an appreciation for Paul’s skill as a Greco-Roman rhetorician and interpreter of Jewish scripture, Meet Paul Again brings consistency and clarity to critical Pauline concepts including the new covenant, works of the law, preservation and deliverance, the future of Israel, and the status of gentiles in God’s family. Paul’s was a mission of inclusiveness. His primary objective was to preserve sinning gentiles from God’s wrath, and welcome them in worship beside their Jewish brothers and sisters, before the imminent arrival of the great and terrible Day of the Lord.

Reviews:

“A new paradigm for reading the apostle Paul has recently emerged: Paul addresses only ‘gentiles’ and should be read within, not in opposition to, his native Judaism. Informed by this perspective, Clausen presents a different but still recognizable image of Paul. This liberated Paul’ originates from a consistent reading of Paul’s addressees as gentile, enhanced by clear thinking and uncluttered presentation. Scholars, students, and interested wider readership will welcome this thought-provoking ‘reconstructed Paul.’” William S. Campbell, University of Potsdam (author of Nations in the Divine Economy: Paul’s Covenantal Hermeneutics and Participation in Christ; and Unity and Diversity in Christ: Interpreting Paul in Context)

“In clear, concise, and careful style, Clausen introduces readers to many of the changes taking place in Pauline scholarship, especially among those rereading Paul within Judaism, at the same time advancing many new insights on specific topics and texts. Anyone interested in discovering ways to understand Paul apart from the traditional (and New Perspective) negative characterizations of Jews, Judaism, and Torah observance will without doubt find this a very welcome contribution.” Mark D. Nanos, Lund University (author of Reading Paul within Judaism; The Galatians Debate; Reading Romans within Judaism; Reading Corinthians and Philippians within Judaism; The Mystery of Romans: The Jewish Context of Paul’s Letters; and Paul within Judaism: Restoring the First-Century Context to the Apostle [with Magnus Zetterholm])