Conformed to the Image of His Son: Reconsidering Paul’s Theology of Glory in Romans
Overview
With its soaring affirmations and profound statements of salvation in Christ, Romans 8 is a high point in Pauline theology. But what does Paul mean when in 8:29 he speaks of being “conformed to the image of his Son”?
Remarkably, there has been little scholarly attention awarded to this Pauline statement of the goal of salvation. And yet in Christian piety, preaching, and theology, this is a treasured phrase. Surprisingly, its meaning has been variously and ambiguously expressed. Is it a moral or spiritual or sanctifying conformity to Christ, or to his suffering, or does it point to an eschatological transformation into radiant glory?
In Conformed to the Image of His Son, Haley Goranson Jacob probes and reopens a text perhaps too familiar and a meaning too often assumed. If conformity to the image of the Son is the goal of salvation, a proper understanding is paramount. Jacob points out that the key lies in the meaning of “glory” in Paul’s biblical-theological perspective and in how he uses the language of glory in Romans. For this investigation of glory alone, her study would be valuable for the fresh understanding she brings to Paul’s narrative of glory. But in introducing a new and compelling reading of Romans 8:29, this is a study that makes a strong bid to reorient our understanding of Paul’s classic statement of the goal of salvation.
- Explores the meaning and use of “glory” in Romans 8
- Proposes a distinct literary and theological understanding of Romans 8:29b
- Analyzes a wide variety of views on the theology of Romans
- Foreword by N. T. Wright
- Introduction
- Getting to This Point
- A Few Notes on Methodology
- Outline and Agenda for Each Section
Part I: The Hope of Glory in Romans 5–8
- Glory and Glorification in Jewish Literature
- Humanity's Glory and Glorification in Romans
- Participation in Christ's Glory
Part II: Romans 8:29
- Image of the Son
- Participation in the Firstborn Son's Glory
- Purposed for Conformity
- Conclusion
Top Highlights
“In nearly every instance of δόξα and δοξάζω in association with humanity in the LXX, it is a reference to the exalted status or honor the person possesses or in which they exist rather than a visible splendor after the likeness of God’s theophanic splendor.” (Page 48)
“Despite the lack of any sustained treatments of the phrase, various interpretations are nonetheless assumed by commentators and authors alike, none of which are upheld by solid literary or theological evidence. And yet many use the phrase to capture what is considered the end goal of the Christian life: conformity to Christ. How can this phrase be used so often within both popular and scholarly conversations, and yet have so few in agreement over its basic meaning? In this book I have one ultimate objective: to examine Romans 8:29b within its own literary and theological context so as to discover what this oft-used but rarely substantiated phrase means within Romans.” (Page 2)
“Traditionally, glorification is understood as synonymous with sanctification, where a person is made holy or morally righteous or pure, as God is, often though not always as a result of being in God’s presence. It is a process of ontological transformation from being a person with less Godlikeness to a person with greater Godlikeness. However, at least in the LXX, zero indication exists to suggest that a person’s glorification is ever about transformation of one’s sanctity. In being glorified, humanity is never made ‘like God,’ other than the fact that humans are honored or exalted to a status of power or rule.” (Page 50)
The letters of Paul are notoriously complex. However exciting and stimulating the subject matter, there always seems to be more going on than meets the eye of the casual reader, even of the Christian reader used to hearing sermons and other expositions of well-known texts. It is therefore always worthwhile investigating even the most familiar passages to be sure they have yielded up their secrets. This is what Haley Jacob has done in this remarkable work, and the results are striking. If she is right—and I am convinced that she is—then the standard assumptions about a central Pauline passage will need to be revised. After a lifetime of study and teaching on Romans, I was not expecting to be confronted at my age with a fresh understanding of its central chapter, requiring a radical rethink of many familiar landmarks both exegetical and theological. But that is what Dr. Jacob has achieved. Not everyone will agree with all segments of her argument. But both in its parts and as a whole it has, to my mind, compelling force. I urge all students of Paul and of Romans to work carefully through the step-by-step presentation of the case.
—N. T. Wright, research professor of New Testament and early Christianity at the University of St. Andrews, Scotland
There are so many words in the Bible, like grace and gospel, that are commonly thought to be understood but which, upon closer analysis, are shaped too much by a lack of study. Enter glory. Enter Haley Jacob’s examination of glory, and we inherit a study filled with careful analysis, theological sophistication, and practical insights. What is meant by ‘conformed to the image of Christ’ is now clarified and ready for pastoral and ecclesial exploration. I found this study judicious and insightful at every turn.
—Scot McKnight, Julius R. Mantey Professor of New Testament at Northern Seminary
What is conformity to Christ? Is it participation in him or glorification with him? Haley Jacob contends that Romans 8 presents a functional understanding of glorification as believers’ sharing in Christ’s benevolent messianic rule and thus in God’s care for creation. Resolutely argued and consistently provocative, this significant book will challenge readers of Romans to look afresh at one of its most theologically important themes—and its implications for the life of the church.
—Michael J. Gorman, Raymond E. Brown Professor of Biblical Studies and Theology at St. Mary’s Seminary & University, Baltimore
- Title: Conformed to the Image of His Son: Reconsidering Paul’s Theology of Glory in Romans
- Author: Haley Goranson Jacob
- Publisher: IVP Academic
- Print Publication Date: 2018
- Logos Release Date: 2019
- Pages: 312
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
- Subjects: Jesus Christ; Bible. N.T. Romans › Criticism, interpretation, etc; Glory of God › Biblical teaching; Glory; Conformity
- ISBNs: 9780830885770, 9780830852109, 0830885773, 0830852107
- Resource ID: LLS:CNFRMDMGHSSN
- Resource Type: Monograph
- Metadata Last Updated: 2022-09-29T22:51:33Z