Secondary sourceBook1880
The Life and Work of St. Paul, Volume 1
Frederic William Farrar · 1880
An 1880 biography of Paul the Apostle by Frederic William Farrar, covering his training and early life.
A widely-read Victorian biography studying Paul's training, early life and later ministry.
About this source
What it is
This is the first volume of a biography of Paul written in 1880 by Frederic William Farrar, a Cambridge fellow and Westminster canon. It opens with chapters on Paul's training in Judaism and his early life, drawing on the Book of Acts and Paul's epistles.
Why it matters
This book was widely used in schools of its time, showing how Victorian readers were taught about Paul. It also discusses the fragmentary nature of the evidence for Paul's life and the modern criticism of Acts available to the author.
Look closer
- Why does the author discuss the limits and fragments of the evidence for Paul's life?
- How might a book meant for schools present history differently from one meant for scholars?
- What might the dedication to a bishop tell us about the author's circle and purpose?
This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Saint Paul on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.
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