About this item
Highlights
- The debate between the old and new perspectives on Paul has reached a stalemate.
- About the Author: Garwood P. Anderson (PhD, Marquette University) is professor of New Testament and Greek at Nashotah House Theological Seminary.
- 457 Pages
- Religion + Beliefs, Biblical Studies
Description
About the Book
What if Paul's own theological perspective developed over time? Garwood Anderson unfolds a new proposal for overcoming the deadlock, infusing new energy into the quest for understanding Paul's mind and letters.
Book Synopsis
The debate between the old and new perspectives on Paul has reached a stalemate. But what if Paul's own theological perspective developed over time? Starting with the teaser that "both 'camps' are right, but not all the time," Garwood Anderson unfolds a new proposal for overcoming the deadlock, infusing new energy into the quest for understanding Paul's mind and letters.
Review Quotes
"Anderson's book is . . . a breath of fresh air, and it is a pleasure to think through Paul reading it."
"Casting scholarly timidity to the wind, Garwood Anderson's engaging book takes up the question of the 'center' of Paul's theology-and whether Paul discovered and articulated it from the beginning of his ministry or developed it over the course of many years and letters. It is normal to find books that discuss Pauline chronology, the literary and theological shape of particular passages or the texts' theological 'afterlife' in the history of the church. It is rare to find books that do all these things at once-and do them with such verve and sophistication that one is reminded yet again why wrestling with Paul is so invigorating."
"Garwood Anderson has mastered the literature produced by the traditional, new, and post-new perspectives on Paul. Rightly casting his lot with recent proponents of a both-and rather than an either-or approach, Anderson offers a via media with a developmental twist: an evolving soteriology as the thirteen letters were penned. Readers of this perceptive critique and set of creative proposals, presented with rhetorical dexterity, will be enlightened and challenged to rethink a range of topics in Pauline soteriology."
"Garwood Anderson's study of Paul's soteriology charts a bold course over the troubled seas of Pauline debate and among darkened clouds of theological dispute. He successfully shows that there is a way forward in the disputes about 'justification' and 'ethnicity'-a way beyond the entrenched dogmatism and intractable polarities that have emerged. Anderson brings us to a peaceful oasis where the treasures of the old and the freshness of the new come together. Among his insights are the multidimensional nature of union with Christ and the overlooked significance of Paul's sacramental realism for informing this discussion. This book is not the final word in the debate, but it is a good word-one that hopefully moves the discussion about Paul, justification and the New Perspectives along."
"In the labyrinth of interminable discussions about Paul and his views on the interrelated matters of salvation, the law, covenant, grace, faith, Judaism, and early Christianity, we finally, finally have a fair and balanced guide through the new and old perspective maze. Garwood Anderson's Paul's New Perspective should be on the top of everyone's reading list. It is clear, fair, and sees the merits of both sides of the argument. It does not caricature anyone's views and it comes to sane, sober, and convincing conclusions time after time. Highly recommended."
"This book will be of value to Pauline scholars who are invested in the TPP and the NPP, as well as new Pauline readers who desire to gain a 'lay of the land.'"
About the Author
Garwood P. Anderson (PhD, Marquette University) is professor of New Testament and Greek at Nashotah House Theological Seminary. He formerly taught at Asbury Theological Seminary, following almost two decades of campus ministry with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA in the Upper Midwest.
