Contact: Rose Trabbic, Publicist, Ignatius Press, 239-867-4180, rose@ignatius.com

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 16, 2011 /Christian Newswire/ -- Joseph Callewaert's appealing work on Saint Paul reads like a novel, offering the average Christian a glimpse into Saint Paul's life and culture in an easy to read and accessible format. With inviting, even dramatic, prose, it recounts the story of the great Apostle to the Nations. This is no dry tome or ponderous biography. Nor is its subject a "safe" historical figure, irrelevant to the issues of today: Saint Paul remains controversial.

Callewaert was inspired to write "The World of Saint Paul" when he was visiting the famous basilica of Saint Paul "outside the walls" of Rome. He says, "It was here, as I was contemplating the beautiful canopy of Arnoldo di Cambio under which rests the apostle, that I began reflecting how little average Christians know about Saint Paul and his times. Realizing that few books offer a style and a format accessible to them, I decided to write just such a book."

There are many theories about Saint Paul that are promoted by modern biblical scholars. Some scholars claim that he "invented" Christianity and believe his message radically departed from what Jesus taught. The Christian faith, so the claim runs, is the creation of Paul's religious experience, not the doctrine of Jesus. Callewaert rejects this theory, as do many other scholars. His interpretation rests on the Bible and the abiding tradition of the ages, rather than tendentious theories or ideologically-motivated revisions.

Yet Callewaert's work is no anti-scholarly screed. "The World of Saint Paul" provides a popular, yet expert account of the Apostle and his age. For those who know little about St. Paul -- which includes many Christians -- it is a superb introduction. The World of Saint Paul includes seven pages of maps on the journeys of Saint Paul, as well as a helpful chronology of his life.

Joseph Callewaert, Knight Commander of the French Order of Merit, was born in Belgium and educated in France. Now a U.S. citizen, he lives in Gulf Breeze, Florida, where he enjoys life as an ardent historian of Saint Paul the Apostle. He has written delightful travelogues about undiscovered France as well as "Lights out for Freedom," a retelling of his youthful experiences of living in Belgium during 52 months of Nazi occupation.

To request a review copy or an interview with author Joseph M. Callewaert, please contact:

Rose Trabbic, Publicist, Ignatius Press, (239)867-4180 or rose@ignatius.com