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Beverly Roberts Gaventa (ed.), Apocalyptic Paul: Cosmos and Anthropos in Romans 5-8 (Baylor University Press, 2013).

Abstract

"Romans 5-8 revolve around God's dramatic cosmic activity and its implications for humanity and all of creation. Apocalyptic Paul measures the power of Paul's rhetoric about the relationship of cosmic power to the Law, interpretations of righteousness and the self, and the link between grace and obedience. A revealing study of Paul's understanding of humanity in light of God's apocalyptic action through Jesus Christ, Apocalyptic Paul illuminates Romans 5-8 and shows how critical this neglected part of Romans was to Paul's literary project."--Publisher description.

"Romans 5-8 are explored, pressed, and at times―as they should be―simply celebrated. Every reader interested in Paul will benefit from this interplay of theology, exegesis, and subtle intertextuality, threaded through with church tradition. Perhaps most importantly, many of the apostle's most powerful and challenging thoughts are on display here at the hands of some of his most significant and gifted current interpreters."--Douglas A. Campbell, Associate Professor of New Testament, Duke Divinity School

"This volume brings us into the company of seasoned Pauline scholars focused on the center of Paul's Epistle to the Romans. The conversation among these experts all sympathetic (though not all in the same way) to the designation of Paul as an 'apocalyptic' figure, reveals richly informed engagement with the text and honest wrestling with the large questions of cosmology and anthropology raised by Romans 5-8. Altogether the essays in this volume stand as a profoundly stimulating, challenging, crucial, and timely contribution to the conversation about Paul's interpretation of the gospel in what remains for the time being contested territory."―-Alexandra Brown, Jessie Ball duPont Professor of Religion, Washington and Lee University

"We are indebted to Beverly Gaventa for this fine collection. This is an unusually strong series of studies by respected Paul scholars that should be of interest to anyone preaching and teaching from Romans, especially Romans 5-8."-―A. Katherine Grieb, Professor of New Testament, Virginia Theological Seminary

"...this handsomely presented volume is surely welcome as an excellent sampling of the rich interpretive possibilities of apocalyptic for coming to grips with the cosmic dimensions of Paul's thought, not only in Rom 5–8 but in his letters in general. It will serve well as an introduction to apocalyptic for advanced students of Paul and as a scholarly contribution to the theological interpretation of Romans."―-Timothy Gombis, Grand Rapids Theological Seminary, Review of Biblical Literature

"A fine introduction to the apocalyptic Paul."―-Michael J. Gorman, St. Mary's Seminary and University, Interpretation

"Treat yourself to the complexity of this volume, but do so with your favorite translation of Romans 5-8 close in hand, never far from the artistry of Paul's narrative and the complexity of his own voice[Gaventa's collection] is a rich feast for those who hunger to learn ― and be challenged ― in our ongoing conversation with the Apostle Paul."-―Sean Miller, Pastor of Potomac Presbyterian Church, The Presbyterian Outlook

"This book is a fantastic addition to Pauline and New Testament studies...All scholars, pastors, and students will find this book to be both intellectually stimulating and a helpful aid."-―Jared Brown, Wheaton Blog

"On the whole, Apocalyptic Paul provides insightful reflection on the cosmological and anthropological implications of Paul's argument in Romans 5–8, while providing plenty of avenues for further contemplation of the letter more generally. Anyone who engages with these essays will enter into a conversation of lasting importance for Pauline studies."―-Eric Lewellen, Scottish Journal of Theology

"This volume brings us into the company of seasoned Pauline scholars focused on the center of Paul's Epistle to the Romans. The conversation among these experts all sympathetic (though not all in the same way) to the designation of Paul as an 'apocalyptic' figure, reveals richly informed engagement with the text and honest wrestling with the large questions of cosmology and anthropology raised by Romans 5-8. Altogether the essays in this volume stand as a profoundly stimulating, challenging, crucial, and timely contribution to the conversation about Paul's interpretation of the gospel in what remains for the time being contested territory."--Alexandra Brown, Jessie Ball duPont Professor of Religion, Washington and Lee University

"Romans 5-8 are explored, pressed, and at times―as they should be―simply celebrated. Every reader interested in Paul will benefit from this interplay of theology, exegesis, and subtle intertextuality, threaded through with church tradition. Perhaps most importantly, many of the apostle's most powerful and challenging thoughts are on display here at the hands of some of his most significant and gifted current interpreters."-- Douglas A. Campbell, Associate Professor of New Testament, Duke Divinity School

"We are indebted to Beverly Gaventa for this fine collection. This is an unusually strong series of studies by respected Paul scholars that should be of interest to anyone preaching and teaching from Romans, especially Romans 5-8."--A. Katherine Grieb, Professor of New Testament, Virginia Theological Seminary.

Review (joecrow91, 2017)

What does it mean to read Paul as an apocalyptic theologian? This isn’t exactly an easy question to answer, and for some the term itself can feel a bit off-putting. If nothing else, though, it means contextualizing Paul by placing him in conversation with the many apocalyptic texts produced during the Second Temple period—such as 1 Enoch and 4 Ezra—and looking to see what these writings reveal about the underlying shape of his theological convictions.

In another (related) sense, reading Paul with an apocalyptic lens has to do with highlighting theological emphases such as, among other things, understanding the death and resurrection of Christ to be primarily a redemptive event that marked the overthrow of Sin and Death. In the words of prominent Pauline scholar Martinus C. de Boer, an apocalyptic construal of Paul’s gospel has “everything to do with the invasive action of God in this world to deliver human beings from this present evil age” (2002, p.33).

Pride of place for sparking off this line of scholarship is generally given to the distinguished Lutheran theologian, Ernst Käsemann, who was deeply impacted by his experience of the German church struggle and the Second World War. Following Käsemann, the ranks of those studying Paul’s writings through an apocalyptic lens continued to grow throughout the rest of the 20th century, and currently all signs point to it remaining a lively part Pauline studies in the years to come. The essays that make up Apocalyptic Paul: Cosmos and Anthropos in Romans 5-8 come together to give readers a deeply interesting and well-rounded introduction to most of the major ideas and figures currently shaping this way of reading Paul, with essays by contributors like de Boer himself and Beverly Roberts Gaventa, along with a thoughtful afterward by J. Louis Martyn.

Marks of the Apocalyptic

De Boer’s essay starts off the volume by sketching out what he sees as the main marks of the apocalyptic in Paul. De Boer suggests that our understanding of Paul’s reasoning in Romans 5-8 will be inadequate unless we notice that his frame of reference is cosmic, meaning “pertaining to the whole human world” (p.8). This cosmic horizon can be seen in Paul’s Adam-Christ typology in Rom. 5:12-21:

Just as Adam stands at the head of the old world or age for all, so Christ stands at the head of the new world or age for all. This cosmic frame of reference is one of the distinguishing marks of an apocalyptic perspective, as is the implicit notion of two world ages. (p.9)

In the same passage, de Boer points out another common mark of the Pauline apocalyptic: the personification of Sin and Death as enslaving powers (pp.13-14). In v.14, for example, the Apostle declares that “death exercised dominion from Adam to Moses” (NRSV). This language is anticipated by Paul’s statement in Rom. 3:9 that “all, both Jews and Greeks, are under the power of sin” (NRSV). Passages like these lead many apocalyptic interpreters, most notably Gaventa, to stress that while of course Paul speaks of sins as hurtful actions for which humanity needs forgiveness, he also frequently refers to Sin as a personified, enslaving power from which humanity needs to be liberated (pp. 13-14; see also Gaventa 2016, pp. 32-43).

De Boer also briefly engages with some of the translation issues surrounding the much-contested phrase, “righteousness of God” (dikaiosyne theou). Under the influence of Käsemann, many proponents of the apocalyptic Paul understand this phrase to refer, not just to a moral quality of God, but to God’s own active saving activity, His way of making things right and “coming on the human scene to liberate human beings from the cosmological forces and powers that have enslaved them” (pp. 6-7). De Boer ends on a hopeful note by gathering these themes up together into an affirmation of God’s redemptive purposes: “In Christ, God himself has entered the human cosmos, and God’s powerful Grace… is more than equal to the task of putting an end to the reigns of Sin and Death” (p.20).

Sin and the Torah

One other essay worth mentioning is Gaventa’s piece on the “I” of Rom. 7. Gaventa’s work here is noteworthy because she considers the most important concern of Rom. 7 to be Sin and its ability to “reach into and use even the holy and right and good Law of God,” rather than the specific identity of the speaker (p.77). Therefore, she spends less time discussing the identity of the speaker and more on the shape of the “I” (p.79). To do this, she turns to the many first-person passages in the Psalter. In Psalm 17, for example, there is also an “I” who also pleads for deliverance, though this speaker also says things like “My steps have held fast to your paths; my feet have not slipped” (v.5, NRSV). After looking at a few more psalms, she steps back to summarize her findings: “on the whole the speaker not only delights in God’s Law but observes that Law and reflects a sense of confidence in his ability to do so” (p.85).

The “I” of Rom. 7 shares a number of things in common with its more ancient psalmist counterpart. It also loves God’s Law and calls it “holy, right, and good,” according to Gaventa (p.86). However, there are also a few differences:

Although this “I” in Romans 7 knows that the Law is holy, right, and good, that the Law is spiritual, this “I” also knows that Sin can make use of the Law… And Sin has already enslaved the “I,” who declares himself to be “sold under Sin’s power” (v.14). (p.87)

And here we again find the distinctive emphasis on Sin as a personified power that de Boer mentioned in his introductory essay. For Gaventa, it’s not that there is something wrong with the Law itself. Instead, the disquieting emphasis is on Sin’s overpowering of even God’s good and wise Law (p.90). What could be the solution to this apocalyptically flavored plight? For Gaventa, Paul’s answer is found in the deliverance of God accomplished on behalf of all humanity through the cross and resurrection (p.90).

Conclusion

One of the main controversies involved in the apocalyptic approach to Paul, when viewed in the wider context of contemporary Pauline studies, is how it relates to more narrative-centered/covenantal readings. This volume of essays doesn’t really seem to reflect explicitly on this question, as its interests are more narrowly focused on Rom. 5-8, but it’s still a question I’m quite interested in. As David A. Shaw puts it in a 2013 article, “Is Paul’s gospel fundamentally about a decisive divine incursion to defeat enslaving cosmic powers or is it about promises fulfilled: the forgiveness of sins and the justification by faith of Jew and Gentile alike?” (p.155). There is much to be gained, in my opinion, from holding these two emphases together and avoiding the trap of pitting them in opposition. This allows us to say, along with Michael F. Bird, that “through the invasion of the gospel, God had brought about the long-awaited climax to Israel’s history, and through this climax, God is recapturing the world for himself” (2016, p.166). This framework welds together both the newness and decisiveness of God’s action in Christ so emphasized by apocalyptic interpreters while still affirming with covenantal readings that these events are a demonstration of God’s faithfulness to God’s covenantal promises for the sake of the world. But of course, the conversation will continue about all these things.

In the end, the essays gathered together by Beverly Roberts Gaventa’s editorship in Apocalyptic Paul helpfully map out for readers most of the basic themes and figures prominent in the apocalyptic approach to Paul, and because of this the book seems well-suited for readers seeking to familiarize themselves with this provocative and energetic realm of modern Pauline scholarship. These explorations of Rom. 5-8 persuasively show that this letter, like the rest of Scripture—and even after many centuries of study—continues to surprise and challenge its readers and hearers.

Other Works Cited

Bird, Michael F. An Anomalous Jew: Paul among Jews, Greeks, and Romans. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2016.

De Boer, Martinus C. “Paul, theologian of God’s apocalypse.” Interpretation 56, no. 1 (2002): 21-33.

Gaventa, Beverly Roberts. When in Romans: An Invitation to Linger with the Gospel according to Paul. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2016.

Shaw, David A. “Apocalyptic and Covenant: Perspectives on Paul or Antinomies at War?.” Journal for the Study of the New Testament 36, no. 2 (2013): 155-171.

Contents

• Paul's mythologizing program in Romans 5-8, by Martinus C. de Boer
• Righteousness, cosmic and microcosmic, by Stephen Westerholm
• A tale of two gardens: Augustine's narrative interpretation of Romans 5, by Benjamin Myers
• Under Grace: The Christ-gift and the construction of a Christian Habitus, by John M.G. Barclay
• The Shape of the "I": the Psalter, the Gospel, and the speaker in Romans 7, by Beverly Roberts Gaventa
• Double Participation and the responsible self in Romans 5-8, by Susan Eastman
• The Love of God is a sovereign thing: the witness of Romans 8:31-39 and the Royal Office of Jesus Christ, by Philip G. Ziegler
• Creation, Cosmos, and Conflict in Romans 8-9, by Neil Elliott
• Afterword: The Human Moral Drama, J. Louis Martyn

External links