You may have to Search all our reviewed books and magazines, click the sign up button below to create a free account.
This volume offers a comprehensive examination of circumcision and foreskin in the undisputed Pauline epistles. Historically, Paul's discourse on circumcision has been read through the lens of Paul's supposed abandonment of Judaism and conversion to 'Christianity.' Recent scholarship on Paul, however, has challenged the idea that Paul ever abandoned Judaism. In the context of this revisionist reading of Paul, Ryan Collman argues that Paul never repudiates, redefines, or replaces circumcision. Rather, Paul's discourse on circumcision (and foreskin) is shaped by his understanding of ethnicity and his bifurcation of humanity into the categories of Jews and the nations—the circumcision and the foreskin. Collman argues that Paul does not deny the continuing validity (and importance) of circumcision for Jewish followers of Jesus, but categorically refuses that gentile believers can undergo circumcision. By reading this language in its historical, rhetorical, epistolary, and ethnic contexts, Collman offers a number of new readings of difficult Pauline texts (e.g., Rom 4:9–12; Gal 5:1–4; Phil 3:2–3).
In every generation, the study of Paul evolves with new insights and questions. This enigmatic ancient figure continues to ignite interesting conversations and vigorous debates. Complementing the successful The State of New Testament Studies, this book surveys the current landscape of Pauline studies, offering readers a concise guide to contemporary discussions in Pauline scholarship. It brings together a diverse team of leading scholars, providing up-to-date, expert analysis on important issues in Pauline studies, such as Christology, salvation, the Spirit, gender, and empire. In addition, each of the Pauline letters is examined in detail. This book will serve as an ideal supplemental textbook for Paul courses. Contributors include Ben Blackwell, Dennis Edwards, Timothy Gombis, John Goodrich, Nijay K. Gupta, Erin Heim, Chris Hoklotubbe, Joshua Jipp, Scot McKnight, Peter Oakes, B. J. Oropeza, Angela Parker, Kris Song, Jennifer Strawbridge, Sydney Tooth, Cynthia Long Westfall, and Kent Yinger.
Paul's inconsistency on the Jewish law is a persistent scholarly problem. He can argue vociferously against circumcision but also acknowledge its potential benefit. He expresses pride in his ancestral law and practices, but also describes them in terms of slavery, curses, and rubbish. What are we to make of this? In this volume, Annalisa Phillips Wilson offers a fresh approach. Her comparison of Paul's texts with Stoic ethical reasoning demonstrates that his discourse on Jewish practices reflects Stoic discourse patterns on neutral selections and activities, discourse designed to establish one category of incommensurable worth.
Reckoning with the hermeneutical struggle to make sense of Paul as both a historical figure and a canonical muse. Matthew Novenson has become a leading advocate for the continuing relevance of historical-critical readings of Paul even as some New Testament scholars have turned to purely theological or political approaches. In this collection of a decade’s worth of essays, Novenson puts contextual understandings of Paul’s letters into conversation with their Christian reception history. After a new, programmatic introductory essay that frames the other eleven essays, Novenson explores topics including: the relation between theology and historical criticism the place of Jews and gentiles i...
What did Jesus teach about the Law of Moses? Did he say that he came to bring it to an end, or did he want his followers to obey it? Matthew 5:17-20 is a key text that addresses this issue. In this passage, Jesus tells us exactly what he came to do with the Torah: he came to "fulfill" it. But what does that mean? In this short book, David Wilber explores this question. Through a detailed study of Matthew 5:17-20, you will learn how Jesus fulfilled the Law and what this means for Christians today.
Covers the historical Paul, the letters (authentic and pseudonymous), and the acts (canonical and noncanonical). Considers traditional approaches alongside more recent approaches-including gender, race and ethnicity, and material culture. Written by a diverse, international group of experts. Assesses the field as it stands and pushes forward into new possibilities for Pauline Studies. Book jacket.
In this monograph, Alex W. Muir shows how Paul and Seneca were significant contributors to an ancient philosophical and rhetorical tradition of consolation. Each writer's consolatory career is surveyed in turn through close readings of key primary texts: chiefly Seneca's three literary consolations and 'Epistles'; and Paul's letters, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Corinthians, and Philippians. A final comparative dialogue highlights the pair's adaptations and innovations within this tradition.
Did the apostle Paul teach a law-free gospel, or did he affirm the continued relevance of the Torah for Christians? Acts 21:20-26 directly tackles this question. In this passage, Paul and James confront accusations that Paul taught followers of Jesus to "forsake Moses." How did they respond to these accusations, and what does their response teach us about Paul's perspective on the Law of Moses? In this short book, Dr. G. Scott McKenzie challenges the traditional antinomian interpretations of Acts 21:20-26 and encourages readers to explore a pronomian (pro-law) perspective. With fresh insights and careful scholarship, this work invites believers to reexamine the role of the Torah in Christian faith and practice.
M. John-Patrick O'Connor proposes that - in contrast to recent contemporary scholarship that rarely focuses on the ethical implications of discipleship and Christology - Mark's Gospel, as our earliest life of Jesus, presents a theological description of the moral life. Arguing for Mark's ethical validity in comparison to Matthew and Luke, O'Connor begins with an analysis of the moral environment of ancient biographies, exploring what types of Jewish and Greco-Romanic conceptions of morality found their way into Hellenistic biographies. Turning to the Gospel's own examples of morality, O'Connor examines moral accountability according to Mark, including moral reasoning, the nature of a world in conflict, and accountability in both God's family and to God's authority. He then turns to images of the accountable self, including an analysis of virtues and virtuous practices within the Gospel. O'Connor concludes with the personification of evil, human responsibility, punitive consequences, and evil's role in Mark's moral landscape.
The formation of the Book of the Twelve is one of the most vigorously debated subjects in Old Testament studies today. This volume assembles twenty-four essays by the world’s leading experts, providing an overview of the present state of scholarship in the field. The book’s contributors focus on questions of method, history, as well as redactional and textual history.