Paul through the Eyes of the Reformers: Living under Grace
Digital Logos Edition
Overview
A brilliant reappraisal of Protestant Reformers’ views on Paul
In this incisive book, Stephen Chester challenges misconceptions and provides new insights into how sixteenth-century Protestant Reformers interpreted the writings of Paul. Writing for those who are interpreting Pauline letters in and for today’s world, Chester demonstrates the value of a nuanced and accurate understanding of the Reformers’ views on Paul.
Throughout the book, Chester draws on key ideas from his monumental work Reading Paul with the Reformers, which won Christianity Today’s book of the year award in biblical studies. In Paul through the Eyes of the Reformers, Chester updates the argument and presents the ideas in a shorter and more accessible form designed for a broad readership.
To help readers better understand the Reformers’ historical and theological context, Chester surveys perspectives on Paul prior to the sixteenth century. Against this background, Chester illuminates the paradigm shifts in Pauline interpretation that unfolded during the Reformation, paying special attention to the work of Martin Luther, Philip Melanchthon, and John Calvin. He also discusses the promise and challenge of reading Paul with the Reformers today, highlighting the importance of engaging with the Reformers’ work critically, reaching different conclusions from them where necessary, and taking inspiration from them when appropriate. Paul through the Eyes of the Reformers is a remarkable resource for biblical scholars who care about Paul and his theology.
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- Discusses the promise and challenge of reading Paul with the Reformers today
- Illuminates the paradigm shifts in Pauline interpretation that unfolded during the Reformation, paying special attention to the work of Martin Luther, Philip Melanchthon, and John Calvin
- Surveys perspectives on Paul prior to the sixteenth century
- Title: Paul through the Eyes of the Reformers: Living under Grace
- Author: Stephen J. Chester
- Publisher: Eerdmans
- Print Publication Date: 2025
- Pages: 288
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Logos Reader Edition
- ISBNs: 9780802878489, 0802878482
- Resource ID: LLS:PLTHYSRFMLNG
- Resource Type: Monograph
- Metadata Last Updated: 2024-09-20T15:33:31Z
Stephen J. Chester is academic dean and professor of New Testament at North Park Theological Seminary, Chicago, the seminary of the Evangelical Covenant Church. He appreciates North Park as a context where “the life of the mind, the goal of practical ministry, and the need for a deep devotional life are held together as equal values.” Dr. Chester is from the UK and came to North Park in 2006, having previously served on the faculty of International Christian College, Glasgow. He is ordained in the Church of Scotland, and is the author of Conversion at Corinth: Perspectives on Conversion in Paul’s Theology and the Corinthian Church and one of the coauthors of Perspectives on our Struggle with Sin: Three Views of Romans 7. He has become deeply interested in the history of Pauline interpretation and is currently writing Righteousness in Christ: Paul, the Reformers, and the New Perspective (forthcoming).
Dr. Chester’s ministry commitments and experiences have largely been in urban contexts. He is married to Betsy, a kindergarten teacher, and they have two adult sons, Iain and Mark. They are members of Immanuel Evangelical Covenant Church, a multiethnic church in a diverse neighborhood. Stephen enjoys his family, watching and refereeing soccer, and pitching in Chicago softball.