One of the most often touted “evidences” of Christianity is the conversion of Paul and his fervor for Christianity. I’ve been thinking about this and wondered if there are any established theories out there that seem to jive with what I have been thinking. This isn’t necessarily something I’m sold but but just kicking the tires, that Paul was a psychopath and a swindler, sort of an ancient time Jordan Belfort. 

It seems entirely possible to me that Paul was possibly less of a devout religious person and more of a power hungry psychopath. If Paul had a certain social status as being a Pharisee, and he went around murdering people, it seems entirely possible that his motivations for this weren’t religiously motivated but more so being driven by power and status. Given that the gospel which he preaches at times seems to be in stark contrast to that of Jesus, and that (for whatever reason) he became the most central figure to the church after, even more so than anyone who actually knew Jesus, it seems as if Paul could have seen an opportunity for a new religion, one where it would be much easier to gain converts (e.g. not having to cut the tip of your penis off, no strict rules etc.). 

Basically the idea that Paul’s conversion and church building work wasn’t done on the basis of an illusion that he had, more out of less than noble intentions because all prior indications are that he was not the nicest and best of people. 

TIA