JEWISH CREATIVE APPROACHES TO THE APOSTLE PAUL

摘要

In contrast to Jewish theological and scholarly studies of Paul, artistic or literary approaches are relatively unknown. This is partly due to the alleged marginality of the Jewish contributors concerned. However, those with complex Jewish identities potentially offer a useful corrective to the impression made by mainstream Jewish religious authorities and popular opinion. The sentiments expressed in Ludwig Meidner's painting Paul's Sermon (1919) and Franz Werfel's play Paul among the Jews (1926) contrast powerfully with those of the classic Jewish view. The sensitive treatments of the Apostle to the Gentiles by Meidner and Werfel point to the importance of a mystical outlook and an emphasis on the commonalities of the Judeo-Christian experience for Jewish creative responses to Paul.