, 16 October 2007 (UTC)

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Removed from "THEOLOGY" portion as it does not fit the title. Please discuss whether this fits under critism or political headings.

In many respects, the Jewish Messiah becomes nothing but a catalyst, even a figurehead, for Paulinism's own agenda. Paul's new religion had the advantage over other salvation-cults of being attached to the Hebrew Scriptures, which Paul reinterpreted as forecasting the salvific death of Jesus. This gave Pauline Christianity an awesome authority within the period culture that proved attractive to Gentiles thirsting for salvation. MacCoby, Hyam, The Mythmaker, Paul and the Invention of Christianity (ISBN 0-06-0155825)

A.N. Wilson, among others, contends  that Paul invented the Eucharist A.N Wilson, Paul:The Mind of the Apostle. (The contention that the eucharist originates in the religion of Mithras has been widely canvassed since at least the 2nd century when Justin Martyr disputed the allegation .)

He argues, likewise,  (ibid.)  that the idea of justification by faith was his and which can be contrasted with passages in the gospel and elsewhere where doing the will of God is paramount. 'Not everyone who says to me "Lord, Lord", will enter the kingdom of Heaven but only those who do the will of my Father in heaven.' - Matthew 7:21)cf. James 2:18ff  

Those who characterize the tenets of Catholic Christianity as "Pauline" compare it with its alternatives, beliefs that Christian theologians called heresies.

It is argued that the Paulines were responsible for the marginalisation of James, the leader of the Jerusalem church, in favour of Peter. The small scattered Jewish Jerusalem Church was disbanded in 135 with the banishment of the Jews from the region by the Romans, having been decimated during the Jewish revolt of 66-70AD.

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