Story of My Books # 10 - Four Views of the Apostle Paul
Book # 10 was one I edited called The Apostle Paul: Four Views as part of Zondervan’s “Counterpoints” series. Also comes as video lectures on DVD or is available on Zondervan’s master lectures streaming service.
This was a fun volume!
Recent years have seen much controversy about the apostle Paul, his religious and social context, and its effects on his theology. In the helpful Counterpoints format, four leading scholars present their views on the best framework for describing Paul's theological perspective, including his view of salvation, the significance of Christ, and his vision for the churches.
Contributors and views include:
Reformed View: Thomas R. Schreiner
Catholic View: Luke Timothy Johnson
Post-New Perspective View: Douglas Campbell
Jewish View: Mark D. Nanos
In hindsight, I’d call Doug Campbell’s view a kind of “Apocalyptic Paul” with a “Torrancian” half-twist (i.e., Scottish theologian James B. Torrance). Plus, Mark Nanos’ view would now be considered “Paul within Judaism.”
Look, the scene has changed a bit since 2012. Paul within Judaism is now more mainstream whereas it was once considered kind of “fringe” if you ask me. Also, John Barclay is now a huge influence in this area, and he aligns more broadly with the “Apocalyptic Paul” perspective. We didn’t cover the New Perspective on Paul view because I felt like we were now beyond the Reformed vs. NPP debate and we had come to a kind of equilibrium whereby “justification” really did have something to do with Gentile inclusion (see Garwood Anderson on Pauls’ New Perspective).
There’s also some good exchanges that make for a spicey read!
Here’s my intro video to the series:
Really appreciate you bringing these renown scholars together with their diverse understandings of the man, his theology, and his mission. The video is both informative and an incentive for purchasing the book and growing in our knowledge of this profound godly leader in the early church.