Book Title: Paul and Stephen¹
Spirit Author:  Emmanuel
Medium: Francisco Cândido Xavier  

Description:         

Description 1:  From the back cover of the book²:

How did an old man’s trip to the market to buy fist and vegetables lead to a chain of cause and effect events  that would change the religious face the world forever?

Who was Paul of Tarsus?

A fanatical Pharisee and ruthless persecutor of Christians and the newborn Christian doctrine?  Or a being predestined by divine choice, who converted upon receiving the gift of the apparition of Jesus in a glorious vision at the gates of Damascus? 

This book will show the reader the greatness of Paul of Tarsus, a courageous, daring and sincere man, who repented for his radical posture that culminated in the stoning of Christianity’s first martyr.  Stephen, and who humbly undertook the accelerated revision of his ideas in answer to Jesus’ call.  Amid persecutions, infirmities, mockery, disillusionment, desertions by friends, stoning, beatings and imprisonments, he transformed his life into an example of labor through dozens of years of struggle by founding churches and rendering them assistance.

At some point in our lives, we all receive Christ’s call.  What have we done?

Description 3:  From SGNY website³:

It is the most famous and longest novel in all of Spiritist literature. The spirit Emmanuel, through the mediumship of Chico Cândido Xavier, describes one of the most emblematic moments of early Christianity: the story of Paul of Tarsus, better known as Saint Paul. The richness of the narrative takes the reader to the Galilee of twenty centuries ago, revealing the spiritual events behind the expansion of Christianity. Besides offering new information on Paul’s conversion at the gates of Damascus, his escape to the desert, and his travels, the book talks about the relationship between Paul and Stephen, the first martyr of Christianity. Paul and Stephen is considered one of the top ten Spiritist books of the 20th century.

¹ Translation of original in Portuguese, titled “Paulo e Estevão”
² As published, in 2008, by the International Spiritist Council
³  http://www.sgny.org/books.htm, 4/12/09