The New Cambridge Companion to St. Paul

This New Cambridge Companion explores key issues in the current study of St Paul's dynamic and demanding theological discourse.

Bruce W. Longenecker (Edited by)

9781108438285, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 2 July 2020

372 pages, 2 tables
22.7 x 15.2 x 1.9 cm, 0.53 kg

'This volume, which could be easily used in classrooms, is a welcome contribution to the study of Paul and a worthy successor to the first edition.' Jason Maston, Religious Studies Review

St Paul was a pivotal and controversial figure in the fledgling Jesus movement of the first century. The New Cambridge Companion to St Paul provides an invaluable entryway into the study of Paul and his letters. Composed of sixteen essays by an international team of scholars, it explores some of the key issues in the current study of his dynamic and demanding theological discourse. The volume first examines Paul's life and the first-century context in which he and his communities lived. Contributors then analyze particular writings by comparing and contrasting at least two selected letters, while thematic essays examine topics of particular importance, including how Paul read scripture, his relation to Judaism and monotheism, why his message may have been attractive to first-century audiences, how his message was elaborated in various ways in the first four centuries, and how his theological discourse might relate to contemporary theological discourse and ideological analysis today.

Part I. Paul, Letters and Communities: 1. What do we find in Paul's letters? Bruce W. Longenecker
2. Who was Paul? Paula Fredriksen
3. What kind of world did Paul's communities live in? Richard Ascough
Part II. The Pauline Letter Collection: 4. The Thessalonian and Corinthian letters Margaret Y. MacDonald
5. Galatians and Romans Peter Oakesz
6. Philippians and Philemon Douglas A. Campbell
7. Colossians and Ephesians Sylvia C. Keesmaat
8. The pastoral epistles James W. Aageson
Part III. Paul's Theological Discourse: 9. What did Paul think is wrong in God's world? Bruce W. Longenecker
10. What did Paul think God is doing about what's wrong? Michael J. Gorman
11. What did Paul think God is doing in Christian communities? Susan Grove Eastman
12. How did Paul read scripture? David Lincicum
13. Did Paul abandon either Judaism or monotheism? Matthew V. Novenson
14. Why were people attracted to Paul's good news? David G. Horrell
15. How was the reception of Paul shaped in the early church? Margaret M. Mitchell
16. What makes Paul challenging today? John M. G. Barclay.

Subject Areas: New Testaments [HRCF2], Church history [HRCC2], History of religion [HRAX]