Category:Pauline Studies--2000s

Pauline Studies (2000s) The page: Pauline Studies--2000s includes (in chronological order) scholarly and literary works in the field of Pauline Studies made in the 2000s, or from 2000 to 2009. Highlights (2000s) Ashton (2000) 2000 Gager.jpg Gager (2000) Wangerin (2000) Dunn, ed. (2003) Sampley, ed. (2003) 2004 Chilton.jpg Chilton (2004) Griffith-Jones (2004) 2006 VanLandingham.jpg VanLandingham (2006) 2006 Wills.jpg Wills (2006) 2009 Borg - Crossan.jpg Borg - Crossan (2009) 2009 Eisenbaum.jpg Eisenbaum (2009) Zetterholm (2009) Interpreters (2000s)

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2006 : Judgment & Justification, by Chris VanLandingham

Chris VanLandingham, Judgment & Justification in Early Judaism and the Apostle Paul (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 2006).

"Is salvation a gift of God's grace or something God's followers must earn by good works? How do we reconcile the two emphases that salvation is a bestowal of God's mercy and that the final judgment will involve an assessment of the way people have lived during their time on earth? In Paul and Palestinian Judaism (1977), E. P. Sanders defined the terms and laid the groundwork for this crucial debate. Sanders's "New Perspective" sought to resolve the tension between grace and good deeds by arguing that for the Jews of Paul's day as well as for Paul himself, entrance into God's saving covenant was a gift of God's grace, while remaining in the covenant required good works done in obedience to God. Sanders's most vigorous opponents have disputed the works side of his formulation, taking issue with his contention that obedience is required to retain right standing in God's covenant. In Judgment and Justification, Chris VanLandingham challenges the grace side of the Sanders thesis, arguing that Paul's teaching on salvation, following the prevailing Jewish thinking of his time, establishes good works as the criterion for salvation at the final judgment. In making his case, VanLandingham does a text-by-text survey of early Jewish literature, interacting with a wide range of biblical scholars who deal with the themes of salvation and literature and judgment found in these texts and in the Pauline writings. VanLandingham wraps up this survey with a challenging reassessment of Paul's teaching in the light of the Jewish thinking of his time."--Publisher description.

The authors opposes Sanders' view that Paul's religion is other than Judaism. On the contrary, "Paulinism is better described as one spoke among many on the wheel that is Judaism" (p.335). Salvation in the last judgment is not based in Paul on "faith in Jesus." Works remain the only criterion of judgment. "At the time of faith, a person who has been 'made righteous' is forgiven of past sins (which then become a dead issue), cleansed from the guilt and impurity of sin, freed from the human propensity to sin, and then given the ability to obey. The last Judgment will then determine whether a person, as an act of will, has followed though with these benefits of Christ's death. If so, eternal life will be the reward; if not damnation" (p.335).

Election, covenant, and God's grace as they relate to obedience in post-biblical Judaism -- The last judgment according to deeds and its relationship to God's grace, mercy, and covenant with Abraham -- Behavior, the last judgment, and eternal destiny in the Pauline epistles -- "Justification by faith" : a mistranslated phrase and misunderstood concept

2000 : Reinventing Paul , by John G. Gager

John G. Gager, Reinventing Paul (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000).

<Throughout the Christian era, Paul has stood at the center of controversy, accused of being the father of Christian anti-Semitism. But have we misunderstood the man and his teachings for nearly 2,000 years? In this highly accessible book, John Gager challenges this entrenched view of Paul, arguing persuasively that Paul's words have been taken out of their original context, distorted, and generally misconstrued. Gager takes us in search of the "real" Paul--using Paul's own writings. Through an exhaustive analysis of Paul's letters to the Galatians and the Romans, he provides illuminating answers to the key questions: Did Paul repudiate the Law of Moses? Did he believe that Jews had been rejected by God and replaced as His chosen people by Gentiles? Did he consider circumcision to be necessary for salvation? And did he expect Jews to find salvation through Jesus? To all these questions, John Gager answers no. First, he puts Paul's proselytizing in context. Paul was an apostle to the Gentiles, not the Jews. His most vehement arguments were directed not against Judaism but against competing apostles in the Jesus movement who demanded that Gentiles be circumcised and conform to Jewish law in order to be saved. Moreover, Paul relied on rhetorical devices that were familiar to his intended audience but opaque to later readers of the letters. As a result, his message has been misunderstood by all succeeding generations. Reinventing Paul brilliantly sets forth a controversial interpretation of Paul's teaching. This thought-provoking portrait is essential reading for theologians and lay people, historians and philosophers, Christians and Jews.>--Publisher description.

<Gager proposes a new paradigm for Pauline studies, following the lead of Stanley Stowers, A Rereading of Romans, and Lloyd Gaston, Paul and the Torah. Gager challenges the traditional viewpoint that Paul converted from Judaism to Christianity and then attacked his former Jewish compatriots for their rejection of Jesus and their obsolete view of Torah. Gager argues that when interpreting Pauline texts such as Galatians and Romans it is crucial to keep Paul’s Gentile audience in mind. Paul did not intend to teach that the law was no longer binding; he frequently speaks in praise of the law. But for Gentiles he preached freedom from the law. When Paul says that “circumcision is of no value” (Rom 3:1), he means that salvation for Gentiles is not based upon circumcision or obeying the Torah. Paul was primarily interested in proclaiming Christ as Savior for Gentiles. Paul does not reject Judaism; his theological opponents were followers of Jesus who wanted to compel Gentiles to live like Jews. Gager’s ultimate objective is to stem the tide of Christian anti-Semitism in contemporary society. Christians too often hijack Paul to support an anti-Semitic agenda. The reader will have to determine whether Gager has satisfactorily explained the seemingly conflicting Pauline references to the law. >--Ronald Ruark, University of Michigan

Preface -- Introduction -- 1. The Traditional View of Paul -- 2. New Views of Paul -- 3. The Letter to the Galatians -- 4. The Letter to the Romans -- 5. Loose Ends