The Odyssey of St. Paul

Aside from Jesus himself, no one has had a greater influence on the founding of Christianity than Paul of Tarsus. Among his many achievements, three are of prime importance: 1) as a powerful, tireless missionary, he spread the faith to Asia Minor, Greece, and Italy; 2) his letters, which form much of the New Testament, present a basic theology for Christianity; and 3) more than anyone else, he brought Gentiles into the early church, not only Jews, thus 'universalizing' the faith.