Damit Gott sei alles in allem

Christianity is generally seen as differing from Judaism in that, rather than being the religion of a specific people, it is open to all peoples. It is St Paul the Apostle who above all is regarded as overcoming Jewish particularism and preparing the way for Christian universalism. G. Holtz shows that a contrast of this kind does justice neither to Paul nor to the Judaism of his age. A detailed comparison of the Letters of St Paul with contemporary Jewish writings, especially the literature of Qumran and the work of Philo of Alexandria shows that on both sides there were tendencies towards openness and towards delineation.