Understanding Paul: The Early Christian Worldview of the Letter to the Romans, 2nd ed.

by Stephen Westerholm

Publisher:

Baker Academic

, 2004

Overview

In his study of Paul, Stephen Westerholm suggests that despite the unparalleled influence the apostle has exercised over the last two thousand years, he is little understood by contemporary readers because they often read the Pauline Epistles from the largely unconsidered presuppositions of modern culture. To counter that perspective, Westerholm proposes investigating the mindset of Paul himself.

Westerholm’s well-crafted book presents an insightful survey of the apostle’s thought world. It focuses on the Epistle to the Romans as the most thorough and detailed account of Paul’s convictions regarding Christian life and doctrine. Westerholm uses the letter of Romans as a guide to the themes that were most important for the apostle, revealing the fundamental elements of Paul’s thought and the Jewish tradition from which it emerged. Following the thematic approach of the epistle, he considers each subject in the order it was taken up by Paul. Along the way, he delves into the writings of the Old Testament and their influence on Paul, presenting the issues in a manner that will challenge contemporary readers to rethink their ideas about faith, belief, and the life well lived.

Contents

Top Highlights

“What dominates the introduction is not the substance of Paul’s message but the claim that he has been commissioned to promote it.” (Page 16)

“The goal here is to make comprehensible the major components of Paul’s vision of life as they are touched upon in his most important letter.” (Page 12)

“In short, the message of Romans 3:21–26 is not that mercy triumphs over judgment, but that, in a world gone awry, divine goodness has reasserted itself, granting drastic recognition to the reality of sin, yet restoring God’s sinful creatures to their intended place of glory in God’s creation.” (Page 73)

“For Paul, the death of Christ represents, not the resolution of a tension within the Deity, but the solution to a human dilemma (‘all have sinned’) achieved by God’s tzedakah (‘righteousness’),¹⁷ his faithfulness in upholding creation’s goodness.” (Page 73)

“In short, the only Paul we encounter in Romans is one acting consciously in what he regarded as his appointed office: that of an ‘apostle.’” (Page 15)

Praise for the Print Edition

Accessible yet challenging, written with clarity and lightness of touch, uncluttered with citations of secondary literature yet brimming with biblical references, this book aims to show you how Paul thought about life, while bidding you to think about your own—and it succeeds brilliantly in that aim…Highly recommended.

—R. Barry Matlock, Journal for the Study of the New Testament Booklist

If C. S. Lewis had been a biblical scholar, he would have written a book like this one. Westerholm combines scholarly precision, delightful prose, and a sympathetic reading of Paul to produce a book that is difficult for anyone—whether scholar, student, or curious inquirer—to put down.

—Frank Thielman, Beeson Divinity School

This is a sparkling introduction to Paul’s thought, written with uncommon verve. Westerholm uncovers the gap between Paul’s presuppositions and those of the modern West but provokes us into taking Paul seriously and widening our limited horizons. Students will find this an engaging guide to Paul in general and Romans in particular; scholars will be challenged to match Westerholm’s brilliance as a communicator.

—John M. G. Barclay, University of Durham

It is difficult to imagine anyone who would not profit from this engaging and well-written introduction to Paul’s thought and world. Since Romans forms the basis of the engagement, Paul’s essential themes emerge. Westerholm has succeeded well in his task of showing moderns what makes Paul tick. This would be a great textbook in a course on the entire New Testament or on the epistles in which only one small volume had to serve to introduce Paul’s thought.

—William W. Klein, Ashland Theological Journal

Challenging, provocative, biblically informed, lucid, and well-written…I join with others in proclaiming that the book deserves a wide audience and sets a high standard for religious dialogue.

—Richard N. Longenecker, Studies in Religion

Product Details

• Title: Understanding Paul: The Early Christian Worldview of the Letter to the Romans
• Author: Stephen Westerholm
• Edition: 2nd
• Publisher: Baker
• Publication Date: 2004
• Pages: 168

About Stephen Westerholm

Stephen Westerholm (b. 1949) is a Canadian scholar and associate professor of biblical studies at McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario. He received BA and MA degrees from the University of Toronto and a ThD from the University of Lund (Sweden). He is noted for his work in Pauline studies and is most recently known for his interaction with the New Perspective on Paul.