The Quest for Paul's Gospel: A Suggested Strategy

by Douglas A. Campbell

Publisher:

T&T Clark

, 2005

Overview

Douglas Campbell gives a clear account of why much current description of Paul's theology, and of his gospel and of his theory of salvation, is so confused. After outlining the difficulties underlying much of the current debate he lays out some basic options that will greatly clarify the debate. He then engages with these options and shows how one offers far more promise than the others, sketching out some of its initial applications.

Campbell then shows in more detail how another option -- the main alternative, and the main culprit in terms of many of our difficulties -- can be circumvented textually, in a responsible fashion. That is, we see how we could remove this option from Paul's text exegetically, and so reach greater clarity. Finally, he concludes with a 'road-map' of where future, more detailed, research into Paul needs to go if the foregoing strategy is to be carried out thoroughly. Campbell believes that by utilizing this strategy Paul's gospel will be shown to be both cogent and constructive.

Contents

Top Highlights

“an interrelated dynamic of Father, Son, and Spirit seems to lie at the heart of Paul’s thinking about salvation.” (Page 61)

“we can in my view characterize the apocalyptic model as proto-trinitarian in its actual saving mechanism” (Page 61)

“PPME analysts are quite happy to affirm a salvation-historical dimension within Paul’s theology at some point” (Page 67)

“We must unpack the contingency of Paul’s texts, step by step, and so uncover his coherence within them.” (Page 20)

“his more abstract conceptuality concerning God’s action in Christ, which is to say, his theology, that” (Page 19)

Product Details

• Title: Quest for Paul's Gospel: A Suggested Strategy
• Author: Douglas A. Campbell
• Publisher: T&T Clark
• Publication Date: 2005
• Pages: 304
• Volume 274 in the Journal for the Study of the New Testament Supplement series

About Douglas A. Campbell

Dr. Campbell’s main research interests comprise the life and thought (i.e. theology and its development) of Paul with particular reference to soteriological models rooted in apocalyptic as against justification or salvation-history. However, he is interested in contributions to Pauline analysis from modern literary theory, from modern theology, from epistolary theory, ancient rhetoric, ancient comparative religion, modern linguistics and semantic theory, and from sociology. His recent publications include The Rhetoric of Righteousness in Romans 3:21-26, and he edited The Call to Serve: Biblical and Theological Perspectives on Ministry in Honour of Bishop Penny Jamieson.