The So-Called Jew in Paul's Letter to Romans

by Rafael Rodríguez, Matthew Thiessen (Editor)

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.

236 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 1, 2016

Reviews

[Ryan Storch · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a helpful introduction to particular exegetical practices in the Paul within Judaism paradigm. It was particularly enlightening when investigating the “So-Called Jew” in Romans. One of the things that I appreciate most about this tradition is that the intend to situation Paul within Judaism.

The authors assert that this interlocutor that Paul is engaging with a Judaizing Gentile. While I found this interesting as an approach, I don’t feel like it works. It would make it read as if sin is a Gentile problem, not a Jewish problem. Along with that, this reading does not work with a bunch of other Pauline texts.

With all that said, I appreciate these scholars and the work they put forward.

[Rob Vanhoff · Rating 1 out of 5]

Save your money, buy a different book.
Unless... you want the sheer entertainment of seeing scholars play "Twister" as they try every imaginable contortion to impose their misreading of Paul on the text of Romans 2.