The Apostle and the Empire: Paul’s Implicit and Explicit Criticism of Rome
Digital Logos Edition
Overview
Was Paul silent on the injustices of the Roman Empire? Or have his letters just been misread?
The existence of anti-imperial rhetoric in the writing of the apostle Paul has come under greater scrutiny in recent years. Pressing questions about just how much Paul actually addressed Rome in his letters and how publicly critical he could have afforded to be have led to high-profile debates—most notably between N. T. Wright and John M. G. Barclay.
After having entered the conversation in 2015 with his book Hidden Criticism?, Christoph Heilig contributes further insight and new research in The Apostle and the Empire to argue that the case for Paul hiding his criticism of Rome in the subtext of his letters has more merit than previously claimed by scholars like Barclay. Moreover, he argues that there are also passages that contain more open denouncements of the Roman Empire that scholars have previously overlooked—for instance, in the mention of a “triumphal procession” in 2 Corinthians, which Heilig discusses in great detail by drawing on a variety of archaeological data.
Heilig’s groundbreaking work constitutes a must-read for Pauline scholars but also for anyone interested in the intersection of Christianity and empire and how one of the Christian tradition’s most important teachers communicated his unease with the global superpower of his day. Furthermore, Heilig takes on larger issues of theory and methodology in biblical studies, raising significant questions about how interpreters can move beyond outdated methods of reading the New Testament toward more robust understandings of the ways ancient texts convey meaning.
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- Discusses how interpreters can move beyond outdated methods of reading the New Testament toward more robust understandings of the ways ancient texts convey meaning
- Explores issues of theory and methodology in biblical studies
- Examines the intersection of Christianity and empire
- Introduction
- The Classical Subtext-Hypothesis
- Beyond Hidden Criticism
- Paul as an Active Observer of His Roman Context: The Contemporary Roman Background of 2 Cor 2:14
- Reconstructing Paul’s Unease with the Roman Empire: Reading 2 Cor 2:14 in the Context of the Public Roman Transcript
- Sharpening Our Exegetical Senses
- Conclusion
Christoph Heilig does a sterling job of explaining the debate about whether Paul embedded a covert critique of the Roman Empire in his letters. He presents sober and sensible judgments about the topic that need to be heard and will no doubt influence discussions about Paul and empire in the future. Irrespective of how ‘hidden’ Paul’s protest against the Roman Empire is said to be, Heilig convincingly demonstrates Paul’s inherent unease with Rome’s disposition toward Christ-believing communities. A great contribution to Pauline scholarship.
—Michael F. Bird, Ridley College
The Apostle and the Empire contributes a nuanced reading to vital discussions of the relationship between Paul, his letters, and empire. Utilizing 2 Corinthians as a test case, he calls attention to previously ignored references to the Roman Empire of Paul’s day. Heilig not only offers insight into a specific historical event and a specific New Testament text but also refreshes our hermeneutical senses so that interpreters can use the vast amounts of data currently available with care.
—Amy Peeler, Wheaton College
- Title: The Apostle and the Empire: Paul’s Implicit and Explicit Criticism of Rome
- Author: Christoph Heilig
- Publisher: Eerdmans
- Print Publication Date: 2022
- Logos Release Date: 2022
- Pages: 170
- Era: era:contemporary
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Logos Reader Edition
- Subjects: Bible. Epistles of Paul › Criticism, interpretation, etc; Christianity and politics › Biblical teaching; Rome › In the Bible
- ISBNs: 9780802882233, 0802882234
- Resource ID: LLS:APOSTLEEMPIRE
- Resource Type: Monograph
- Metadata Last Updated: 2022-11-22T20:21:44Z