More and more philosophers recognise that the three giants of classical thought, and the shapers of western thought down to our day, are Plato, Aristotle and—Paul. In large part, Plato and Aristotle refined and codified a tradition much older than themselves. But Paul represents the great turning point of western thought away from the hold of classical tradition.

In three recent seminal talks, Professor Edwin Judge demonstrated how the story of Jesus implied three great shifts:

from Closed Cosmos to Open Cosmos

from Closed Society to Open Society

from Closed Heart to Open Heart

In three further sessions Mark, who studied with Edwin, will show how Paul’s translation of the Gospel affected these three shifts. Taking Paul out of the religious framework where many have boxed him, Mark will help us appreciate the vast, pervasive, and revolutionary impact he has had on the whole world, not just Christianity. Mark will base his sessions on Paul’s extraordinary letter to his friends living within the shadow of Caesar in Rome.

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Mark Strom: Paul and the Open Cosmos (Part 1)