'All of You are One' - (Library of New Testament Studies) by Bruce Hansen (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Hansen argues against prevalent views that the unity formula employed in Gal 3.28, 1 Cor 12.13 and Col 3.11 reflects either a Hellenistic anthropology of ideal androgyny or a modern liberal conception of social equality.


Rather, Hansen contends, attention to function and context demonstrates each epistle's vision of social unity. Insights from ethnic theory elucidate how epistles characterize this unity in terms of a new social identity, and the practices warranted by that identity. Furthermore, Hansen claims that because identity construction is continual, dynamic and discursive, alternate identities (e.g. ethnic, gender, religious, economic) within the new Christian communities, may be seen as influencing one another and may be termed as the collective Christian identity.

Hansen employs theories from Ethnic study as tools for assessing how such overlapping identities persist and interact with one another. His analysis thereby demonstrates that the social unity promoted by this formula opposes cultural dominance by any particular group and, conversely reinforces the persistence of marginal social identities within new communities. The issue is then not one of gender equality, but of the equality that Paul wishes to develop between competing social groups.

Review Quotes

... this is an indispensable beginning point for all future studies of eschatology in 1 Thessalonians and in Paul's theology more generally.

"Perhaps the most prominent refrain the Pauline corpus, says Hansen is the affirmation that unity in Christ overcomes the social division of Jew versus Greek, slave versus free, and other dichotomies. An ordained minister in San Francisco, he explores the background of the idea, its intended purpose for original readers, and its significance to believers today. Among his topics are reading Paul ethnically, the household of faith, the body of Christ, the new humanity, and unity as ethnic solidarity." -Eithne O'Leyne, BOOK NEWS, Inc.

This is a nicely put together, well-argued book... a valuable contribution to discussion of each of these three letters and of the structure of [Pau's] theology overall.
Theological Book Review