The Praise of Folly

by

Desiderius Erasmus

Saint Paul Character Analysis

Saint Paul (5–c. 64/65 AD), or Paul the Apostle, was a Christian apostle who spread Jesus’s teachings in the first-century world. He was the author of several epistles, or letters, in the New Testament, and his ideas and teachings are considered massively influential on the development and spread of Christianity. He is known for preaching the importance of Jesus’s death and resurrection.
Get the entire The Praise of Folly LitChart as a printable PDF.
The Praise of Folly PDF

Saint Paul Character Timeline in The Praise of Folly

The timeline below shows where the character Saint Paul appears in The Praise of Folly. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
The Praise of Folly
Power, Privilege, and Hypocrisy  Theme Icon
Folly questions whether Saint Paul would have condemned questions and disputes the way contemporary theologians do. Moreover, Folly points out... (full context)
Folly vs. Wisdom Theme Icon
Rhetoric Theme Icon
...with showing that all people are fools, even kings like King Solomon. Folly then quotes Saint Paul from Corinthians when he claims to be a fool, after which she goes on a... (full context)
Rhetoric Theme Icon
...this instance, an old theologian defended the burning of heretics by citing a passage from Saint Paul concerning not allowing “witches”—which Paul translated as “heretics”—to live. Many theologians found this argument convincing,... (full context)
Happiness, Delusion, and the Human Condition Theme Icon
Folly returns to quoting Saint Paul , highlighting several passages that seem to celebrate quality as not only a virtue, but... (full context)