The Memoirs of St. Peter

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What to expect

The Gospel as you have never heard it before

At a distance of twenty centuries, the figure of Jesus of Nazareth can seem impossibly obscure—indeed, some skeptics even question whether he existed. And yet we have an eyewitness account of his life, death, and resurrection from one of his closest companions, the sherman Simon Bar-Jonah, better known as the Apostle Peter.

Writers from the earliest days of the Church tell us that Peter’s disciple Mark wrote down the apostle’s account of the life of Jesus as he told it to the first Christians in Rome. The vivid, detailed, unadorned prose of the Gospel of Mark conveys the unmistakable immediacy of a first-hand account.

For most readers, however, this immediacy is hidden behind a veil of Greek, the language of the New Testament writers. Four centuries of English translations have achieved nobility of cadence or, more recently, idiomatic accessibility, but the voice of Peter himself has never fully emerged. Until now.

In this strikingly original translation, attentive to Peter’s concern to show what it was like to be there, Michael Pakaluk captures the tone and texture of the sherman’s evocative account, leading the listener to a bracing new encounter with Jesus.

The accompanying verse-by-verse commentary—less theological than historical—will equip you to experience Mark’s Gospel as the narrative of an eyewitness, drawing you into its scenes, where you will come to know Jesus of Nazareth with new intimacy.

A stunning work of scholarship readily accessible to the layman, The Memoirs of St. Peter belongs on the bookshelf of every serious Christian.

Critics Review

  • “This must surely be the definitive version of a great book—a book of astonishing literary power.”

    Sir Roger Scruton, writer and philosopher
  • “Michael Pakaluk offers a fresh translation that captures the vivid narrative of Mark’s Gospel along with a running commentary based upon his own careful and thoughtful study.”

    Scott Hahn, Franciscan University of Steubenville
  • “With elegant simplicity, literal precision, and the conceptual graces of an Aristotelian philosopher, Michael Pakaluk brings the Lord Jesus Christ into sharp focus through the eyes of the Church’s first universal pastor, St. Peter. Highly recommended.”

    C. C. Pecknold, Associate Professor of Theology, Catholic University of America
  • “Reading The Memoirs of St. Peter deepened my appreciation and enriched my understanding of the Gospel of Mark. It is a perfect companion that brings the verses of the gospel to life.”

    Obianuju Ekeocha, international human rights activist and author of Target Africa
  • “There are many Scripture commentaries and translations, but few that match the sharp intelligence and broad imagination of Michael Pakaluk’s.”

    Robert Royal, Faith & Reason Institute

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