'Apostle on the Edge': A letter from Paul that's more apology than epistle

James Hanson proposes that through a wrinkle in time, the apostle Paul comes to us on his last day of life to set the record straight: he is not anti-woman, anti-gay or anti-semitic. He can't understand how letters intended for early congregations became part of holy scripture and he laments how his words have been used for centuries of antisemitism. He was, after all, a Jew himself. Hanson, an associate professor of New Testament at St. Olaf, portrays the apostle as a stammering, frenzied man (drawing evidence from Paul's own writing) desperate to redeem his reputation. An interest in Christian theology helps, but Hanson brings a welcome passion that makes this a good piece of theater on its own. (5:30 p.m. Mon., 10 p.m. Tue., 8:30 p.m. Sat.; Ritz Studio, 345 13th Av. NE.)

Graydon Royce