Paul and the Hermeneutics of Faith.Paul and the Hermeneutics hermeneutics, the theory and practice of interpretation. During the Reformation hermeneutics came into being as a special discipline concerned with biblical criticism. of Faith. By Francis Watson. London and New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of : T & T Clark, 2004. xv and 584 pages. Cloth, $145.00; Paper, $39.95. This is a major study of Paul's interpretation of the Old Testament. Does the apostle play fast and loose with Israel's scriptures to justify his Christian convictions? Have Luther's interpretations of the apostle, especially regarding the contrast between faith and works Faith and works lies at the center of many religious discussions in Christianity. Some argue that salvation comes by faith alone while others argue that good works are necessary in order to attain eternal salvation, although they note that works cannot earn salvation. righteousness, been proven untenable by modern scholarship? Francis Watson, Professor of New Testament at the University of Aberdeen The University of Aberdeen is an ancient university founded in 1495, in Old Aberdeen, Scotland and a world-renowned centre for teaching and research. It is the fifth oldest university in the United Kingdom and the wider English-speaking world. , delivers a vigorous No to both questions. Most of his book consists of detailed--but not overly technical--case studies of how Paul approached the prophets (pp. 78-163) and the Pentateuch (pp. 167-513). Extensive footnotes offer lively debates with the positions of other scholars, notably E. P. Sanders Ed Parish Sanders (born 1937) is a leading New Testament scholar, and is one of the principal proponents of the New Perspective on Paul. He has been Arts and Sciences Professor of Religion at Duke University, North Carolina, since 1990. He retired in 2005. , James D. G. Dunn, Richard Hays, and Daniel Boyarin. Watson insists that Paul did not simply use the Jewish Bible to argue for christological convictions to which he had come entirely apart from its writings. Rather, his convictions about Jesus were decisively molded by his reading of the Jewish scriptures. Paul's exegetical ex·e·get·ic also ex·e·get·i·cal adj. Of or relating to exegesis; critically explanatory. ex arguments are generally fair and logical. To support this contention, Watson explores the original historical sense of key Old Testament texts and compares the apostle's interpretations with those of other ancient Jews, such as Philo, Josephus, the authors of the Dead Sea Scrolls Dead Sea Scrolls, ancient leather and papyrus scrolls first discovered in 1947 in caves on the NW shore of the Dead Sea. Most of the documents were written or copied between the 1st cent. B.C. and the first half of the 1st cent. A.D. and 4 Ezra (he gives little attention to rabbinic literature). Paul, he argues, discovered within the Old Testament itself a tension or antithesis between unconditional divine promises of salvation and declarations that salvation hinges on performing works of the law. Like Luther, Paul came down on the side of the unconditional promises (realized through faith in Christ). Watson says little directly about how his conclusions might affect Christian belief and living today. Yet pastors and teachers who care about Pauline theology and the relation of Christianity to Judaism will find here a richly stimulating and well-reasoned presentation. David M. Hay Coe College Cedar Rapids, Iowa |
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