Paul, a New Covenant Jew: Rethinking Pauline Theology

by Brant Pitre, Michael P. Barber, John A. Kincaid, Michael J. Gorman (Foreword by)

Overview

After the landmark work of E. P. Sanders, the task of rightly accounting for Paul's relationship to Judaism has dominated the last forty years of Pauline scholarship. Pitre, Barber, and Kincaid argue that Paul is best viewed as a new covenant Jew, a designation that allows the apostle to be fully Jewish, yet in a manner centered on the person and work of Jesus the Messiah. This new covenant Judaism provides the key that unlocks the door to many of the difficult aspects of Pauline theology.

Paul, a New Covenant Jew is a rigorous, yet accessible overview of Pauline theology intended for ecumenical audiences. In particular, it aims to be the most useful and up to date text on Paul for Catholic Seminarians. The book engages the best recent scholarship on Paul from both Protestant and Catholic interpreters and serves as a launching point for ongoing Protestant-Catholic dialogue.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781467457026
Publisher:	Eerdmans, William B. Publishing Company
Publication date:	08/08/2019
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	304
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Brant Pitre is Distinguished Research Professor of Scripture at the Augustine Institute Graduate School of Theology. He has authored numerous books, including Jesus and the Last Supper and (with Michael P. Barber and John A. Kincaid) Paul, a New Covenant Jew: Rethinking Pauline Theology.



John A. Kincaid is associate professor of theology at the University of Mary.


 
Michael J. Gorman holds the Raymond E. Brown Chair in Biblical Studies and Theology at St. Mary’s Seminary & University in Baltimore, Maryland. His publications include 1 Corinthians: A Theological, Pastoral, and Missional Commentary, Romans: A Theological and Pastoral Commentary, Cruciformity, Apostle of the Crucified Lord, and Becoming the Gospel.

Table of Contents

Foreword Michael J. Gorman ix

Acknowledgments xiii

Abbreviations xv

Introduction 1

1 What Kind of Jew Was Paul? 11

A Former Jew 13

An Eschatological Jew 20

A Torah-Observant Jew 30

A New Covenant Jew 38

In Summary: A New Covenant Approach to Reading Paul within Judaism 62

2 Paul and Apocalyptic 64

This World and the New Creation 67

The Law Ordained through Angels 73

The Jerusalem Above 82

Vie Hidden Messiah 88

In Summary: Paul and the Apocalyptic New Covenant 93

3 Pauline Christology 95

The Messiah Descended from David 96

Equality with God 102

One God and One Lord 108

In Summary: Jesus Christ as the Divine Son 126

4 The Cross and Atonement 129

Christ Gave Himself for Our Sins 131

A Sacrifice of Atonement 140

The Righteousness of God Revealed 155

In Summary: The Cross as Apocalyptic Revelation and New Covenant Sacrifice 160

5 New Covenant justification through Divine Sonship 162

The Ministry of Righteousness 164

Conformed to the Image of His Son 186

You Were Washed, You Were Justified 201

In Summary: The Righteousness of Divine Sonship 207

6 The Lord's Supper and the New Creation 211

A Resurrection Like His 212

Participation in the Body and Blood of Christ 222

Spiritual Food and Spiritual Drink 241

In Summary: Cosmic Redemption and the Table of the Lord's Body 247

Conclusion: Paul's Gospel of Divine Sonship 251

Bibliography 255

Index of Authors 283

Index of Subjects 289

Index of Scripture and Other Ancient Texts 299

Editorial Reviews

Craig S. Keener
— Asbury Theological Seminary
“A helpful synthesis of themes in Pauline theology that reveals connections with one another and with Old Testament precedents. Many of these insights will resonate with Protestant as well as Catholic exegetes, and Protestants such as myself will find these authors gracious, worthy, and willing conversation partners.”

Scott Hahn
— Franciscan University of Steubenville
“The world of biblical studies and Pauline theology has been waiting a generation for this book. Covering a wide range of major issues, while engaging the wide spectrum of current perspectives, this is a major contribution to Pauline scholarship from three outstanding Catholic scholars—well worth the wait.”

Michael F. Bird
— Ridley College
“Pitre, Barber, and Kincaid persuasively argue that Paul was a new covenant Jew, an approach that proves to be a convincing way of describing the continuities between Paul and Judaism as well as the discontinuities that emerge out of Paul’s explicit christological recasting of the Jewish worldview. In a deliciously ecumenical approach, their vision of Paul brings together various threads of Jewish apocalypticism, Paul’s core conviction about Jesus, his account of the cross and justification, as well as new creation and communion. A genuinely fresh and insightful study of Paul that all serious students of the Bible will need to read.”

Matthew Levering
— Mundelein Seminary
“This synthetic work is a goldmine for scholars and students alike. Drawing upon the full range of contemporary Pauline scholarship, the authors carefully and generously describe the positions that differ from their own, thereby enabling beginning students to get their bearings in the debates. At the same time, scholars will be enthralled by the nuanced, rigorous, and serene case they make for overcoming well-known polarities in Pauline studies. They present a Paul who joyfully proclaims the new covenant in Christ Jesus, with implications for sonship, faith, baptism, grace, atonement, justification, Israel, the Eucharist, and much more. Not only for biblical scholars, but also for theologians, this spectacular scholarly study is a ‘must read.’”

Thomas D. Stegman, SJ
— Boston College School of Theology and Ministry
“As the scholarly guild continues to churn out monographs on St. Paul and his writings, it is rare to read one that proposes a truly fresh perspective. Brant Pitre, Michael Barber, and John Kincaid, however, have managed to write just such a book. Their proposal that Paul is best described as a new covenant Jew (because he himself does so!) allows them to capture both points of continuity with prior Jewish traditions as well as the novum of Paul’s gospel concerning the crucified-and-risen Jesus. Their Catholic ‘both-and’ approach, done with sound exegetical argumentation and wide consultation with the best of contemporary scholarship, enables them to set forth the coherence of Paul’s theological vision. I highly recommend this volume and will use it in my teaching.”

Chris Tilling
— St. Mellitus College
“While a lot is published on Paul, much of it is regurgitated and mundane, a mere reshuffling of the same worn furniture—and my eyes glaze. Others, however, try so hard to push the boat out and become polemical that my eyes roll. Not many manage to negotiate the waters between Scylla and Charybdis, but you are holding one that does! It’s a riveting read that presents answers to conundrums that are jarring in their economy, elegance, and power. Presented with a contagious verve and enthusiasm, these three brilliant young scholars weave cutting-edge and up-to-date scholarship into a highly readable tapestry. No stodgy, tired, overly pompous detail. No academic posturing. You are presented with fresh ideas, new proposals, and it’s all delivered at just the right pace. It’s a truly enjoyable read that deserves much critical meditation. So in short: the time you give to reading this book will be time very well spent. Even where questions remain, I know that I’ve learnt much from them; I’ve glimpsed things that were previously hidden from me. In this presentation of Paul as a ‘new covenant’ Jew, the Apostle might just burst out of his letters afresh. This is Paul the pop-up book!

From the Publisher