Unveiling Paul

The earliest interpreters of Paul can help us understand him more fully today.

In Unveiling Paul, Orthodox scholar Daniel Fanous offers a fresh perspective on the apostle by reconsidering him through the lens of patristic wisdom. At the heart of the book is the conviction that Paul’s encounter with Christ on the road to Damascus was an unveiling of Christ not only to him but in him—which thereafter illuminated Paul’s reading of Scripture, his vision of humanity, and his understanding of himself.

Fanous explores how this dramatic unveiling shaped Paul’s understanding of salvation and related themes: co-crucifixion with Christ, the indwelling of the Righteous One, the transformation of believers into righteous ones by participation, and more. Engaging with the work of modern interpreters such as Michael Gorman and Richard Hays, Fanous affirms their emphasis on participation and transformation while broadening the conversation to include the voices of the early church fathers—those who stood closest to Paul chronologically, linguistically, culturally, and spiritually. 

By reading alongside the earliest exegetes, Fanous recovers important insights into contested Pauline themes—faith, justification, righteousness, salvation—insights that challenge many modern assumptions and point the way to fruitful alternative readings. Grounded in the theological riches of the early Christian tradition, Unveiling Paul is essential reading for scholars, students of Scripture, and anyone who wants to see Paul anew.