Perspectives on Paul: Five Views
Overview
This five-views work brings together an all-star lineup of Pauline scholars to offer a constructive, interdenominational, up-to-date conversation on key issues of Pauline theology. The editors begin with an informative recent history of biblical tradition related to the perspectives on Paul. John M. G. Barclay, A. Andrew Das, James D. G. Dunn, Brant Pitre, and Magnus Zetterholm then discuss how to interpret Paul's writings and theology, especially the apostle’s view of salvation. The book concludes with an assessment of the perspectives from a pastoral point of view by Dennis R. Edwards.
- Provides an assessment of the perspectives from a pastoral point of view
- Sureys the recent history of biblical tradition related to the perspectives on Paul
- Offers a constructive, interdenominational, up-to-date conversation on key issues of Pauline theology
Top Highlights
“Works are thus the condition of staying in, ‘but they do not earn salvation.’” (Page 4)
“What makes Paul distinctive is not that he believed in grace, or even that he thought that God’s grace could be unconditioned, but that he identified the Christ-event as the definitive, ultimate, incongruous gift, and expressed that conviction in a radical mission to non-Jews.” (Page 225)
“Temple Judaism (STJ) was correct though overstated. Contrary to Sanders, however, Dunn asserts that Paul maintained a sense of continuity with his Jewishness. Paul’s language of law and justification is to be understood within the social context of his gentile mission. The central point of his letters regarding these issues was that the gospel is about salvation in Christ for all, Jews and gentiles, and the latter are not to be excluded from belonging to God’s people, despite their nonobservance of Jewish customs. For Dunn, Paul’s mentioning of the ‘works of the law’ centers on boundary markers related to Jewish pride and exclusivism, such as circumcision and food laws.” (Page 7)
“At one level, it traces the multiple vocabularies of gift, which are threaded through Paul’s theology and ethics, and are closely linked to contiguous lexemes (e.g., mercy and love). But at another level, it traces in Paul’s theology the structuring role of the Christ-event as an incongruous gift, a patterning sometimes signaled by gift-language (e.g., χάρις, charis), but sometimes not.” (Page 220)
“Paul argued that the ethnic division between Jews and the nations should remain, and this leads to the conclusion that non-Jews should not observe the Torah, at least not in the same way as Jews do, and definitely not for the same reasons.” (Page 190)
- John M. G. Barclay
- A. Andrew Das
- James D. G. Dunn
- Brant Pitre
- Magnus Zetterholm
- Title: Perspectives on Paul: Five Views
- Authors: Scot McKnight, B. J. Oropeza
- Publisher: Baker Academic
- Print Publication Date: 2020
- Logos Release Date: 2020
- Pages: 285
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
- Subjects: Bible. N.T. Epistles of Paul › Criticism, interpretation, etc; Bible. N.T. Epistles of Paul › Theology
- ISBNs: 9781493427345, 9781540960757, 9781540963482, 9781493427321, 1493427342, 1540960757, 1540963489, 1493427326
- Resource ID: LLS:PRSPCTVSPL
- Resource Type: Monograph
- Metadata Last Updated: 2022-09-30T02:26:35Z
Reviews
1 rating
B. J . Oropeza
11/27/2020
The book addresses the spectrum of viewpoints regarding Paul on salvation and the Jew/gentile problem, not only with an all-star lineup of respondents but also the supporter of the viewpoint providing a rejoinder to the respondents. As is typical with McKnight's books, it is both scholarly and pastoral; an informed minister provides a response in the Afterword. As is typical of Oropeza's books, it is scholarly, well-documented, and yet very readable. Admittedly, though, I am biased!
