The apostle Paul is a controversial figure, both admired and reviled. His letters have influenced creeds and dogmatic statements, but he is also accused of turning the simple gospel that Jesus preached into a complex dogmatic system. Furthermore, on the authority of Paul, women have been given second place in church and society for many centuries. The apostle to the Gentiles has sometimes been a source of inspiration, but he has more often than t been a stumbling block when Jews and Christians meet
