Ancient Christian preacher and teacher; along with the Apostle Peter, one of the foremost leaders of the early Christian Church. Paul, originally called Saul, was at first an enemy and persecutor of the early Christians. As he rode to Damascus one day, seeking to suppress the Christians there, a strong light from heaven blinded him, and God spoke to him; after this experience, Saul became a Christian. Going by the Greek name Paul, he spent the rest of his life bringing the gospel to the peoples of the ancient world. The New Testament includes his many epistles (letters) to the early Christian communities.
Jean Paul
German novelist and humorist whose works were immensely popular in the first 20 years of the 19th century. His pen name, Jean Paul, reflected his admiration for the French writer Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Jean Paul's writing bridged the shift in literature from the formal ideals of Weimar Classicism to the intuitive transcendentalism of early Romanticism.
Learn more about Jean Paul with a free trial on Britannica.com.
Jean Paul
German novelist and humorist whose works were immensely popular in the first 20 years of the 19th century. His pen name, Jean Paul, reflected his admiration for the French writer Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Jean Paul's writing bridged the shift in literature from the formal ideals of Weimar Classicism to the intuitive transcendentalism of early Romanticism.
Learn more about Paul, Jean with a free trial on Britannica.com.