Paul Transformed: Reception of the Person and Letters of Paul in Antiquity (The Anchor Yale Bible Reference Library | AYBRL)

by Adela Yarbro Collins

Publisher:

Yale University Press

, 2022

Overview

A fascinating reception history of the theological, ethical, and social themes in the letters of Paul

In the first decades after the death of Jesus, the letters of the apostle Paul were the chief written resource for Christian believers, as well as for those seeking to formulate Christian thought and practice. But in the years following Paul's death, the early church witnessed a proliferation of contested—and often opposing—interpretations of his writings, as teaching was passed down, debated, and codified.

In this engaging study, Adela Yarbro Collins traces the reception history of major theological, ethical, and social topics in the letters of Paul from the days of his apostleship through the first centuries of Christianity. She explores the evolution of Paul’s cosmic eschatology, his understanding of the resurrected body, marriage and family ethics, the role of women in the early church, and his theology of suffering. Paying special attention to the ways these evolving interpretations provided frameworks for church governance, practice, and tradition, Collins illuminates the ways that Paul’s ideas were understood, challenged, and ultimately transformed by their earliest audiences.

Key Features

• Traces the reception history of major theological, ethical, and social topics in the letters of Paul
• Explores the evolution of Paul’s cosmic eschatology, his understanding of the resurrected body, marriage and family ethics, the role of women in the early church, and his theology of suffering
• Illuminates the ways that Paul’s ideas were understood, challenged, and ultimately transformed by their earliest audiences

Contents

• Introduction
• 1 The Transformation of Paul’s Apocalyptic Ideas
• 2 The Resurrection Body: The Reception of 1 Corinthians 15
• 3 Marriage and Celibacy: The Reception of 1 Corinthians 7
• 4 The Role of Women in the Church: The Reception of Paul’s Instructions and Practices regarding Women
• 5 Paul’s Transformation from Suffering Apostle to Saint and Martyr
• Conclusion
• Notes
• Bibliography
• Index of Ancient Sources
• Index of Modern Authors
• Index of Subjects

Praise for Paul Transformed

A masterclass in the study of Paul’s thought and its reception, by one of the world’s leading New Testament scholars, this is a must-read for everyone interested in the development of Christianity: lucid, accessible, and packed with insight.

—Teresa Morgan, author of Roman Faith and Christian Faith

A comprehensive and balanced account of receptions of Pauline theology in the writings of the earliest Christians, from the pseudo-Pauline letters to the Nag Hammadi corpus, Justin Martyr to Augustine of Hippo, and beyond. Collins’s wide study illustrates the ingenuity of those who engaged with Paul, whether or not they explicitly mentioned either his letters or his person. Paul Transformed is a valuable resource for students and scholars alike.

—Jennifer Wright Knust, Duke University

Collins’ wonderful book showcases the ways that Pauline thought has been adapted to respond to shifting questions and problems in a wide variety of contexts throughout the centuries. If we are to understand Paul’s influence on emerging Christianity—and on the Christianity of today—his transformation is a crucial piece of the puzzle. This is a master work of scholarship that confronts us with the fundamental dynamism of early Christian thought.

—Tobias Nicklas, University of Regensburg

Product Details

• Title: Paul Transformed: Reception of the Person and Letters of Paul in Antiquity
• Author: Adela Yarbro Collins
• Series: The Anchor Yale Bible Reference Library
• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Print Publication Date: 2022
• Pages: 224
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
• Resource ID: LLS:PLTRNSFRMDLBRRY
• Resource Type: Monograph
• Metadata Last Updated: 2024-07-25T15:22:43Z

About Adela Yarbro Collins

Professor Yarbro Collins joined the Yale Divinity School in 2000 after teaching at the University of Chicago Divinity School for nine years. Prior to that, she was a professor in the Department of Theology at the University of Notre Dame. She was a member of the executive committee of the Society of New Testament Studies from 2002 to 2003. She was president of the New England Region of the Society of Biblical Literature in 2004-2005. She was awarded an honorary doctorate in theology by the University of Oslo, Norway, in 1994 and a Fellowship for University Teachers by the National Endowment for the Humanities for 1995-96. Her most recent book is a commentary on the Gospel of Mark for the Hermeneia commentary series. Among her other publications are Cosmology and Eschatology in Jewish and Christian Apocalypticism; The Beginning of the Gospel: Probings of Mark in Context; Crisis and Catharsis: The Power of the Apocalypse; The Apocalypse (New Testament Message series); and The Combat Myth in the Book of Revelation. She served as the editor of the Society of Biblical Literature’s Monograph Series from 1985 to 1990. She currently serves on the editorial boards of the Journal for the Study of the New Testament, Biblical Interpretation, and the Catholic Biblical Quarterly.