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Excersus XLIV: Paul Isn't Dead
Oh, St. Paul. In Nietzsche's The Antichrist, he is the wicked genius at the center of Christianity, the man who saw the potential of resentment for transforming the local cult of Judaism into a worldwide concern. In the Christian tradition itself, he is the great example of the transformative power of God - the Jewish bounty hunter who became the friend of all men, but reading his actual words it always seemed to me like he didn't change all that much. Jesus put forth the hypothesis of complete emotional and mental surrender to God. St. Paul systematized it, worked out the schematics for exactly how God could be attached to all aspects of life, and how that attachment guaranteed delicious revenge against your personal enemies. Even the "good" Paul quotes, which express love and patience, feel more like humility porn than anything else. |
