The First Marketing Campaign
How the Apostle Paul Transformed a Small Jewish Religious Sect and Planted the Seeds of What Became a New Religion Called Christianity
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THE FIRST MARKETING CAMPAIGN The book uses a contemporary marketing model to assess how the Apostle Paul transformed a small Jewish religious sect and planted the seeds of what became a new religion called Christianity. Unique in the book is the exploration of how Paul addressed issues and concepts that those he sought to convert found outrageous, unbelievable, and barbaric into positive ideasthat those he did convert willingly and joyfully accepted.
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About the Book
The Apostle Paul was one of the most significant figures in world history, but also a controversial one. Some have claimed he invented Christianity, others argue that he was a messenger of the real founder, Jesus Christ. In his life he was first a vigorous persecutor of those who followed the teachings of Jesus. Then Paul claimed he had encountered Jesus who told him to change and become an evangelist of those teachings to the Gentiles. Why did anyone believe that this persecutor of these first Christians had really changed? Using a contemporary marketing model, the author explores how Paul, who obviously knew nothing about “marketing,” attempted to implement each aspect of that model. But was Paul successful? How many Gentiles were actually converted? How many “churches” did Paul actually create? These and other questions are explored in this unique and original interpretation of Paul’s missionary work. The book stands out from others about Paul by an in-depth exploration of the pagan culture where he sought to make converts. It explores how Paul transformed concepts which Gentiles found extremely objectionable to positive ideas they willingly embraced. The book concludes with an overall evaluation of the positive and negative approaches Paul utilized in his effort to launch what was the first marketing campaign in history
About the Author
Michael J. Bakalis has served in a variety of education and government leadership positions. In his career he has taught in America’s public schools and public and private universities. He received a PhD degree in history from Northwestern University and has served as a university dean and community college president. Bakalis entered government service by being elected Illinois State Superintendent of Education and then elected as Illinois State Comptroller. By appointment of the President of the United States he assumed the position of Deputy Under Secretary of Education in the United States Department of Education in Washington. He subsequently joined the faculty of the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University, where he taught classes in leadership in public and not-for-profit management. Mr. Bakalis has published extensively in the fields of education and public policy and has been the recipient of numerous awards and honors. Among them was the selection is Illinois administrator of the year. In 1999 he founded the American Quality Schools Corporation, a not -for- profit educational management and consulting organization which operated 20 schools in Chicago and the Midwest. He has published 15 nonfiction and fiction books and has lectured extensively at various universities throughout the United States and abroad. He currently writes frequent commentaries on religion, education, politics, government and American society on the Substack on-line platform under the title, “Something to Think About.” Michael Bakalis is an active adherent In the Eastern Orthodox denomination of Christianity. His latest book in that field is, A Church at the Crossroads: The Crisis in American Orthodox Christianity and the Decisions Needed for Renewal.