Describing the environment into which Saul was born, his education, his conversion before Damascus and his subsequent journeys, Bock's study gives a spiritual dimension to Paul's background, providing a deeper understanding of this great Christian figure and his teaching.
Above all he shows that Paul was the apostle who carried Christianity beyond the Jewish communities to humanity at large. As a zealous Jew, Paul was convinced he was serving the coming Messiah in his persecution of the followers of Jesus.
When the light suddenly came to him before Damascus, his innermost being was opened. Paul shows that the time of the Law of Moses had run its course and conscience as 'inner jurisdiction' was now to replace the rules and laws imposed from without.
Emil Bock (1895-1959), was born in Wuppertal, Germany, in 1895. He studied German and modern languages at the University of Bonn and, after joining the army, was wounded at the war front in Flanders. In 1916, while still in the army, he met the famous evangelical preacher, Friedrich Rittelmeyer, in Berlin.
After his release from the military, he studied Protestant theology in Berlin and later attended priest courses with Rudolf Steiner in Stuttgart and Dornach. With Rittelmeyer, Bock helped establish the Christian Community (the movement for religious renewal) in 1922 and soon became its leader, a position he held until his death.
In November, 1922, Bock married Grete Seumer, with whom he had four children. He remained a priest, writer, and lecturer until his death in Stuttgart. Bock's many books include Genesis; Moses; Kings and Prophets; Caesars and Apostles, The Three Years; Saint Paul; and The Childhood of Jesus.
