Rediscovering Paul: An Introduction to His World, Letters, and Theology, second edition
Overview
For some of us, the apostle Paul is intimidating, like a distant and difficult uncle. Maybe not someone you'd like to hang out with at a coffee shop on a rainy day. He'd make a scene, evangelize the barista, and arouse looks across the room. For a mid-morning latte, we'd prefer Jesus over Paul.
But Paul is actually the guy who—from Ephesus to Athens—was the talk of the marketplace, the raconteur of the Parthenon. He knew everyone, founded emerging churches, loved the difficult people, and held his own against the intellectuals of his day. If you’re willing to give Paul a try, Rediscovering Paul is your reliable guide. This is a book that reacquaints us with Paul, as if for the first time.
Drawing on the best of contemporary scholarship, and with language shaped by teaching and conversing with today's students, Rediscovering Paul is a textbook that has passed the test. Now in a reworked edition, it’s better than ever. There are fresh discussions of Paul’s letter writing and how those letters were received in the churches, new considerations of pseudonymity and the authenticity of Paul’s letters, and updated coverage of recent developments in interpreting Paul. from Paul’s conversion and call to his ongoing impact on church and culture, this second edition of Rediscovering Paul comes enthusiastically recommended.
- Introduction to cultural background and letter writing
- Overview of Paul’s theology
- Text boxes discussing issues and relevance for today
- Introduction: The Challenges of Rediscovering Paul
- Rediscovering Paul in His World
- The Christophany
- Paul, the Letter Writer
- The Itinerant Paul: Galatians
- The Itinerant Paul: The Thessalonian Letters
- The Itinerant Paul: The Corinthian Letters
- The Itinerant Paul: Romans
- The Imprisoned Paul
- The Pastoral Paul
- Paul’s Theology and Spirituality
- Paul’s Legacy
- Paul’s Letters to Our Churches
Top Highlights
“If the church fathers were fully convinced these letters came from Paul, we must be careful not to override their voices too quickly in favor of modern assumptions regarding how letters were written in the ancient world.” (Page 9)
“Third, Paul’s letters were written to address various audiences on various occasions. This alone can account for certain differences in language, style, and theological argument.” (Pages 8–9)
“Second, Paul’s letters contain a significant amount of preformed traditions (quoted material that was created and shaped prior to the letters themselves), including confessions, hymns, Scripture and scriptural interpretations, lists of virtues and vices, and so on.” (Page 8)
“First, as we will show, Paul’s letters were communal products, not the work of a single mind. Secretaries and coauthors exercised an influence over the composition of these letters.” (Page 8)
“Finally, Paul’s letters were written over a period of years, while the apostle himself and the churches he served were changing. Paul was no static leader. His was a dynamic church.” (Page 9)
This is an exceptionally well-written introduction to the life, letters and theology of the apostle Paul, ideal for a survey class. The book is full of insights that help us understand Paul in his world and then guidance on how to bring those insights into our modern world. I’ve been using the first edition of this work with great success for seven years. The second edition is even better!
—Mark L. Strauss, Bethel Seminary San Diego
Rediscovering Paul has anchored my introduction to Paul courses over the last ten years. In the second edition, Capes, Reeves, and Richards keep the clear, accessible prose while updating information based on new scholarship. This gem of a book is all you need to understand and appreciate Paul's letters and theology.
—Lynn H. Cohick, professor of New Testament, Wheaton College
An outstanding and delightful introduction to Paul that will shake its readers out of their modern western assumptions, and help them to grasp the Paul of first-century Judaism, Paul the Roman citizen—and Paul the apostle of Christ.
—Constantine R. Campbell, professor of New Testament, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
- Title: Rediscovering Paul: An Introduction to His World, Letters, and Theology, 2nd ed.
- Authors: David B. Capes, Rodney Reeves, E. Randolph Richards
- Edition: Second Edition
- Publisher: IVP Academic
- Print Publication Date: 2017
- Logos Release Date: 2018
- Pages: 464
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
- Subjects: Paul, the Apostle, Saint; Bible. N.T. Epistles of Paul › Criticism, interpretation, etc; Bible. N.T. Epistles of Paul › Theology
- ISBNs: 9780830889020, 9780830851911, 9780830825981, 9780830839414, 9780830867981, 9781844742424, 0830889027, 0830851917, 0830825983, 0830839410, 0830867988, 1844742423
- Resource ID: LLS:RDSCVRNGPL2NDTN
- Resource Type: Monograph
- Metadata Last Updated: 2022-09-30T02:37:52Z
David B. Capes (PhD, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary) is associate dean of biblical and theological studies and professor of New Testament at Wheaton College. He has authored, coauthored, or coedited books such as Rediscovering Paul, Rediscovering Jesus, Old Testament Yahweh Texts in Paul's Christology, The Footsteps of Jesus in the Holy Land, The Last Eyewitness, Rebecca's Children, The Voice of Hebrews, and The Voice of Romans.
Rodney Reeves (PhD, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary) is dean of The Courts Redford College of Theology and Ministry and professor of biblical studies at Southwest Baptist University, both in Bolivar, Missouri. Previously a pastor with churches in Arkansas and Texas, Reeves is author or coauthor of A Genuine Faith, Spirituality According to Paul, Rediscovering Paul, and Rediscovering Jesus. His articles have appeared in journals such as Perspectives in Religious Studies, Biblical Illustrator, Southwestern Journal of Theology, and Preaching.
E. Randolph Richards (PhD, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary) is provost and professor of biblical studies in the School of Ministry at Palm Beach Atlantic University. He is a popular speaker and has authored and coauthored dozens of books and articles, including Paul Behaving Badly, A Little Book for New Bible Scholars, Rediscovering Jesus, Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes, Rediscovering Paul, The Story of Israel, and Paul and First-Century Letter Writing.