Book 1 contains Part 1: Paul and his world and Part 2: The mindset of the apostle; book 2 contains Part 3: Paul's theology and Part 4: Paul in history.

Includes bibliographical references (pages [1521]-1590) and indexes.

Part I. Paul and his world. Return of the runaway? -- Like birds overhead : the faithfulness of the God of Israel -- Athene and her owl : the wisdom of the Greeks -- A cock for Asclepius : 'religion' and 'culture' in Paul's world -- The eagle has landed : Rome and the challenge of empire -- Part II. The mindset of the apostle. A bird in the hand? : the symbolic praxis of Paul's world -- The plot, the plan and the storied worldview -- Five signposts to the apostolic mindset -- Part III. Paul's theology. The one God of Israel, freshly revealed -- The people of God, freshly reworked -- God's future for the world, freshly imagined -- Part IV. Paul in history. The lion and the eagle : Paul in Caesar's empire -- A different sacrifice : Paul and 'religion' -- The foolishness of God : Paul among the philosophers -- To know the place for the first time : Paul and his Jewish context -- Sign of the new creation : Paul's aims and achievements.