Please follow these guidelines // More Reviews 1999
Author and Audience
A. N. Wilson’s narrative is both journalistic and scholarly. He looks at Paul as a journalist looks – digging through the scholarly interpretations, religious traditions and almost mythic image of the singular apostle to find the inner man. This is hardly surprising. Wilson, by bent and background, is a writer: a respected journalist, novelist and biographer; literary editor of London’s Evening Standard when the book went to press; a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature; member of the Academy of Arts and Letters. Words and their weaving together to create an accurate-as-possible story are his passion.
Originally published in London, this first U.S. edition is a trade publication for discerning readers with interests academic or religious, or who are just plain curious about the man whom Wilson describes as a "richly imaginative, but confused, religious genius" (p. 27). He makes it clear that many of our long-held ideas about Paul come from tradition or the Lucan writings; they’re based on conjecture, not fact, and are subject to other interpretation. His book is for all who wish to learn more about the complex forces that shaped and drove Paul - in other words, what made him "tick."
Thesis and Structure:
Wilson’s thesis is that Paul was a primary force in shaping the gospels – especially the image of the cross as "gateway to salvation" (p. 258) - and that it was Paul who drew forth from earlier Christian writings the image of Jesus impressed on the world.
The first three chapters set Paul in the context of his world and time, opening in Nero’s reign to set the stage. He moves to ‘Saul of Tarsus’ (the traditional identifier which he notes comes from Luke, not Paul, and thus is open to question), and from there to Jerusalem – a city seething with internal conflicts and tensions and populated by an often abrasive mix of cultures and beliefs - to examine the diverse influences shaping Paul’s reactions to Jesus and the significance of the cross. Subsequent chapters highlight specific episodes in his ministry from his conversion through the final voyage to Rome. An appendix traces the New Testament’s evolution and how that process affected, limited (and sometimes perhaps crippled) our knowledge and understanding of this remarkable apostle.
Evidential Sources
Wilson’s bibliography is impressive – nearly 5 full pages set in 6 point type. To name but a few, he drew on works by an array of ancient and contemporary historians and scholars such as Aland, Bruce, Bultman, Charlesworth, Deissmann, Metzger, and Sandmel; Pliny, Clement of Rome, Justin Martyr, Josephus; Albert Einstein and Karl Marx. He explored ancient papyrus fragments; the Septuagint; the British Museum collection of ancient Greek inscriptions; scholarly periodicals such as the Journal of Jewish Studies, Journal of Roman Studies, Journal of Theological Studies, New Testament Studies.
Researched topics run the gamut: ancient ships and seafaring, myths and magic; Roman roads and armies; sexuality, marriage and divorce, and taxes and trade in ancient Rome; Semitic birth, death and marriage rites; Greek and Roman sacrifice and worship.
My Response
I found this book intriguing! In exploring the world that shaped and molded Saul, Wilson deepened my appreciation of the forces and factors that uniquely equipped him to carry the message of grace and redemption to the Gentiles. He challenges the reader, raising for instance the possibility that Paul had seen Jesus before his death, and taking issue with those who call Paul a misogynist. He makes the case that vilifying Paul’s views on women is unjustified, since he only reflects existing views and customs. Wilson shows Paul as a man whose own vision of Christ "had transformed everything" (p. 143) and who, despite this, at times experienced doubts, rejection, and profound isolation; suffered both physically and psychologically; was never fully accepted by the Twelve; yet was driven to preach no matter the personal cost. It is a fascinating, highly readable voyage into the mind of the extraordinary man who was Christ’s (and therefore God’s) great ambassador, and causes the reader to examine Paul using a brighter light than before.
Author and Audience
The book, co-authored by Richard Wallace and Wynne Williams, was published in 1998. Richard Wallace is a lecturer in the Department of Classics at Keele University and the treasurer of the Classical Association. Wynne Williams retired from teaching ancient history at Keele University in 1991. He is co-author, with Richard Wallace, of The Acts of the Apostles: A Companion (1993)
The book is intended for readers who are interested in gaining insight into the ancient world in which Paul lived. The book provides a historical approach more than a theological one. It provides the backdrop socially, culturally and historically against which Paul lived.
Thesis
The Three Worlds of Paul of Tarsus presents an intriguing insight into the complexities of the early Christian world, arguing that the journeys of Paul are an example of the social, political and cultural diversity of that world.
The Three Worlds of Paul of Tarsus examines the three fundamental cultural layers of Paul’s world: the native cultures; the common hellenistic culture which had spread to the East as a result of the conquests of Alexander; and the culture of Rome to which he belonged by citizenship. The authors also provide a fascinating account of the places Paul visited in travelogue style, showing their historical, cultural and political differences.
Evidence Evaluated
Wallace did scholarly research at the Departamento de Historia Antigua in the University of Granada, the Foundation Hardt in Geneva, as well as traveled to the sites mentioned in this book.
His bibliography is an impressive five – page array of sources mostly published within the last 30 years, although one source, Historia Numorum: A Manual of Greek Numismatics, by B. V. Head, dated back to 1911. He drew widely from historical, cultural and political sources as well as information regarding current Turkey and Greece today. A walk though the bibliography includes subjects such as studies in Jewish and Christian history; the abandonment of children in Western Europe from late antiquity; Roman art; Roman Arabia; Aegean Turkey; Lycian Turkey; ships and seamanship in the ancient world; class struggle in the ancient Greek world; and Pagans and Christians in an age of anxiety. Topics also researched included history of Antioch in Syria; history of cynicism; studies in Near Eastern resistance to Hellenism; the ancient economy; famine and food supply in the Graeco-Roman world; cities of Seleucid Syria; being a Roman citizen; Luke’s portrait of Paul; the criminal courts of the Roman Republic and Principate; Caesarea under Roman rule; Stoics, Epicureans and Skeptics; as well as a wealth of other subjects.
Response
I personally sought out a book of this nature. For me, reading this book was like an archaeologist’s dig! I gained valuable information regarding the three layers of Paul’s ancient world that helped me put his life and theology into a more realistic perspective. I found the discussion on philosophical influences and the common culture in which the philosophers and Christians both lived fascinating. The philosophical movements certainly provided a pool of ideas from which Christians like Paul could draw.
I recommend this book for those interested in the culture, politics and social structure of Paul’s world.
This book was written while the author was on sabbatical leave from Union Theological Seminary, where he was Professor of New Testament at that time. It was an expansion on previous work undertaken in addressing the Catholic Bible Association, and a published work appearing in the Catholic Biblical Quarterly. Although he does not state in his preface or introduction for whom he wrote this book , it is evident to me that it is for other scholars, and students in the theological academic community.
The author's thesis is implied in the title; that although there is an ongoing search to prove that unity was enjoyed by the early church, it is simply untrue. He states that the belief that unity existed is based solely on the Book of Acts as an historical, and entirely truthful, account. He develops one argument to demonstrate that a deep schism actually existed and shows how Luke's account differs from events as reported by Paul, and what the repercussions are for the modern church and our understanding. The event in question was the council at Antioch resulting in the Apostolic Decree and Paul's reaction to it. Luke reports that Paul was present and presumably affirmed it. The author of this book presents many reasons why he does not believe that was so, and further concludes that Paul interpreted this decree, when he did get notice of it, as a violation of an earlier agreement between himself and the authorities in Jerusalem regarding the question of Gentile circumcision and ascription to Jewish law. What Luke reported as a compromise between Jewish and Gentile Christians, this author holds was the very thing that led to Paul abandoning his earlier missionary work, and setting out to spread the gospel in the more remote areas, such as Spain, far from the reach of the prevailing authorities in Jerusalem.
The structure of this book is very simple and orderly. He has the problem presented first, then the evidence from Acts, the evidence in Paul, some historical observations surrounding the events, his conclusions, and some justification about why Luke reported as he did, i.e. not historically or necessarily chronologically correct. His concluding chapter is called "Reflections on Some Untraditional Conclusions", and here he defends the portrait of Paul that he had seemed to present as defeated, and shows why Paul was so much more than that, particularly to Christians after the Reformation. He has notes on each chapter and three appendices at the end.
Achtemeier has six pages of Bibliography for this work, among them eight primary sources. Most of these primary sources are historical, for instance, Eusebius, The Church History, and Justin Martyr, The Writings of Justin Martyr. He makes only slight mention of variations in the Greek text and the remainder of his sources are scholarly in nature. This book did not rely on these outside sources, by any means, because the crux of the argument depends on Biblical content, not theory.
I enjoyed reading this book because it fits in so nicely with what I am studying in two courses, Letters of Paul and Early Christian Movement. It was an easy read and the thesis was entirely plausible, especially with the explanation given us as to Luke's bias, however unintentional, to present an account that would reflect unity. There was a fair amount of discussion concerning Paul's offering for the Jerusalem brothers which is highly relevant to what we have been studying. I think pastors and teachers could increase their understanding of the Early Church by reading this book, but I'm not sure it could give them any real insight on achieving unity within the church in modern times. It may remind us that there have been problems from the beginning, and that we are called out to confront them.
The author of this work is Paul J Achtemeier, Professor Emeritus of Biblical interpretation at Union Theological Seminary and former President of the Catholic Biblical Association of America. The work springs from previous work that was done for an address for the CBA in 1985, and was written at Union Theological Seminary, presumably as he cites the help of their research librarian in the forward of the book, in 1985 and 1986. The work is meant for a scholarly audience searching for clues and answers to questions regarding the early formation of the Christian church.
The thesis of the book is to show the possibilities of how the early church may have had unity, or disunity, between the Jewish and Gentile Christian factions by looking critically at the story lines in both book of Acts and Paul’s letters, with specific emphasis on Galatians. The work itself is structured in a very orderly format. It states the problem, as the author sees it, followed by what evidence the author of Acts and Paul have to say to the situations between the two groups. It then goes into a critical analysis of this evidence and lays the framework from which the argument is going to be made. It then pieces together the historical events and gives possible reasons as to why the authors may have reported things as they did. It concludes with the very non-traditional view that the early "Christian" church was not as unified as the author of Acts might try to make it sound.
Achtemeier makes some strong arguments using a combination of historical background, scholarly research, and a small amount of text work in the Greek. In regards to historical background, Achtemeier looks at the situations of both Paul and the author of Acts and concludes that the author of Act had more reason for trying to show a unified early church. The later dating of the stories in Acts and the inconsistencies of who was where when (when compared to Paul) seem to be Achtemeier’s strongest points. It is also the place that he spends most of his time and effort in his scholarly work.
The book was a quick read, but definitely not easy. It definitely took much research to compose the arguments, and much of the thought is well grounded in the historical aspects of the early church, at least to the best that we can currently account for it. One of the things that makes the book more difficult to read though is that it takes far longer to make its point than necessary. It revisits the same arguments from several angles and each time reconstructs the argument, which left me anxious to just get past the argument. Although I found the content of the argument intriguing and engaging the argument’s style left me drifting off to the criticism of style more than investigating the argument itself. I liked the idea and the research involves is something that I admire, but the book itself left me wondering if there wasn’t another way of making the point more concisely.
In regards to who would benefit from reading this book, I feel anyone that is serving in a pastoral setting may take away a bit of insight from the book. The romanticized account of early Christianity can sometimes leave us disheartened in our own day and age, especially if we have any dissension within the church that we are serving. To see the early church as something that struggled with the same ideals is almost refreshing, or at very least encouraging, in a way. The book may also be helpful for anyone that is trying to learn how to structure arguments, as the book does structure and restructure similar arguments over and over.
Paul Among Jews and Gentiles was written by Krister Stendahl, a bishop of Stockholm, Sweden and the former Dean of Harvard Divinity School. This little book, 133 pages, includes "Paul Among Jews and Gentiles," an essay that is based on one delivered by Stendahl as part of the Thomas White Currier Lectures, at Austin Presbyterian Seminary, February 4-8, 1963. This essay is divided into six parts:
I found the second section of this essay, "Call Rather Than Conversion" of particular interest as Stendahl made references to Old Testament prophets Jeremiah: (1:7) ". . . to all to whom I send you you shall go, and whatever I command you you shall speak"; Ezekiel (2:1,3) " stand upon your feet . . . I send you to the people of Israel, to a nation of rebels"; and Isaiah (35:5; 42:7, 16), all three references to blind eyes being opened to support his stand that Paul’s experience was one of "call – to a specific vocation – to be God’s appointed Apostle to the Gentiles. The mission is the point. It is a call to mission rather than a conversion. And this call is the greater since it is the persecutor who becomes the apostle." (page 11).Very clear, very concise and fascinating.
The next essay in this little book is: "The Apostle Paul and the Introspective Conscience of the West" in which Stendahl again discusses Paul’s call to work with the Gentiles and states: "Hence, it is quite natural that at least one of the centers of gravity in Paul’s thought should be how to define the place for Gentiles in the Church, according to the plan of God." (page 85)
"Judgment and Mercy" follows, a lecture that Stendahl delivered on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, January 15, 1972, in Kansas City, Missouri. This text had here to for never been published. Stendahl states: "Never has the Pauline model of the theology of the cross struck me as more to the point,"(page 97). He tells us that Judgment and mercy are a "classical pair of words, pre-Christian, well grounded in the Jewish tradition, not only in the Old Testament but also in the thought of the rabbis and the sages who spoke . . . about the "two measures," of judgment and mercy" (page 98). After "visiting" Isaiah a discussion of the English language as "docetic" (page 100) and Luke, Stendahl skips over to 2 Cor. 12:9-10, Gal. 51 and then back to 2 Cor.2:5-11: "You should not be so hard on that man anymore for it might be that he could be swallowed up by his contrition, and that would play into the hands of Satan." Then when you’re wondering how all this relates to Martin Luther King Jr., suddenly Stendahl is summing up, remembering how newscasters immediately (upon his death) labeled King as "apostle of nonviolence." Not a lot of Paul in this chapter but an interesting read.
The next chapter of this small book is "Glossolalia --The New Testament Evidence" and is an essay on the Greek word glossa which can translate into "tongue" or "language." A return to Paul and the Corinthians. Stendahl cuts Paul no slack in this essay: "We know that Paul has a tendency – an annoying one at that – to claim that he is the greatest in everything" (page 110) Stendahl reminds us that it was in a letter to the Corinthians that Paul writes his version of love – "not a feeling of the heart" (page112) explains but rather "concern for the community and is the check on the exercise of the gifts for personal gratification of some rather than all."
Stendahl ends with "Sources and Critiques" a window into the critical world of theologians who publish their thoughts and feelings enter.
Stendahl has an enjoyable writing style which is "alive" with many clever quotes. For example, on page 61 in a discussion of "traveling apostles" receiving "workers’ compensation," [my poetic justice showing here] Stendahl says yes these travelers "could receive a salary for their work, because the Old Testament states that when the ox treads out the grain it shall not be muzzled (Deut. 25:4)." Stendahl then explains Paul: "The gist of Paul’s thought is that integrity is of no value in itself, integrity should not be put on display." When citing Scripture he gives the quote and also states chapter and verse; it is not necessary for readers to have their Bible open in front of them. Another example of Stendahl’s wit is found on page 83 where he describes Luther as a "Christopher Columbus in the world of faith." Of course, such wit is not without its pitfalls and sometimes hurried seminary students are left conjuring up strange and wonderful images or following what Dr. Glenn Miller refers to as "bunny trails." No matter how a reader feels about Stendahl’s style it does keep up interest, though rereading may be often necessary.
I believe Stendahl writes to two audiences, the student and his scholarly colleagues who must be delighted by his "whimsical hunches" [p.v of Preface] I have enjoyed this book . I have filled its pages with pink and green sticky notes when what I really wanted to do was to underline. I would like to own this book and to consult it often as I enjoy the quips and bunny trails that stir the "Wonderland Alice" who resides in my heart.
Author and Audience
Theresa Shaw reveals, in her acknowledgements, that this book is an outgrowth of her dissertation at Duke University. This looms as an unnecessary warning for what is a highly readable book. Shaw does not reveal her target audience in the introduction, but anyone interested in the subject of fasting and sexuality among early Christian ascetics will find useful information in clearly outlined chapters. While Shaw’s interest is primarily the practices of ascetic women, she is clear that all material on the subject comes to us from male writers and so, "it is not possible for the modern scholar to have a strong sense… about what ancient Christian ascetic women…were themselves thinking." (p. 3) However, she gathers a thorough array of what ancient Christian men think they should be thinking. People interested in Paul’s letter will find that they are generally referenced by ancient writers as a guide away from excessive rigors of fasting. People really interested in Paul will read another book as his letters have only a modest relationship with the material.
Thesis
Through extremely interesting quotes from ancient texts Shaw shows the approach/avoidance dilemma that the female body posed for ancient ascetics.
Shaw shows that the problem of body and spirit was not so dualistic and divided as many modern scholars have proposed. Shaw finds a strong connection between the body (which ascetics sculpted through fasting and sexual abstinence to embody life that was at once protological and eschatological) and the soul. The direction of influence, Shaw argues, was perceived by the ancients to flow both ways.
Evidence Evaluated
Shaw looks at texts from the seventh century BCE to the seventh century CE The documents from which her work is gleaned includes an impressive variety including ancient medical treatises, letters, philosophical writings, Christian homilies, and sayings collections. Her twenty-nine-page bibliography reveals extensive use of primary as well as secondary sources.
Response
This book is definitely food for thought! I recommend it both for ease of reading and depth of investigation. Any one interested in the early Christian use of fasting as a spiritual discipline will find extensive research presented in an easily digested form. Likewise, any one with a passionate interest in early Christian ascetic practices regarding sexuality should not abstain from reading this book.
Author and Audience
The subject of Paul’s tent making was first suggested to the author in 1971 by one of his professors at Yale. The author states that the subject has since become very much part of his life. It served as the topic for his doctoral dissertation as well as the basis for at least four articles and papers read at several regional and national meetings of the Society of Biblical Literature. The author does not indicate a specific audience for this book but it is certainly not one that would find its way onto the average reader’s bookshelf. He states that Paul’s tent making has never been the subject of a book-length investigation which led him to write this book. I believe one would have to be a seminary student or independent student with an avid interest in Paul to select this book for one’s reading pleasure.
Thesis
In five relatively brief chapters the author sets out to discuss and access what has been said about Paul’s tent making and secondly, to identify and discuss as many aspects of his trade as possible, maintaining that his tent making was central to his life as an apostle. Paul, according to the author, learned to make tents while apprenticed to his father, that this practice was not specifically Jewish, but common to Greco-Roman culture of that particular time. As Paul traveled he worked to support himself rather than charging fees, entering the households of the wealthy or begging, other optional means of support employed by philosophers of the time. Paul chose an option that allowed him a sense of freedom from the feelings of dependence that the other options did not allow. He chose to work at his trade as a means of support. Yet his freedom to ploy his trade took its toll in terms of humiliation and upon his physical being. The author appears to imply in regard to the Corinth debates that his opponents, since they accepted support, that Paul’s refusal could be interpreted as unloving on his part. In his concluding paragraph the author states "that despite our penchant for confining Paul to the history of theology or the history of religions, our investigation of Paul’s tent making has made us recognize that he also belongs to social and intellectual history. In sum, by placing Paul in the workshop - that is, by taking seriously the fact that Paul was a tentmaker - we have located him more precisely in the social and intellectual milieu of the urban centers of the Greek east of the early empire."
Evidence
The author used New Testament evidence, primarily the letters of Paul to support his thesis but also studied contemporary Greek and Roman culture and work practices as well as Jewish views on work. He states that there are many problems associated with the evidence and that many of the conclusions will be preliminary and tentative but his hope is that Paul’s tent making will never again be given just passing attention by Pauline scholars, rather that they will look at the social and intellectual world of the Greek East as a source of understanding for the life and work of Paul - apostle and tentmaker.
Response
By the time I got to the library, few books that piqued my interest remained. I selected this title as I wanted to see what parallels, if any, existed between Paul as tentmaker and references to the contemporary use of the word tent making as applied to pastors working outside the church to supplement income. My husband has been tentmaker in every church he has served, excluding his current pastorate. Our pastorates have taken us from North Carolina to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Churches can be very resistant to having their pastors work second jobs to provide essential income or insurance benefits despite the fact that they realize the salary provided is not in reality a living wage. While at one of the churches we served my husband drove truck for G.O.D. (no pun intended!) While interviewing for the pastorate of another church he was told all too bluntly "we don’t want no truck driver"! I think there is a parallel here in that sometimes even in contemporary times, one must labor outside of the church in order to proclaim the gospel serving the smaller churches. My husband was not ashamed of driving truck but it certainly made him a second class candidate in the eyes of one particular church. Surprisingly, I enjoyed the book and feel it brought me to a better understanding of Paul in the context of his times and his work as both tentmaker and missionary.
Author and Audience
The book is written by Ronald F. Hock, who at the time of the writing of the book was apparently a Professor at the University of Southern California.
Hock does not directly state who is the intended audience. The use of sources, its language, style and subject all suggest that it is aimed at the serious New Testament Student who is interested in Paul. It does not appear to be aimed at a popular audience.
Thesis
Hock’s thesis starts that Paul drew his dedication to tentmaking not from a Jewish understanding of work, but from the Roman-Greco understanding of the role of philosophy in the surrounding society. He concludes that Paul’s tentmaking was not a sideline activity that he did to support himself, but that it was a central component to his personal identity as an apostle.
Hock structures the book first by reviewing previous scholars’ theories and conclusions about Paul’s tentmaking in relationship to his apostleship. The second chapter deals with what Paul’s training and methods of tentmaking would have entailed, comparing it with other similar professions of the time. The third chapter discusses the daily life of an artisan and tentmaker. It reflects on what Paul’s role and status would have been in the society as an artisan professional. It also examines how his profession would have affected his work as an apostle, both practically , such as opportunity and audience, and theologically, in the shaping and acceptance of his preaching of the gospel. Hock’s fourth chapter deals specifically with the debate contained in First and Second Corinthians over Paul’s earning his own way, and how this affected his claim to be an apostle. The conclusion sums up the previous chapters and concludes that tentmaking was not a sideline to Paul being an apostle but that 'Paul’s tentmaking was actually central to it. More than any of us supposed, Paul was Paul the Tentmaker.' (p. 67.).
Evidence Evaluated
Hock evaluates a wide range of evidence. Not only does he deal with the original Greek manuscripts of the New Testament, but he pulls from over a broad scope of time for his research. Hock cites other scholars, ancient Greek and Roman history and original sources; ancient Greek and Roman Philosophers; ancient apprentice and artisan contracts; early Christian writers.
Response
On one had I found the book easy to read; Hock’s style is straightforward, and easily understandable. The body of the book was a quick read, being only 68 pages. However, I found the use of footnotes excessive for such a short volume; for example there are 209 footnotes for chapter three alone. I found it distracting as I bounced back and forth between the text and the notes at the back of the book.
I was also disappointed, given that the subtitle of the book is "Tentmaking and Apostleship", that Hock discussed Paul in the context of other philosophers, and very rarely mentioned Paul’s tentmaking in the context of Jesus’ others apostles. When I picked this title I was interested in seeing how tentmaking fit into Paul’s idea of the gospel, and specifically how it might have added to conflict between him and the Jerusalem apostles. Instead I found it dealing more with Paul’s relationship to the Roman-Greco society’s understanding of and relationship to philosophers.
This book would be of interest to the reader interested in how Paul would have been perceived by those in the society that he preached in, and why in that context, Paul’s work may have been of central importance to his identity as apostle .
Author and Audience
Ronald F. Hock writes The Social Context of Paul’s Ministry during the late 1970s as a professor of religion at the University of Southern California at Los Angeles. His interest in the topic of Paul’s livelihood has been developing since 1971 when he began research on his dissertation entitled "The Working Apostle: An Examination of Paul’s Means of Livelihood." He writes his current volume as a continuation of that research. Hock writes to an audience of scholars in both seminary communities and in the academic study of religion. He writes especially to those who focus on reconstructing the social context of early Christianity.
Thesis
Hock states very clearly that Paul was a tentmaker. To discuss the influence of Paul’s trade on his ministry, Hock hopes to accomplish two tasks in his study. First, he aims to present what has been said about Paul’s livelihood by looking at documents from antiquity as well as by reviewing contemporary literature on the matter. Second, Hock attempts to identify as many aspects of Paul’s occupation as possible. In other words, he discusses many aspects of Paul’s life that appear to be affected by his trade: money issues, lodging, travel, social and commercial contacts, to name a few.
Hock structures his research into five chapters. The first three chapters discuss the concrete matters of tentmaking, how the trade determined many aspects of Paul’s life, and the theological and cultural influences of Paul’s choice of trade. Chapter 1 is also a literature review on these topics. Chapter 4 provides a unique insight into the social context of the life of the church at Corinth. In this chapter, the author argues that Paul’s tentmaking played a significant role in the crisis at Corinth relating to Paul’s authority. Finally, Chapter 5 is simply a conclusion that summarizes the author’s main points and underscores his mission to make the subject of Paul’s livelihood an important element to any discussion of Paul’s life and ministry.
Evidence Evaluated
Hock does a fine job of using all kinds of primary texts from antiquity: letters, historical documents, and literature. He also uses extensive citations from Acts and the letters of Paul, especially the letters to the Corinthians and the letters to the church at Thessalonica. He also suggests mini-exegeses of various scriptural passages.
Response
Overall I found the book provocative and I would recommend it to anyone researching this topic. Though because of the author’s methods of proving his topic, I do not trust how informative it may appear to be. Hock’s research in this volume rests upon an assumption that he never proves: that Paul was a tentmaker by trade. Hock makes no attempt to prove this, but wants instead to demonstrate how the life of an artisan in antiquity could influence a philosophical vocation, as in the case of Paul. For example, he cites verses from 1 Thessalonians 2:9 and 1 Corinthians 4:12 and 11:27 that state that Paul worked "day and night" which amounted to "exhausting toil." Yet, the hard work of an artisan, which Hock discusses at length as lasting from sunrise into the evening, is not necessarily that of a tentmaker.
While I found the discussion of Paul’s assumed work environment very helpful in painting a broader picture of Paul’s ministry, I found Hock’s comparisons to other artisan-philosophers problematic. He uses sources from throughout antiquity, both regionally and historically. Are his readers to assume that Paul’s workshops were very much like the workshops that existed in the time of Socrates and Plato, nearly 500 years earlier? Are Greek workshops the same as Jewish workshops? The author makes little distinction between the two. Certainly the highly structured religious practices of Jews of the day spilled over into their workplaces. Indeed, Hock seems to spend much more time discussing the venues of philosophical discussions and how philosophers made their living than discussing Paul’s particular situations.
Despite these criticisms, I found Hock’s suggested reconstruction of Paul’s work life helpful in fleshing out Paul, the minister. His discussion of the crisis over his authority at Corinth was the most valuable part of the book for this reader because it seems as though Paul, himself, would agree with Hock’s conclusions.
Author and Audience
The authors are German Bible scholars, who hope to correct what they see as erroneous assumptions which have led to the "historical incompetence of large circles of New Testament scholarship." The book was written and published first in German and pointed at one school (Tübingen); but then it was published in English, so one assumes the authors see the darkened areas of scholarship to exist in America as well. The scholarship displayed in the book represents the sum of their labors during the decade of the 1990s, including a series of lectures Hengel gave at the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome in 1996.
Thesis
The authors' goal is to reinstate the authenticity and hence authority of Luke-Acts, while proving that Paul's theology and praxis were firmly established during his early missionary years, before his letters. After laying out their analysis of the problem, the book is structured chronologically, beginning with the turning point of Paul's life at Damascus and ending with his final exit from Antioch.
Evidence Evaluated
Historical evidence from the canonical books (Old and New testaments in original languages) is interspersed with vast quantities of information from secular and other sources. Josephus; public documents and business records from Syria, Nabatea, and other ancient kingdoms; private letters; church fathers; archaeological evidence; Christian and Jewish apocryphal literature; and maps are cited extensively.
The German orientation is amusingly evident in the title of the final chapter: Conclusion: a Chronological Comparison - Paul and Luther. Throughout the book I had been noting parallels between Paul and an American religious reformer, Mary Baker Eddy!
Response
Both my strong interest in this era of Paul's life and the necessity for writing a book review were necessary to propel me through even the first chapter. The book is dense in new information, which is good - but makes for slow reading. Worse, the English editors did not assert enough authority over the translation from German. Phrases which may very well be integral in German but are virtually meaningless in English were strewn annoyingly throughout. I persevered and was rewarded.
For several years, I have felt strongly that one phrase in Galatians, while almost universally ignored, has the largest potential for solving riddles of the Bible and even beginning to solve the conflicts of the Mideast. Paul's brief reference to preparatory time spent in Arabia came to stand out for me as though printed in light after I read several books by the Lebanese Christian historian Kamal Salibi, now director of the Royal Institute for Inter-Faith Studies in Amman, Jordan. In the context of this book review, I will only refer to his The Historicity of Biblical Israel: Studies in I and II Samuel, which Herschel Shanks very curtly refused to allow to be reviewed in Bible Review. The possible close relationship between Judaism (hence Christianity) and Arabia, proposed by Salibi after deep study of the map of ancient Arabia, is not only theological but political dynamite. However, as time goes by, there are more and more references to these connections in Bible studies literature. Hengel and Schwemer certainly make a strong case for such a relationship.
I feel they did a good job in demonstrating that the work of the author of Luke-Acts can be taken quite seriously, though not uncritically. Their approach is not unlike our New Testament classes where the texts are allowed to speak for themselves without being distorted by subsequent scholarship or theological musings.
I was especially pleased that the authors kept for their voluminous footnotes most personal references to the scholars they are challenging.
All New Testament scholars would benefit by reading this book, but I don't think they will. More likely, it's new information will filter out through the writing and teaching of the few that do read it.
Bonnie Thurston, professor of theology at Wheeling Jesuit College, writes for the general reader. Writing in the last decade of the twentieth century, Thurston is attempting to respond to a hunger in contemporary churches for a deeper and more meaningful spiritual life. Thurston clearly states her aim and her intended audience in writing the book: " In this book I attempt to speak to the pastoral need for a deeper relationship to the God of Christian faith. Its aim is modest: to introduce the general reader to the spiritual life of the early church by presenting some of its attitudes and practices, and to do so without the encumbrances of an unduly daunting apparatus."
Thurston’s basic thesis is that contemporary Christian churches can deepen their spiritual practice and understanding by reacquainting themselves with the experiences and understandings of the Christian communities of the first century as they actually were. Gaining an historical understanding of the culture(s) within which the earliest Christian communities developed and how these early groups expressed their new faith and adapted practices that reflected their faith can assist churches now in their search for a connection with Christian spiritual practice.
Spiritual Life in the Early Church is thematically organized around the historical experiences of two faith communities: the Jerusalem church of Jewish believers as described by Luke in the first part of the Book of The Acts of the Apostles and the church of Gentile believers as described in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians.
Thurston begins with a lengthy explanation of the cultural and religious diversity of the first century. She provides a clear sense of the variety of religious practices that were coexisting in and around Israel and in other the territories of the Roman Empire. Her point in this description of other strands of spirituality is to demonstrate that Christianity did not arise out of a religious or spiritual vacuum, nor was it completely novel in the practices early Christians adopted and used in the expression of their faith in Jesus as the Christ. There are chapters following this cultural overview that address the general spirituality of early Christianity and specifically the practices of "naming" Christ, Breaking the Bread, and Prayer. The first several chapters deal with the experiences of the Jerusalem church. The final chapter addresses the prayer life of the Ephesians. Thurston makes the observation that all these groups of Christians lived in a diverse and Roman and Hellenistic environment and that interpretation and emulation of practices was commonplace.
It is clear that Bonnie Thurston is deeply knowledgeable about the ancient world where Jesus and the early Christians lived. She makes frequent and deliberate reference to religious practices and communities that existed alongside of Christianity in order to provide a more concrete framework for understanding the context of developing Christianity. Her references to Biblical passages, theological vocabulary, and Greek words serve to substantiate her perspective but may deter the reader with little or no scholarly background in language and liturgical history. She provides a strong bibliography of texts that relate to the ancient world for those readers who may wish to delve more deeply into the history of the times.
I enjoyed reading this book despite the fact that it was not what I had expected. I had expected a treatment of the spirituality of early Christians. What the book provides is a good and clear historical analysis of the spiritual practices of the early church that may be understood and recovered by current Christian communities. While Thurston wants to appeal to the general reader, I think that those who will best appreciate this book will have at least some knowledge of theological language and Christian history. Pastors may find the book helpful in preaching about spiritual practices and in helping individuals to deepen their understanding of prayer and spiritual practice. I would heartily recommend this book for use in a study group that focuses on the historical and contemporary practices of Christian communities and individuals.
Author and Audience
Brian J. Dodd is pastor of Antioch United Methodist Church in Antioch, California. He holds a Ph. D. from the University of Sheffield in England. The book is written for serious students seeking an insightful, probing, and scholarly look at Paul’s attitudes and thoughts on several socio/religious issues that he advanced during his missionary work, and why they are so problematic for today’s readers, some two millennia later in a totally different cultural setting. Mr. Dodd addresses such issues as Paul’s views on women, sex and sexuality, marriage, slavery; Paul’s complex attitudes and seeming contradictions toward the Jewish law and his own people; and Paul’s apparently mercurial temperament and, at times, his violent attacks on others.
Thesis
For many, Paul is an enigma. Yet he is someone who has to be confronted, since most of the letters in the New Testament bear his name and authorship. Further, Paul is not going to go away. Mr. Dodd sums it up best when he says in his introductory first chapter that "[h]is [Paul’s] writings persist, and many people esteem Paul. Why does Paul continue to be held in such high regard?...Why do presidents and prime ministers quote him and critics condemn him? If his writings are so remiss, why do such brilliant people honor his name and cite his words?" (p. 11) Mr. Dodd takes up these questions in his book and makes keen insights on the issues noted above, issues that, when understood within the cultural parameters of Paul’s time and place, may be more understandable, and perhaps more acceptable to us in our time. Mr. Dodd’s thesis is that in order to come to a greater appreciation and understanding of Paul’s thinking and attitudes on social issues of his era -- issues important for us today -- we must cross over the "interpretive bridge," to use Mr. Dodd’s terminology, and go back to Paul’s time and strive to understand him in his social, religious, and political circumstances. In addition to these elements, the impact on Paul’s thinking by his new-found faith in Christ makes for inevitable social changes for Paul’s world, as reflected in his letters. For example, in a section addressing whether or not Paul was a sexist, Mr. Dodd cites the Pauline passages of women wearing head coverings and remaining silent in church, and not exercising teaching authority over men. Considering these circumstances, Mr. Dodd concedes that Paul may have been a sexist. He states further that in Paul’s society the role of women was largely that of homemaker and wife, although some women were successful in business. Yet Mr. Dodd also discusses at length such women as Phoebe, a deacon at the church in Cenchrae and courier and interpreter for the Roman Christians, as well as Junia, an esteemed apostle -- another position of high status. In Romans, he discusses how Prisca was given prominence over her husband. In I Corinthians 5, Paul writes of a case of an adulterous relationship between a man and his stepmother, and calls for harsh discipline for the man and not the woman. In I Corinthians 7, he puts the single life -- for men and women -- on an equal footing with marriage, thus challenging the prevailing and expected practice of marriage in a male-dominant culture. And again, in I Corinthians 7, Paul places men under the same ethical standards as women. Mr. Dodd argues that the evidence shows that Paul, in his new-found faith in Christ, believed that all are equal before God, and that he became an advocate for change and for greater social acceptance and equality for women. Mr. Dodd gives a thorough hearing on all the Pauline problems he discusses, citing contrary points of view and apparently conflicting biblical references. He evaluates all the evidence, and pieces together the biblical passages to make a coherent and consistent (if complex) understanding of Paul’s thought.
Evidence Evaluated
The evidence evaluated in this book include countless passages in Paul’s letters regarding the issues cited above as well as many other Old and New Testament references. Mr. Dodd also cites a full twenty pages of end-notes, with references from men of antiquity to his contemporaries, including Aristotle, Philo, Josephus, S. Scott Bartchy, James G.D. Dunn, Krister Stendahl and Karl Barth. Dodd also refers to as the Oxyrhynchus Papyrus 1422, and parses phrases both in the Greek and Hebrew for subtle but important clarifications in his arguments. His end-notes and references are comprehensive and thorough.
Response
As a beginning student of theology, I must say that I found this book excellent, thorough, and scholarly. Mr. Dodd presents balanced and comprehensive discussion of the issues he cites as problematic for today’s readers. He supports his arguments with numerous scholars on Pauline theology and presents evidence contrary to his views as well, thereby enriching his thesis. Some of his conclusions may be challenged by others, and well they should be in as much as Christian theology is inherently polemical. But Mr. Dodd presents solid argumentation which any serious student of Paul must consider as all of us strive after the truths to be found in the message of our Lord in Paul’s letters, the catholic letters, and the Gospels.
This book was written by Brain J. Dodd, who holds a Ph.D. from the University of Sheffield in Sheffield, England. At the time of the writing he served as pastor of Antioch United Methodist Church in Antioch, California. In The Problem with Paul, Dodd extends an invitation to Bible students to join in a conversation "to answer reservations about the Bible for whom Paul’s letters are sacred text".
Dodd offers an understanding of the social context in which Paul wrote in order that we may interpret the text into present social situations. The author describes Paul’s letters as analogous to overhearing a telephone conversation, where we only here one side of the conversation. Often we are able to piece together the entire conversation, but sometimes not. Dodd suggests that we need an "interpretive bridge" to crossover to the original meaning of the text. He also recommends that we cross back to apply the understanding to a different place and time.
Dodd challenges some of the criticisms that have dogged Paul, and divides the book into chapters which address the most blatant of these criticisms. The chapters address Paul’s views on women, marriage, sexuality, slavery, and anti-Semitism.
Dodd suggests that some of Paul’s beliefs translate quite well, but does allow that not all of the points cross the bridge of time that easily. If we have trouble with Paul’s thoughts, we need only to consider that "Paul’s unique contribution is to draw attention to the fact that devotion to Christ is to deeply affect one’s practical decision-making and unquestioned cultural conditioning".
The author challenges many of the beliefs about Paul, as he describes Paul as a "Christian feminist" and a "troubadour for slaves". The chapter on slavery was the most striking chapter of the book for me, where Dodd spends much of the chapter describing what slavery was like in antiquity.
Dodd states that "historical knowledge is based on the texts and those texts need to be interpreted in their co-texts and contexts before historical judgments about the events or persons they depict". He uses this book primarily to demonstrate how cultural contexts affect our interpretation of the Bible. Dodd allows that Paul was not perfect, but, more often than not, the problem with Paul is a problem of perspective.
At the end of the book, is an extensive list of scholarly worked cited.
I enjoyed reading The Problem with Paul as it offered insight on how the text may have been understood in antiquity, and how to cross the interpretive bridge to see where the message fits in today’s world. I would recommend this book to anyone who has a question about any of Paul’s views on women, sex, marriage, slavery, or anti-Semitism. Dodd provides a unique perspective of the social context in which to read Paul’s letters.
This book was written by Jerome H. Neyrey at the time of this writing he was the Professor of New Testament Studies at Weston School of Theology in Cambridge Massachusetts. This book was written for those with an enquiring mind into the other side of the conversation in Paul’s letters. ". . .After all, they are letters, halves of conversations, written to specific groups on specific occasions. . . ."(Pg 7). It is a valuable tool to be kept and used in the "ToolBox" of Biblical studies.
If one is to read this book as a way of comparing Paul with the social, political life of the 1990’s they are sure to find some discourse. Professor Neyrey encourages the reader not to discount this book, but to use it as a way to see just how Paul’s view of heaven and ours are different. His thesis is to help the reader develop a greater sense of ecumenism. A question to ask after reading this book might be how are our views different from not only Paul but also others?
This book consists of 10 chapters with the first three covering the social science perspective, the universe, and the cosmos all centered around Paul. Chapter four and five addresses boundaries and the human body. The final five chapters are the worlds that encompass Paul with the primary focus on the people at Corinth and Galatia. Dr. Neyrey in his conclusion mentions that the model for using this book is covered in six aspects. Purity, rites, body, sin, cosmology, and sufferings are all cultural perspectives that we can use to while researching the writings of historical documents. As stated earlier there are two sides to every story and this book helps to take a journey in to the world that surrounded Paul.
The title of this book Paul, In Other Words brings a new insight to the readings of Paul. I found it to be presented in such a way that as the reader I was able to follow the author from start to finish. It opened a new understanding to the personhood of Paul. This is an excellent book for the person who is beginning their journey in the study of the Pauline letters. I found that also has helped me with researching other writings in our scripture.
I chose Francis Watson's book Agape, Eros and Gender: Toward a Pauline Sexual Ethic because I had hoped to make sense of what I have always found to be confusing in Paul's expectations of sex roles, sexuality and sexual expectations. At the outset I was pleased by the author's attempt to include a wide variety of voices in his interpretation. While I was delighted to find such voices and insights as Virginia Woolf, Leo Tolstoy, Sigmund Freud and Michelangelo I was equally lost in references to Augustine, Iriaray , Tertullian, and Von Balthasar. I say this at the outset only to do justice in my review.
The author, a professor of New Testament Exegesis at the University of Aberdeen offered an academic approach to what I have always seen as a confusing topic. Watson focused his book on three scriptures in order to explore Pauline texts regarding the issues of agape, Eros and gender. His first exploration was into 1 Corinthians 11. In it he investigates Paul's use of the veil as a segregation of Eros and agape instead of a segregation between man and woman. In this he points out that women must wear the veil to equal themselves to men by protecting themselves from the male erotic gaze. Despite his support from Woolf, I found this explanation to over intellectualize the issue. Whatever the foundation for the use of a veil it still represents a Pauline supported separation between man and woman. It does appear that despite his denial, the author himself has difficulty as a man grasping the fact that gender is in fact political. In the second section of the book, Watson explores sex and desire through the eyes of Romans 7. In his explanation Watson compares Paul, Augustine and Freud. In spite of his attempt to create a contemporary discourse on sex I found his clarification to be passionless and clinical. On many levels I believe this reflects Paul¹s own separation of body and spirit. I found the author¹s explanation of how the law effects sin both insightful and eye opening.
In the final section of the book the author uses Ephesians 5 to make sense of agape. I am not sure where the author stands in relation to Paul's expectation that women should be submissive to men, and yet he explains the struggle between man and wife with a great deal of clarity. In the end he asserts that Christianity defines the correct context for sex as marriage and the correct context for Eros as Agape. I am clear that this is Paul's understanding of sexuality but I do not feel that Watson was able to redefine this Pauline outline into a contemporary framework. If we accept Paul's assertion that men and women are incomplete without each other how do we explain loving same sex relations or affectionate unmarried sex? Even after reading the book twice, I do not feel I was able to understand it¹s entire message, nor do I feel that it answered all of my concerns. While I argue that this book was missing the mark as an ethic, I did find the author¹s exegetical work comprehensive and astute. I would recommend this book to anyone searching for a challenging read or research material for an exegetical paper.
Author and Audience
Francis Watson is a Professor of New Testament Exegesis at the University of Aberdeen. In this book, he attempts an interdisciplinary and free-ranging approach to exegesis in order to transcend the traditional boundaries of theological inquiry. He identifies an intriguing rationale for this interdisciplinary approach in his preface: "[T]o interpret is to use the texts to think with. To confine interpretation to the ever more precise reproduction or retracing of what the texts say is to neglect their canonical function, which is to generate thought, not to restrict it. Their genre as canonical texts demands that they be set within broad horizons, and not merely returned to an ‘original historical situation’ in the first century" (viii, emphasis in the original). Unfortunately, Watson’s quest to set the text "within broad horizons" makes his book very difficult to read. His analysis is clearly written for a specialist, academic audience. True appreciation of his arguments requires an intimate familiarity not only with Paul and Augustine, but also Tolstoy, Virginia Woolf, Barth, Nietzsche, and Freud, among others. The target audience for such a book is undoubtedly very small.
Thesis
Watson argues that we can move "toward a Pauline sexual ethic" that is applicable to modern life by paying careful attention to the roles ascribed to agape and eros in Paul’s letters. Agape, "the inner-trinitarian love opened up to human participation in Jesus and his spirit," is set out as the avenue and model for love between man and woman within marriage. Eros, sexual desire, is limited and controlled by the pervasiveness of agape, thus enabling a positive, mutually-fulfilling relationship between the sexes.
Evidence Evaluated
Watson focuses his inquiry on three texts that form the center of Paul’s teaching on gender and sexuality: 1 Corinthians 11, Romans 7, and Ephesians 5. He "uses these texts to think with" by setting them beside texts from various writers including Tolstoy, Freud, Virginia Woolf, and Irigaray. In examining the "sexual ethics" suggested by each of the modern writers, he pulls apart their reasoning, setting it in dialogue with a critical exegesis of the passages from Paul. Ultimately, he seems to always side with Paul, although his readings of Paul’s ethics often seem a bit forced.
Response
I found this book to be one of the densest I have ever tackled. Because I was not familiar with any of the modern texts that Watson used in his analysis, I often struggled to understand when Watson was explicating another author and when he was making his own argument. Nonetheless, there was something intriguing enough about the bits and pieces I did understand, that I kept on reading, hoping things would grow clearer as I read on. I finished the book with enough of a grasp on his argument to think that my time and frustration was not entirely wasted. I am intrigued by his argument for a very traditional (dare I say, passionless?) marriage. He rejects an interpretation of Paul that would support a hierarchical dominance of man over woman, but sees the marriage of one woman and one man as the natural condition of humankind, written into the creation itself. The book was written prior to our current debates over gay marriage, but it would have been interesting to read a post-script in which Watson deals directly with the topic.
Those who are familiar with several of the writers listed above or who are specialists in feminist (or post-feminist?) criticism will certainly profit from reading this book. Others may want to choose another author.
Author and Audience: The author of this book is Krister Stendahl, Bishop of Stockholm, Sweden and former Dean of Harvard Divinity School. The manuscript for this book was evidently written while he was still at Harvard and was submitted to Fortress Press for publication in May 1976. Paul Among Jews and Gentiles was written to reach both clergy and lay people alike. It is intelligent enough to be read for academic purposes, yet humorous enough to be used in any church group setting. Thesis: Is "justification by faith" a genuine and legitimate Pauline thought? Or is Paul simply explaining his mission as a Jew who has answered the call of God? Bishop Stendahl’s lectures first given at the Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary and the Colgate Rochester Divinity School, are the basis for his thesis. The book consists of four essays, as well as answers to critiques of other scholars, and is structured as follows:
1. Paul Among Jews and Gentiles
Paul Among Jews and Gentiles Call Rather Than Conversion Justification Rather Than Forgiveness Weakness Rather Than Sin Love Rather Than Integrity Unique Rather Than Universal 2. The Apostle Paul and the Introspective Conscience of the West
3. Judgement and Mercy
4. Glossolalia — The New Testament Evidence
5. Sources and Critiques
Evidence Evaluated: Bishop Stendahl uses the Greek text for interpreting passages that he believes are misinterpreted by most people in the church. He also relies on known historical facts and documents to support his thesis. He is well read and the reader will find quotes and/or mention of Johannes Munck, Soren Kierkegaard, Augustine, Origen, and others. Scripture references are well balanced between the KJV and RSV Bible. In his chapter on critiques he answers challenges from his colleagues using direct quotes that they have made concerning his work. Response: I enjoyed reading this book. It is a short book, only 133 pages in length, and it is an easy read. Bishop Stendahl reveals his insights in a concise, easy to understand manner that most anyone will benefit from. I appreciate his honesty in the Preface of the book when he explains that his thinking has changed considerably since giving these lectures, especially concerning the role of women. He causes the reader to consider the words justification, love, and integrity in a new light. Anyone who wants to understand the importance of the Letters of Paul and/or understand why Paul is thought to be "the Apostle" of the Christian faith, needs to read this book.
This material was originally prepared for the Quillian Lectures at Emory University and initially published in journal articles in 1936 ("’Fourteen Years Later’: A Note on the Pauline Chronology" Journal of Religion. Vol.16:341) and 1940 (The Pauline Chronology" Journal of Biblical Literature. Vol. 58: 15-29). The book, Chapters in a Life of Paul, was an outgrowth of those articles and was originally published in 1950 creating considerable controversy, at that time, by insisting "that there is only one way to produce a dependable reconstruction of Paul’s career" (p. x). Knox proposed that Paul’s epistles be considered the only primary source and that all other material (including the Acts of the Apostles) be considered secondary sources when reconstructing Paul’s life and ministry. "Focusing in this way on the data provided by the letters alone, Knox was able to produce an outline of Paul’s career that was coherent, faithful to the apostle’s own testimony, and disengaged from the various problems (such as fourteen to seventeen ‘silent years’) that so plagued the harmonizing reconstructions" (p. x).
As you might imagine, Knox uses Paul’s own letters as his evidence with relatively few references to Acts and other commentaries. This revised edition of the book includes some additional commentary references.
The book is structured in three parts. The first section is concerned with his sources, specifically Paul’s letters (primary source) and the Acts of the Apostles (secondary source). It is here that he requires the reader to "draw a sharp distinction between the primary source consisting of the epistle and this secondary source of later date and uncertain origin" (p. x).
The second section of the book focuses on the career of the apostle by telling the story as told by the letters. Here Knox does back up his evidence with evidence from Acts. Using this information, he sketches a biography of Paul and his work.
In the final section, Knox presents his perspective on Paul’s theology, considering Paul’s initial revelation and how it is that Paul is a "man in Christ".
My reading experience was pleasurable and I think that this book would be enjoyed by anyone with an interest in Paul and his ministry. While certainly a scholarly work, the book is not encumbered by a multitude of footnotes nor is it made difficult by the use of theological or scientific jargon. I think it would profit anyone who reads this book because, although somewhat dated, it does present a strong argument for the legitimacy of Paul’s letters as the definitive source for the reconstruction of his career.
What I enjoyed most was that it was my first experience of seeing Paul as a vulnerable, sincere, hard-working, man of faith, caught up in his ministry because he could not do otherwise. While his manner was at times offensive, his determination to "press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus" (Phil.3:14) was relentless.
Author and intended reader: Elaine Pagels is, in my view, one of the leading scholars in the area of gnosticism and the early church. Pagels wrote this book while she was Professor of religion and Chairman of the Department of Religion, Barnard College. She is now Harrington Spear Paine Professor of Religion at Princeton. The book is largely intended for biblical scholars and students who are interested in exegesis and the various differences in hermeneutics.
Thesis: Against the theologians of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, G. Henrici, Barth, Bultmann, Bornkamn and others that are heavily influenced by theologians of the second century, such as Irenaeus, Tertullian and Clement, who see the Apostle Paul as antignostic, Pagels explores the possibility of Paul being a leading exponent of Gnostic teachings.
Structure: In order to present Paul as an Apostle to the Gnostics, Pagels explores the hermeneutical methods of the leading Gnostics of the second century. Interestingly, the Gnostics did not accept the Pastoral letters of Paul, but counted only, Romans, 1-2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians and Hebrews as authentic Pauline writings. Taking these writings in this order, Romans through Hebrews, Pagels exegetes them according to the way the Valentinians did, using their own exegetical methods and insights gleaned from fragments and newly discovered texts, such as those found in the Nag Hammadi Library. It is written much like a commentary on each letter, concentrating on the passages that the Gnostics considered especially important. Pagels parallels each view, Gnostic and orthodox, giving the reader deeper insight into the possible readings created from the differing hermeneutics.
Evidence: Pagels takes advantage of recent discoveries of ancient Gnostics writings that shine a new light on their thinking. Pagels also looks at the Gnostics as seen through the eyes of the heresiologists that have served too long to influence later interpretations of Gnostic material. Pagels uses writings, or fragments of writings, from Valentinus, Ptolemy, Heracleon and Theodotus. Pagels also cites texts that Ireneaus, Tertullian, Clement of Alexandria, Origen and Hippolytus, use to show the Gnostic hermeneutical methods of exegesis.
Reader Response: The purpose of exploring the different hermeneutical methods used for exegetical approaches to Paul is to overcome the one sided interpretation of the Pauline writings that has favored the antignostic Paul. Pagel’s hope is that this might foster a "renewed openness to the texts" (164). I enjoyed this very insightful analysis of the Gnostic exegetical method, and therefore, a fine analysis of Gnostic thought in general. It is an examination of the age-old argument as to whether scripture should be read literally or allegorically and in what way one should or should not read it, either literally, or allegorically. The Gnostics claim that Paul gives his teaching on two levels so that the psychics (the many Christians) may read Paul’s letters literally, while the pneumatics (the few – the elect) may read his writings on a deeper level that reveals the hidden mysteries of Christ. An example of Gnostic interpretation is that the Gnostics see the "Jews" as those circumcised in the flesh who can only see the literal or fleshly truth, while the Gentiles, those circumcised in the heart, can see the spiritual truth of the risen Christ. The Gnostics say that there is a clue to this way of interpretation in Paul’s statement, "Concerning his [God’s] Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh," and from God according to the Spirit (Romans 1:3-4).
Author and Audience - Pagels, currently a professor of religion at Princeton University, wrote The Gnostic Paul while on the faculty of Barnard College. She has published widely on gnosticism and early Christianity. Based on her intent as presented in the preface, this work is targeted to theologians, and New Testament scholars in particular. She states that when she began this study she "intended to investigate certain patterns and themes that characteristically distinguish Valentinian exegesis of Paul from that of the antignostic fathers" (Pagels, 1975, p. ix).
Thesis - There has long been an assumption that Paul was antignostic, yet many gnostic Christians, such as the Naassenes and Valentinians, revered him as a "gnostic initiate" (p. 1). We have discussed in our class to some degree how Paul was an "apostle of the heretics" based on Marcion’s enthusiastic and narrow focus on Paul. Pagels argues that it is the heresiologists (Irenaeus, Tertullian, and Origen) who present Paul as antignostic. However, Valentinus, who was a student of Theudas, a disciple of Paul, was part of an apostolic succession. Exegists such as Valentinus pointed to symbolic language used by Paul in his letters as evidence of his gnosticism. Pagels invites us to examine the dominant paradigm, which assumes an antignostic Paul, with a critical mind, but to also examine the gnostic claims with the same degree of caution and critique.
Evidence Evaluated - Pagels walks us through a gnostic exegesis of Paul’s letters. In her analysis, she draws heavily on the Nag Hammadi, and from the New Testament: Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Hebrews. Methodologically, Pagels examined evidence of Valentinian exegesis from a) extant fragments of Valentinus, Ptolemy, Heracleon, and Theodotus, b) Valentinian exegesis cited by Irenaeaus, Hippolytus, Tertullian, Clement of Alexandria, and Origen’s anti-Valentinian commentaries, a) and Nag Hammadi texts considered Valentinian.
Systematic collation of the evidenced into analysis of letters the Valentinians considered Pauline (p.8).
Throughout this book Pagels contrasts the psychic (non-gnostic) and the pneumatic (gnostic) Christian understandings of Paul’s writing. For example, regarding 1 Cor 15:20-23:
While psychics mistake Christ’s resurrection as a literal, past event, pneumatic Christians understand it symbolically: Christ’s resurrection signifies the "’resurrection of the ecclesia.’ That he rose ‘on the third day’ (15:4) means that the psychic church shall be raised only when the first two days – the hylic and psychic days, are over, and the demiurge’s creation, the ‘kingdom of death’ has ended. On the ‘third day, that is the pneumatic day,’ Christ shall ‘raise’ the psychics and lead them from the cosmos into the pleroma (p. 82).
In regards to Eph 5:22, Pagel notes that Ptolemy points out the Paul sees himself as speaking allegorically, that sexual terminology alludes to "the mystery of Christ and the church" (p. 126). These passages and analysis are typical of the entire book. In many ways I learned more about gnosticism than I did about Paul. However, this gnostic exegesis permits a more than literal interpretation of Paul’s writing.
Response - I enjoyed reading this book and am particularly impressed with what appears to me to be the thoroughness and depth of Pagels’ gnostic exegesis. She essentially walks the reader, verse by verse, through Paul’s major letters and explores gnostic exegesis in depth. The Gnostic Paul is not for the casual reader, nor is it for someone interested in the historical Paul. In fact, Pagels keeps her focus on Paul intentionally narrow: "This present study focuses specifically on Paul as he is being read in the second century. The subject is, of course, not Paul himself but ‘the gnostic Paul’ – that is, the figure that emerges from second-century gnostic sources" (pp. 8-9, author’s italics). This book provided for me another lens through which to view and experience Paul’s work and early Christianity. Through gaining an understanding of and some insight into Valentinian exegesis, I could more clearly appreciate the challenges the Gnostics presented to those aiming to build a united church, such as Irenaeus. I have also gained a greater appreciation for exegesis.
Authors/Audience
This work is an English translation of a not-yet-published German manuscript, which continues the work of a previous study (The Pre-Christian Paul, 1991) by the authors. A short summary of this work originally appeared in 1994, and was expanded into a lecture series given by Prof. Hengel in 1996. The authors presuppose a certain degree of biblical scholarship on the part of their readers – quotations in Greek and transliterations of Aramaic or Hebrew words, while generally referenced, are not always translated, and allusions are occasionally made to prevailing scholarly opinion without always fully explaining those opinions.
Thesis
The book examines the period of Paul’s activity between the time of his conversion and the Apostolic Council. It is arranged chronologically and geographically, beginning with Damascus and moving on to Arabia, back to Damascus, Jerusalem, Tarsus, Cilicia, Antioch and finally Jerusalem again. Each section explores the political and religious environment Paul would have encountered in the various regions, and evaluates experiences and influences (e.g. the conversion vision/audition, the presence of Gentile "godfearers"/sympathizers within the synagogues, the early meeting with Peter in Jerusalem, exposure to Hellenistic philosophy and rhetoric) which may have had an effect on the development of Paul’s theology and preaching. The book closes with a brief (three page) comparison of the theological development of Paul and Luther.
Evidence
The authors draw heavily from the letters of Paul and from the Book of Acts. They argue that Acts was written earlier than is generally supposed (between around 75 – 85 CE) and that it contains accurate eyewitness information concerning at least the later period of Paul’s ministry. Therefore they hold Acts to be more historically accurate in reconstructing Paul’s activity than do many other scholars. In addition to the Biblical sources, the authors use other contemporary sources (e.g. Josephus, Strabo, Pliny), as well as archaeological information and inscriptions from the regions which Paul visited.
The book draws heavily on modern scholarship as well. Although there is no formal bibliography, references are contained in the extensive (180 pages) endnotes, and there is a ten page Index of Modern Scholars included as well.
Response
While I am not familiar enough with the scholarly debate on the dating and historical reliability of Acts to form my own opinion on this subject yet, I nonetheless found this book to offer a very clear and helpful reconstruction of the world in which Paul would have traveled and preached. I would recommend it on this basis even to those who might disagree with the Acts-influenced chronology it proposes.
In the very first sentence of the introduction, author Markus Bockmuehl tells us that Philippians is filled with joy. "Saint Paul’s letter to Philippi sparkles with joy – the sort of life-giving heart-refreshing joy that is tangibly transforming in its effect on the mundane realities of everyday existence."
It is with this joyful approach that Bockmuehl exegetes what makes Philippians – well, Philippians. He notes that Paul’s loving relationship with the church may be based on information that the Church at Philippi was the first Pauline church and the first Gentile church in Europe. To further cement the Paul-Philippi relationship, Bockmuehl suggests that even Luke himself may have been from Philippi. (Page 15)
Bockmuehl writes that since antiquity, there has been little argument that Philippians was composed by Paul in Rome in prison, although some scholars have preferred that Philippians was written rather in Ephesus because of the lengthy travel distance between Rome and Philippi - roughly 1,300 km. However, there is evidence that many people traveled great distances, especially to and from Rome. (Page 31)
The relationship between Paul and Philippi is stressed by Bockmuehl throughout the entire book. Paul "enjoys an unusually warm and friendly relationship with the Philippians; this is described as an active ‘partnership’ (Koinônia 1.5) in the course of which the Philippians have repeatedly contributed financial support to his ministry. (Phil. 4:15-16) (Page 33)
According to Bockmuehl, many themes pervade the letter – "the sure and unhalting advance of the gospel; the knowledge and joy of Christ as the supreme good; the example of this humility and promise of fellowship with him even after death; his future coming and a resurrection like his; confident prayer and Christian contentment in every situation; the pursuit of virtue and so forth." (Page 41)
After an introduction and general outline of Philippians, Bockmuel then tenaciously takes us through every single verse of Philippians, analyzing text, historical background and other commentaries. However, that "sparkle of joy" rears its beautiful head throughout Philippians as well as Bockmuehl commentary. "Christian joy, too finds its object outside itself, transforming the sadness of circumstance into delight in the Lord who is near." (Page 59)
Bockmuehl astutely notes a departure from Paul’s normal letter structure, perhaps because of the gravity of Paul’s situation in prison. Paul reflects on his likely fate and unlike in most of the other letters, there are no long-range plans mentioned. (Page 70) However, the effect of Paul’s captivity is to advance the gospel. (Page 73) Still, Paul continues to profess a Christian confidence in life and death. "For me living is Christ and dying is gain." According to Bockmuehl, the phrase with Christ, "clearly denotes both the present union of Christians with Christ and the future destiny of Christians in perfected fellowship with him." (Page 91)
Paul’s Christian experience is the spinal cord of his body of Christ and the author dedicates much time to explore this issue. While in prison, Paul’s Christian walk becomes a run – literally. In Philippians 3:13-14 we read, "Brothers and sisters, I do not consider that I have already taken hold of. But one thing I do; forgetting what lies behind and stretching forward to what lies ahead, I race towards the goal for the prize, which is God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus." Bockmuehl writes that Paul wants people to know that the race is not over yet. And that the finish line – the prize is Jesus.
According to Bockmuehl, Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" has had a wide ranging influence on later Christian history, in which it has often been cited out of context. He writes that the power to cope with all circumstances resides in his union with Christ. (Page 262)
Bockmuehl states that the closing and benediction follow "an extended note of thanks." (Page 267) He writes, "Paul is brief, almost laconic in closing." In the closing, Paul also mentions Caesar’s household. Bockmuehl suggests a connection between the end of Philippians and the names cited in Romans 16:11.
The Epistle to the Philippians gives the reader an extended and panoramic view of Paul’s letter to the Philippians. Bockmuehl refreshingly includes different and opposing opinions on the scripture, inviting us to interpret Philippians in the way the Spirit leads us.
This book is a collection of essays based on a 1997 academic conference whose aim was to focus on two comprehensive issues: that of Judaism versus Hellenism and that of religion versus ethics. In both cases the focus was furthermore intended to be specifically on Paul’s Corinthian correspondence. This conference was a follow-up to a previous conference in 1994 whose focus and title had been Paul on His Hellenistic Background. Insights reached during this conference led to participants’ perception that Paul should not be studied against a background of culture but rather that he needed to be understood as coplayer with his cultural contemporaries, interacting in varied, direct and complicated ways.
The second conference was initially entitled Paul Between Judaism and Hellenism, but participants still felt problems with the approach. Paul was not a disembodied mind operating outside of Judaism and Hellenism and the two cultures themselves were not even separate entities. These lines of thinking led to the current title of the book and the radical proposal that scholars must try to give up using any form of the Judaism/Hellenism divide in their attempts to understand Paul. Only then would scholars be able to see Paul in the broad cultural contexts to which he belonged.
The book is organized into three parts. The first grouping of essays addresses new approaches to the traditional Judaism/Hellenism divide. The second group focuses on how social history can overcome these artificial boundaries. The third and final group demonstrates how to move beyond the false cultural boundaries we have inherited by focusing on the specific texts and ideas in the two letters to the Corinthians. The essays are written by academicians for other academicians, although I did not find them difficult to read. The notes at the end of the book are very informative as are the three indexes: one of ancient sources, one of personal names and one of subjects.
If you are interested in questions about religious identity this book may interest you. "Paul ranges freely across any supposed invisible boundaries." (13) If you wonder how that may have been true, if it is possible today, how we are able or not very well able to talk about such fluidity in religious identity and experience, you may find that this book provides food for reflection and helpful insights.
I will leave you with one more quote from the introduction which may help you decide if you indeed want to bother with reading this book. " We must constantly bear in mind that the term "Hellenistic" should be understood in the very broad, almost empty sense identified above. Similarly, when speaking of an idea or practice as having, for instance, a distinctly Jewish root, we must remember to focus on a single idea or practice that we have decided, for reasons of our own, to extract from the comprehensive cultural web in which it had its occurrent place and that it took its overall meaning, not primarily from its cultural root, but from its place within the contemporary cross-cultural web." As a person with a mixed Jewish and Christian heritage and very diverse religious experience I found this book intriguing and provocative.
Author and Audience
Hengel and Schwemer wrote this book in Tubingen as a continuation of a study begun in 1991. they wrote as a reaction to what they refer to as the incompetence of previous scholars. Their book is thoroughly researched and is meant to reach scholars of antiquity and the Bible.
Thesis
The thesis of the book assumes that Luke was an eyewitness, and therefore reliable source in detailing the actions of Paul. The book uses the book of Acts to begin the hypothesis that Paul spent the fourteen years not documented by Paul or Luke in Asia, traveling and developing his theology.
The book includes a chronological table, eight chapters of text, a list of abbreviations, the end notes, and index of Biblical references, and an index of modern scholars. The text starts with describing the sources available and the geography of the region. It then proceeds to outline Paul’s life in Damascus and Antioch, with the historical data about the Roman Empire as a backdrop. The book concludes with a study of Paul’s theology and a chapter comparing Paul to Martin Luther.
Evidence Evaluated
Although the authors begin by saying that Luke is the authoritative source for their study, they go on to qualify that statement by acknowledging that Luke may be a biased source. They balance the source of the book of Acts against Paul’s letters (especially Galatians), the writings of Josephus, and other sources which detail the history of the Roman Empire. These include Strabo, Pliny major and Minor, Tacitus, Dio Cassius, Eusebuis, and archeological citings. Modern scholars are also cited in an extensive index at the end of the book. There are over fifteen hundred end notes citing sources and giving personal thoughts on the text. In addition to the English text the authors often translate directly from the Greek text of the Book of Acts and Paul’s letters.
Response
I found the book fascinating, but heavy reading. The detail was impressive, but difficult to digest in a first read. This is definitely a book for scholars. The authors intended it to be read by their peers. A whole class could be designed around this one book as a text for study. I think a group of scholars would be able to have an interesting discussion on some of the theories put forth by the authors. The historical background provides and interesting stepping off point into the realm of speculation about what Paul might have been experiencing or thinking during those "lost" fourteen years. The authors contend that Paul had some terrible experience that he did not care to discuss, therefore there is no record of that time. They also believe that Paul was busy establishing Christian churches with a strong foundation. Since Christianity continued to be strong in Antioch, Paul is given the credit for the beginnings of the church there.
I would recommend this book for anyone who wants to delve into the details of what life might have been like for Paul as he carried on his mission to the Gentiles.
Author & Audience
Robert Jewett, author of Jesus Against the Rapture: Seven Unexpected Prophecies was a professor at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary at the date of this publication. Mr. Jewett has taught courses such as "Biblical Interpretation and Contemporary Film" as well as "The Bible in Ancient and Modern Media". He is a biblical scholar and an "amateur" film critic.
This text, written from 1989-1992 seeks to reach both "individuals and the American culture as a whole (8)". Jewett is interested in adding to the conversation going on in academic and civic groups who are using modern media, such as major motion pictures, to discuss and explore the Christian biblical tradition. Further, he seeks to bring Pauline theology to a specifically American audience, making that theology concrete through comparison with popular movies so that it can be utilized in current "national troubles (13)". This second, cultural audience is important to Jewett. He writes, "I think we have failed to carry through with Paul’s program to function as ‘a Greek to the Greeks, a Jew to the Jews….’ and an American to the Americans. I want to free Pauline theology from the burdens of its traditional, Eurocentric formulation and to relate its transforming potential to the American cultural situation (7)".
Thesis
Jewett seeks to bring popular modern films into dialogue with Pauline theology through exegesis of both the films and corresponding excerpts from the letters of Paul. He does this in order to bring the message of Pauline theology to a specifically American audience, an audience more and more influenced by the secular modern media. He hopes that such dialogue will strip Pauline theology of its "Eurocentric origins….parameters defined by the European Reformation and the resultant conflicts between Protestants, Catholics and Jews [that has] resulted in significant distortions of certain aspects of [Paul’s] thought and a weakened capacity to relate his contribution to the American cultural setting (6)". Instead, Jewett wants to add to a "fully indigenized view" of Pauline theology in this country.
Structurally, Jewett posits that "the movement from chapter to chapter follows the paths suggested by the shape of Paul’s letters, which begin with shared faith experience and move on to the concrete issues facing a congregation (17)". Chapter 2-5 are discussions of films that relate to Paul’s "basic beliefs" as quoted from Romans. Star Wars and "the Force" in dialogue with Paul’s view of the gospel; Amadeus and Paul’s understanding of sin; A Separate Peace in dialogue with Paul’s words on Adam’s fall; and Tender Mercies to explore Paul’s views on resurrection and justification. Chapters 6-8 deal with "Paul’s theme of being ‘all things to all people’ (17)", exploring the films Grand Canyon, Tootsie and Ordinary People. Chapters 9-11 "take up ethical guidelines (17)" with the films Empire of the Sun, Pale Rider, and Red Dawn. The epilogue discusses the film Dead Poet’s Society in light of a quote from 2 Timothy.
Evidence
With the exception of Chapters 7 & 8, all of the writings from Paul that are explored are gleaned from the Letter to the Romans. Chapters 7 & 8 utilize 2 Corinthians. These texts are explored from the author’s own exegetical studies, using translations by the author. The quotations are taken from the Revised Stand Version of the Bible. In his exegesis the author relies heavily on modern scholarly research from biblical scholars, films critics and the popular media such as Time magazine, etc.
Reader Response
This reading experience had its points both high and low. The decision to use quotes primarily from Romans seemed limited from the outset, and the movies chosen were already dated. However, I was intrigued with the author’s goal of bringing Paul’s message to a particularly American audience, and there were times that the text did this very effectively, such as in the discussion of the film Grand Canyon in which American national identity and racial strife were discussed in light of Paul’s "Gentiles that do not have the law do by nature the things of the law…Such people demonstrate that the works of the law are written in their hearts…(Rom 2:13-16)".
This book is most interesting and accessible to the reader has seen the films, and is interested not so much in the author’s own personal/scholarly exegesis of the Pauline text, but in the exploration of reaching out to an American audience to share the message of Paul’s theology and the Christian gospel through the use of embedded cultural norms such as film and other means of popular art and communication.
Author and Audience
Robert Jewett was a New Testament professor at Garrett-Evangelical Seminary in Evanston, Illinois until 2000. He is a Methodist minister, according to his home page: http://theologie.uni-hd.de/wts/lampe/jewett.htm , as well as a scholar who has studied in both the United States and Germany.
Jewett intended to reach everyone, especially laymen, so that all might understand Pauline theology in the context of American popular culture.
Thesis
Jewett’s thesis is that Paul’s gospel was that Christ died for all of us, so Paul must reach into all segments of society. Paul placed himself where the people were, in order to communicate the Gospel on their own turf. If Paul were alive today, he would speaking in coffee houses and barber shops, as well as via media. Paul would be using our popular culture that we all share in order to act as a "Greek to the Greeks, a Jew to the Jews’. (1Corinthians 9:19-22). Jewett sees films as illustrations of established doctrines; they disclose truths and can dialogue with Paul’s letters.
How is the work structured? There are eleven movies analyzed in this book, forming eleven of the twelve chapters. Jewett is creating "dialogue in a prophetic mode", dealing with films in tandem with specific Biblical passages. Jewett wishes to free Paul from the ‘burdens of Euro-centric formulation" and bring him into contemporary American culture so that he is accessible in our time and place.
Evidence Evaluated
Jewett "works" the biblical text and compares and contrasts what the American culture via movies "say" versus the Pauline letters.
The Star Wars Chapter was a "right triumphing over wrong" saga, but this was through the use of weaponry by warriors and saints to restore power to a hierarchy. Paul believes in a more egalitarian society, with the power of the Gospel reigning and freedom from sin. This chapter illuminated underlying themes in both the letters and Star Wars, leaving me to understand both much better.
Response
This book is a "fun read" and a good place to start if you want to understand Paul. This text would be wonderful for a beginning place in a discussion group in a church adult education program.
Unless you are a huge movie buff, you will read only selected parts of this book. I have seen only two of the movies and clearly only remember Star Wars because I have seen it more t
