The Message of Paul the Apostle within Second Temple Judaism

Noting that a traditional understanding of Paul as “convert” from Judaism has fueled false and often dangerous stereotypes of Judaism, and that the so-called “new perspective on Paul” has not completely escaped these stereotypes, František Ábel has gathered leading international scholars to test the hypotheses of the more recent “Paul within Judaism” movement. Though hardly monolithic in their approach, these scholars’ explorations of specific topics concerning Second Temple Judaism and Paul’s message and theology allow a contextually more nuanced understanding of the apostle’s thought, one free from particular biases rooted in unacknowledged ideologies and traditional interpretations transmitted by particular church traditions. Contributors include František Ábel, Michael Bachmann, Daniel Boyarin, William S. Campbell, Kathy Ehrensperger, Paula Fredriksen, Jörg Frey, Joshua Garroway, Karl-Wilhelm Niebuhr, Isaac W. Oliver, Shayna Sheinfeld, and J. Brian Tucker.

Table of Contents:
Part 1: Paul the Apostle in the Context of Complexities and Variedness of Second Temple Judaism Chapter 1 God Is Jewish, but Gentiles Don’t Have To Be: Ethnicity and Eschatology in Paul’s Gospel Paula Fredriksen Chapter 2 The Anti-Judaic Moment in the “Pauline” Doctrine of Justification – A (Protestant) Misinterpretation of the Relevant Statements in Paul’s Letters Michael Bachmann Chapter 3 From Nomos to Logos: Torah in First Century Jewish Texts Shayna Sheinfeld Chapter 4 Does Paul Need to Be a Covenantal Jew in Order to Be a Jew? Isaac W. Oliver Chapter 5 Paul in Light of the Dead Sea Scrolls: Some Considerations Regarding Paul’s Position Within Judaism Jörg Frey Chapter 6 Jesus, Paul, and the Pharisees: Observations on Their Commonalities and Their Understanding of Torah Karl-Wilhelm Niebuhr Part 2: The Particular Issues of Paul’s Message within Second Temple Judaism Chapter 7 Abraham in the Divine Purpose according to Paul: the Reception of Abraham Tradition in Romans 4 and Romans 9 William S. Campbell Chapter 8 Ioudaismos within Paul: A Modified Reading of Galatians 1:13–14 Daniel Boyarin Chapter 9 Trouble in Galatia: What Should be Cut? (On Gal 5:12) Kathy Ehrensperger Chapter 10 Ζῆλος According to Paul: The Concept of ζῆλος in Galatians in the Context of Paul’s Divine Vocation František Ábel Chapter 11 Gentiles Identifying with Moses and Israel’s Story in 1 Corinthians 10:1–13: Evaluating Aspects of the Wright-Hays Interpretive Framework J. Brian Tucker Chapter 12 Second Corinthians 3 “Within Judaism” Joshua Garroway

About the Author :
František Ábel is professor of New Testament at the Evangelical Lutheran Theological Faculty of Comenius University.

Review :
Since Krister Stendahl and E.P. Sanders challenged the conventional wisdom that Paul’s life-changing experience near Damascus resulted in his rejection of Judaism, the debate over the apostle’s relationship with Judaism (of lack thereof) has persisted. The Message of Paul the Apostle contains articles by many leading scholars who continue the quest to understand Paul in the context of first-century Judaism. Anyone with an interest in Paul and/or second temple Judaism will want to have this collection of essays near at hand. In this volume, František Ábel brings into conversation numerous Pauline scholars who strive to read the apostle to the gentiles within the diversity and complexity of first-century Judaism. The essays that make up The Message of Paul the Apostle are a must read for anyone willing to rethink Paul. Paul remained a Jew throughout his lifetime! But what does this concretely mean if our images of Second Temple Judaism become increasingly complex and varied? In a fascinating manner, this book not only shows how we have to re-think key concepts of Pauline theology if we take this question seriously; it also demonstrates what all this means for the practice of the Church today. A great read!