SAINT PETER: A BIOGRAPHY

by Michael Grant

Book Overview

Combining recent advances in archaeology and anthropology with extensive knowledge of literature, philosophy, and religion, a classical historian reveals a human dimension to the life of Peter,... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 068419354X
• Release Date: February 1995
• Publisher: Scribner
• Length: 224 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.8" x 1.0" x 6.5"

Customer Reviews

A tightly written review of what might be known of St. Peter

While admitting that the historical record is spotty and inferential, Michael Grant develops a "biography" of Saint Peter that leads the reader to the conclusion that much of the tradition surrounding Peter (leader of Christ's apostles, his role in establishing the Church at Rome) may well be rooted in historical fact. Never one to stretch the evidence beyond what it can sustain, Grant is careful to present alternative theories, weigh them, and draw conclusions based on the preponderance of the historical evidence. This is a short book, but one crafted with great care.

PRODIGIOUS RESEARCH AND THOROUGH SCHOLARSHIP

Recreating the life of one of Christianity's central figures is not an easy task. Michael Grant does it well. Saint Peter, the multi-faceted figure for whom the largest Christian church building in the world is named remains an enigmatic man. Thanks to the prodigious research and thorough scholarship of the author, much of that mystery is dispelled. Beginning with an explanation of how information for this study was obtainted, Grant then moves into the story of Peter when Jesus was alive. This is followed by Peter's years after Jesus's death and then his martyrdom in Rome. Illustrations, references and bibliography are included in the volume. - Gail Cooke

History vs. Mythology

Michael Grant devotes nearly a third of this slim volume (less than 200 pages) to discussing the problems of research and the difficulty with sources before getting into anything that looks like a biography should. And perhaps that underscores the difficulty with a subject such as Saint Peter, the first among equals of the disciples of Christ. So much mythology has arisen, and there is precious little by way of actual biographical data in the New Testament. Saint Peter is 'a shadowy and elusive' character, even in the Bible. Grant works his way through Peter's life, first during the period in which Jesus was alive, then during the Acts/early church years, including dealings with the increasing number of Gentiles and his rocky relationship with Paul. Finally Grant closes with a section on Peter in Rome, and has an interesting analysis, including why Peter rather than Paul in many ways remains the dominant apostle, if not the dominant apostolic voice. Much of the church as we know it today is derived from Pauline teachings, but the hierarchy of apostolic succession still embraces Peter as primus inter paries. Curious, as the gospels seem to have a poor opinion of him; but perhaps to be the first apostle is to have the most human failings?Grant's book does not take on the question of papal supremacy or modern (or even earlier) political struggles -- he outlines a brief history of the influence of Peter's life, but does not do an analysis here (and says so openly).In all, this is a good book, well written, with many notes, references and sources to seek out that will make the diligent happy, and enough detail to make the casual reader glad to have read this work.