Author: Changwon Song
Publisher: Peter Lang
ISBN: 9780820468174
Category : Bibles
Languages : en
Pages : 166
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Book Description
This book illustrates how the macro-structure of the «body» of Romans essentially follows that of the diatribes in Epictetus's Discourses. As in Discourses, the diatribe in Romans begins with the thesis (1.16-17), then follows an indictment (1.18-32) and dialogues with a fictitious second-person singular in chapter two. Arguments with the mē genoito formula dominate the middle part of the diatribe. In the middle of chapter eleven, the phase changes back to dialogues with the second-person singular. The ending of the diatribe Romans also, like Discourses, includes cynic and hyperbolic statements (14.21 and 14.23). Thus, the «body» of Romans should not be read as a real letter, but as a diatribe that was distributed in Paul's schoolroom and later appropriated as a letter. This teaching was not directed to a specific group of people, viz., the Christians in Rome, but rather intrinsically universalized. Therefore, its message is intrinsically more powerful for us.
Author: Paul B. Fowler
Publisher: Fortress Press
ISBN: 1506416195
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 227
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Book Description
We increasingly recognize that Paul did not write his letter to the Romans primarily out of doctrinal concerns. Paul B. Fowler presses that insight home in this attentive, yet eminently readable, study of the letter’s structure. The principles of Fowler’s reading are that rhetorical questions in Romans 3‒11 structure the argument, not as responses to criticism but as Paul’s careful guiding of the reader, and that these chapters, like the paraenesis in Romans 12‒15, address specific circumstances in Rome. Careful attention to the rhetorical structure of the letter points to tensions between Jew and Gentile that aggravate the already precarious situation of the Roman congregation. In the course of his argument, Fowler explodes the common conceptions that Paul employs diatribal technique to answer objections and that he is primarily engaged in a debate with Jews. In short, Fowler demonstrates that the apostle is not writing defensively, but responding with sensitivity to the volatile atmosphere caused by Claudius’s expulsion of some Jews from Rome. The book includes an appendix on rhetorical devices and another on epistolary formulas in Paul’s letters.
Author: Justin King
Publisher: BRILL
ISBN: 9004373292
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 347
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Book Description
In Speech-in-Character, Diatribe, and Romans 3:1-9, Justin King argues that the rhetorical skill of speech-in-character (prosopopoiia, sermocinatio, conformatio) offers a methodologically sound foundation for understanding the script of Paul’s imaginary dialogue with an interlocutor in Romans 3:1-9. King focuses on speech-in-character’s stable criterion that attributed speech should be appropriate to the characterization of the speaker. Here, speech-in-character helps to inform which voice in the dialogue speaks which lines, and the general goals of diatribe help shape how an “appropriate” understanding of the script is best interpreted. King’s analyses of speech-in-character, diatribe, and Romans, therefore, make independent contributions while simultaneously working together to advance scholarship on a much debated passage in one of history’s most important texts.
Author: Douglas A. Campbell
Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing
ISBN: 0802831265
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 1250
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Book Description
This book breaks a significant impasse in much Pauline interpretation, pushing beyond both " Lutheran" and "New" perspectives on Paul to a non-contractual , "apocalyptic" reading of many of the apostle's most famous, and most troublesome, texts. His strongly antithetical vision identifies "participation in Christ" as the sole core of Pauline theology and produces the most radical rereading of Romans 1-4 for more than a generation. Even those who disagree will be forced to clarify their views as never before.
Author: Ben Witherington
Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing
ISBN: 1467429600
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 464
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Book Description
While Paul’s letter to the Romans is the most studied and commented-on document from the biblical period, the major exegetical books on Romans from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries have been overwhelmingly shaped by the Reformed tradition. Through a careful survey of work on Romans by both ancient Church Fathers and modern exegetical scholars, Ben Witherington III here argues that the interpretation of Romans since the Reformation has been far too indebted to — and at key points led astray by — Augustinian readings of the text as filtered through Luther, Calvin, and others. In this first full-scale socio-rhetorical commentary on Romans, Witherington gleans fresh insights from reading the text of Paul’s epistle in light of early Jewish theology, the historical situation of Rome in the middle of the first century A.D., and Paul’s own rhetorical concerns. Giving serious consideration to the social and rhetorical background of Romans allows readers to hear Paul on his own terms, not just through the various voices of his later interpreters. Witherington’s groundbreaking work also features a new, clear translation of the Greek text, and each section of the commentary ends with a brief discussion titled “Bridging the Horizons,” which suggests how the ancient text of Romans may speak to us today.
Author: Ben Witherington III
Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing
ISBN: 9780802845047
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 464
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Book Description
Witherington gleans fresh insights from reading the text of Paul's epistle in light of early Jewish theology, the historical situation of Rome in the middle of first century A.D., and Paul's own rhetorical concerns.
Author: Michael J. Gorman
Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing
ISBN: 1467464007
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 269
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Book Description
“Above all, Romans is a letter about Spirit-enabled participation and transformation in Christ and his story, and thus in the mission of God in the world.” This commentary engages the letter to the Romans as Christian scripture and highlights the Pauline themes for which Michael Gorman is best known—participation and transformation, cruciformity and new life, peace and justice, community and mission. With extensive introductions both to the apostle Paul and to the letter itself, Gorman offers background information on Paul’s first-century context before proceeding into the rich theological landscape of the biblical text. In line with Paul’s focus on Christian living, Gorman interprets Romans at a consistently practical level, highlighting the letter’s significance for Christian theology, daily life, and pastoral ministry. Questions for reflection and sidebars on important concepts make this especially useful for those preparing to preach or teach from Romans—the “epistle of life,” as Gorman calls it, for its extraordinary promise that, through faith, we might walk in newness of life with Christ.
Author: Luke Timothy Johnson
Publisher: Smyth & Helwys Publishing, Inc.
ISBN: 9781573122764
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 260
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Book Description
Paul wrote this letter to the Roman Christians to win their financial support for a new stage in his mission. How could an Apostle--unknown by sight to the Roman believers--recommend himself, except by sharing his understanding of how God was at work through the Good News that Paul proclaimed to Jews and Gentiles? Romans starts with a practical goal and becomes a theological masterpiece of great historical importance and of enduring significance to all believers in the One God. The fresh reading of Romans by a Catholic scholar pays close attention to Paul's theological argument as it unfolds. The commentary includes several distinctive features. Johnson shows how Paul understands "righteousness by faith" as the faith of the human person Jesus, how "salvation" means inclusion in God's people, and how the work of the Holy Spirit transforms human conciousness so that believers can share with each other the faith and the love shown them by Jesus--from back cover.
Author: Rafael Rodriguez
Publisher: Fortress Press
ISBN: 1506401996
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 234
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Book Description
Decades ago, Werner G. Kummel described the historical problem of Romans as its “double character”: concerned with issues of Torah and the destiny of Israel, the letter is explicitly addressed not to Jews but to Gentiles. At stake in the numerous answers given to that question is nothing less than the purpose of Paul’s most important letter. In The So-Called Jew in Romans, nine Pauline scholars focus their attention on the rhetoric of diatribe and characterization in the opening argumentation that figure appears or is implied. Each component of Paul’s argument is closely examined with particular attention to the theological problems that arise in each. In addition to the editors, chapters of the letter, asking what Paul means by the “so-called Jew” in Romans 2 and where else in the letter’s contributors are Runar M. Thorsteinsson, Magnus Zetterholm, Joshua D. Garroway, Matthew V. Novenson, and Michele Murraywith a response by Joshua W. Jipp.
Author: Prof. Cynthia L. Rigby
Publisher: Abingdon Press
ISBN: 1426758154
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 476
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Book Description
Martin Luther wrote: “Faith takes hold of Christ and has Him present, enclosing Him as a ring encloses a gem.” We hold faith as we seek to know Christ better, exploring Christian doctrines and deepening our understanding of their relevance to our day-to-day lives. Faith holds us as we respond to Christ’s calling, negotiate life’s challenges, and join in the work of bringing in God’s kingdom. This introduction to Christian theology shows how various understandings of particular doctrines play out in relation to the way we live our lives. It explores the content of core Christian doctrines and celebrates the “so what?” of each. Using theological literature and Scripture, but also current events, sociology, fiction, and movies, Rigby shows that theology is key to how we come to understand and negotiate our world. Holding Faith contends that some approaches to Christian doctrine are preferable to others, making persuasive arguments for creative ways of believing that can enliven our lives, and the life of the world. Theology has relevance because it can stymie or transform. How will we hold our faith? “Cynthia Rigby has written an accessible and lucid book of theological reflection for today’s believers, seekers, and doubters. This is no small feat. The book succeeds in the daunting challenges of presenting Christian theology with clarity and completeness, with commitment and generosity. It is an admirable text for theology students, pastors, and all those interested in understanding more deeply their faith and life.” Leanne Van Dyk, President and Professor of Theology, Columbia Theological Seminary, Decatur, GA "This is an extraordinary book. Cynthia Rigby is a Reformed theologian, a minister, and a teacher. All of these gifts are evident in Holding Faith, as Rigby offers an eloquent introduction to Christian theology that is academically rich, pastorally sensitive, and profoundly accessible. She does not make theology accessible by watering it down, but rather by explaining it with compelling clarity. Holding Faith is perfect for seminarians, pastors, church groups, and curious souls; for those who are new to Christianity and those who have been studying and living Christian faith their entire lives. It will be an enormous blessing to those who teach theology and those who preach the gospel." Shannon Craigo-Snell, Professor of Theology, Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, Louisville, KY "Cindy Rigby's is a timely, necessary, and accessible voice in theological discourse, not only for those who together comprise Christendom but also for those who are curious enough about what Christian doctrines offer by way of challenge, critique, and comfort in our increasingly distracted, fractious world. Holding Faith is a prophetic, priestly, and pastoral defense of a faith tradition that historically contributed to this oppressive state of affairs - yet undoubtedly remains rife with redemptive possibility - for individuals, communities, nations, the cosmos. In its pages, Rigby provides church folks, people of other faiths, seminarians, and inquisitive "nones" with a "thoughtful place" to search out our private and corporate relationships to the God whom the doctrines signify, however imperfectly." JoAnne Marie Terrell, Associate Professor of Theology, Ethics, and the Arts, Chicago Theological Seminary "For those of us who teach theology, it’s rare to find a text that is accessible to those with no previous exposure to theology while also introducing readers in deep and expansive ways to major doctrinal teachings. But Rigby has managed to accomplish both here. This is a profoundly personal and invitational approach to thinking theologically in ways that demonstrate the relevance of ancient teachings for our world today. And it is also a serious engagement with the biblical text, a vast array of historical and contemporary theological voices, poetry, literature, film, and more—this introduction to theology will empower readers to hold onto faith in new and exciting ways." Deanna A. Thompson, Professor of Religion at Hamline University, St. Paul, MN
