Research & Dissertation

My doctoral research focuses on the enduring influence of the Apostle Paul in what I call the Agora of Ideas—the vibrant marketplace of thought in the ancient world. Far from being confined to the church, Paul’s reimagining of human dignity, identity, and moral responsibility reverberates across history and continues to shape the secular frameworks of the modern world. This dissertation seeks to trace that influence, showing how Pauline paradigms underlie many of the moral ideals that Western society now considers self-evident.

Abstract

This dissertation explores the enduring influence of the Apostle Paul on the Agora of Ideas—the intellectual marketplace of the ancient world—and traces the reverberations of Pauline paradigms into the modern secular age. Far from being confined to the theological or ecclesiastical sphere, Paul’s redefinition of human worth, identity, and community provided conceptual frameworks that have shaped Western moral imagination for centuries. The central thesis argues that many ideals we now regard as foundational to the modern world—human dignity, equality, and moral responsibility—find their roots in Pauline thought, even when divorced from its explicitly theological context.

The study begins with a close examination of Paul’s presence in the Greco-Roman agora, where his message confronted competing philosophies and religious traditions. By setting Paul within this vibrant marketplace of Stoic, Epicurean, and civic ideals, the work highlights the radical nature of his claim: that all individuals, regardless of status, ethnicity, or gender, are united in Christ and thereby share an equal dignity. This theological vision was not only countercultural in antiquity but also became a seedbed for later social and moral developments.

Moving forward in history, the dissertation demonstrates how Pauline paradigms subtly but powerfully shaped the intellectual foundations of the modern West. From Enlightenment notions of universal rights to contemporary discussions of social justice, echoes of Paul can be discerned in the ways secular societies construct moral frameworks. The work contends that even when modern thought distances itself from religious commitments, it nonetheless borrows categories and assumptions first introduced by Paul in his letters and teachings.

Finally, this project underscores the importance of recognizing the continuity between ancient paradigms and modern ideals. By situating Paul in both his original context and his long afterlife, the dissertation invites readers to reconsider the genealogy of the values we often assume to be products of reason alone. It argues that the Apostle’s vision remains a living force in the ongoing conversation of the Agora of Ideas—a force that continues to challenge, inspire, and unsettle both believers and skeptics alike.

Dissertation Table of Contents

Introduction

  • The Unseen Foundation; The Apostle in the Agora of Ideas
  • Central Thesis: Pauline Principles Provide the Moral Foundation of Western Mores
  • Methodology

Part I: The Individual and the Social Contract

  1. The New Man and the Concept of the Individual
  2. Freedom from the Law and the Roots of Individual Liberty
  3. The Body of Christ and the Foundations of Civil Society

Part II: Power, Authority, and Justice
4. The Powers That Be and the Idea of Legitimate Authority
5. The “Weak” and the “Strong” and the Politics of Inclusion
6. Justification and the Concept of Unmerited Grace
7. The Paradox of Humility: Power Through Weakness

Part III: Ethics, Labor, and Social Order
8. The Household Codes and the Genesis of Social Hierarchy
9. The Ethics of Labor and the Sanctity of Work
10. Love as the Political Motive

Part IV: The Collapse of the Pauline Heritage
11. The Case of the French Revolution
12. The Case of Communist Russia
13. The Case of Nazi Germany

Part V: Civil Evolution in the Absence of Pauline Principles
14. China: The Tradition of Confucianism and Legalism

Conclusion

  • The Enduring Apostle and the Ongoing Agora
  • References

Why It Matters

This dissertation demonstrates that many values we consider “modern” or “secular”—from equality to human rights—are deeply indebted to Pauline thought. By tracing this intellectual genealogy, I argue that Paul remains a living presence in the Agora of Ideas, continually shaping the frameworks through which both religious and secular societies understand justice, freedom, and human dignity.

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