Saint Peter

Fisherman, missionary, healer, sinner, confessor, martyr, and ultimately saint, Peter has come down to us through the centuries as an astonishingly complex and multifaceted man. Despite his unique role - as the most important apostle and the head of the early Church - Peter has remained a shadowy and elusive figure. Now, in this luminous and insightful biography, rich in ambiance and detail, Michael Grant re-creates the life of one of Christianity's central icons. Grant narrates and interprets Peter's life by drawing on the most recent advances in archaeology and anthropology as well as his extensive knowledge of literature, philosophy, and religion. Peter emerges as a strong and passionate leader whose complex relations with other early Christians, particularly Paul, mirrored the ferment of his times. Grant probes the traditions connecting Peter to the church at Rome, and examines the legends surrounding his martyrdom. More than just a biography, Saint Peter explores the problems and triumphs of classical scholarship and its research methods, illuminating our continuing relationship with the past. Perhaps most important, Grant provides a human dimension to the life of Peter and to our understanding of the ancient world.