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If Sons, Then Heirs: A Study of Kinship and Ethnicity in the Letters of Paul
Christianity is widely understood to be a "universal" religion that transcends the particularities of history and culture, including differences related to kinship and ethnicity. In traditional Pauline scholarship, this portrait of Christianity has been justified by the letters of Paul. Interpreters claim that Paul eliminates ethnicity, or at least separates it from what is important about Christianity.
This study challenges that perception. Through a detailed examination of kinship and ethnic language in Paul's letters, Johnson Hodge argues that notions of peoplehood and lineage are not rejected or downplayed by Paul; instead they are central to his gospel.
Paul's chief concern is the status of the gentile peoples who are alienated from the God of Israel. Ethnicity defines this theological problem, just as it shapes his own evangelizing of the ethnic and religious "other." According to Paul, God has responded to the gentile predicament through Christ. Johnson Hodge details how Paul uses the logic of patrilineal descent to construct a myth of origins for through baptism into Christ the gentiles become descendants of Abraham, adopted sons of God and coheirs with Christ. Although Jews and gentiles now share a common ancestor, they are not collapsed into one group (of "Christians," for example). They are separate but related lineages of Abraham.
Through comparisons with other ancient authors, Johnson Hodge shows that Paul is not alone in his strategic use of kinship and ethnic language. Because kinship and ethnicity present themselves as natural and fixed, yet are also open to negotiation and reworking, they are effective tools in organizing people and power, shaping self-understanding and defining membership.
If Sons, Then Heirs demonstrates that Paul's thinking is immersed in the story of Israel. He speaks not as a Christian theologian, but as a first-century Jewish teacher of gentiles responding to concrete situations in these early communities of Christ-followers. As such Paul does not reject or critique Judaism, but responds to God's call to be a "light to the nations."
This study challenges that perception. Through a detailed examination of kinship and ethnic language in Paul's letters, Johnson Hodge argues that notions of peoplehood and lineage are not rejected or downplayed by Paul; instead they are central to his gospel.
Paul's chief concern is the status of the gentile peoples who are alienated from the God of Israel. Ethnicity defines this theological problem, just as it shapes his own evangelizing of the ethnic and religious "other." According to Paul, God has responded to the gentile predicament through Christ. Johnson Hodge details how Paul uses the logic of patrilineal descent to construct a myth of origins for through baptism into Christ the gentiles become descendants of Abraham, adopted sons of God and coheirs with Christ. Although Jews and gentiles now share a common ancestor, they are not collapsed into one group (of "Christians," for example). They are separate but related lineages of Abraham.
Through comparisons with other ancient authors, Johnson Hodge shows that Paul is not alone in his strategic use of kinship and ethnic language. Because kinship and ethnicity present themselves as natural and fixed, yet are also open to negotiation and reworking, they are effective tools in organizing people and power, shaping self-understanding and defining membership.
If Sons, Then Heirs demonstrates that Paul's thinking is immersed in the story of Israel. He speaks not as a Christian theologian, but as a first-century Jewish teacher of gentiles responding to concrete situations in these early communities of Christ-followers. As such Paul does not reject or critique Judaism, but responds to God's call to be a "light to the nations."
240 pages, Hardcover
First published June 13, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
February 22, 2025
This is an important contribution to the "Paul within Judaism" school of thought. Johnson Hodge offers a detailed and clear exploration of ancient ideas about kinship and ethnicity and draws thought-provoking implications for understanding how Paul the Jew, the self-styled "apostle to the gentiles," imagined gentile inclusion in the family of Abraham.
October 8, 2019
Aims to highlight the nature and function of "kinship" and "ethnic" terminology used by Paul, and what he meant to accomplish by such use. The broader context provided is very helpful in gaining certain insights in Paul's epistles. However, there is still much "traditional" reading of Paul that is taken for granted. Find a used copy and save your money.
June 15, 2015
I really struggled with this study. I found some of Johnson Hodge's points to be spot on, and very thoughtful and well argued. She is right to want to place Paul more squarely in his Jewish background. However, when it came to her most central idea, that Gentiles are grafted in to the Israelite ethnic lineage through a creative re-working of the lineage by Paul, I spent the whole book waiting for the proverbial shoe to drop and for her argument to stand tall in some "ah ha" moment, and this never really came.
The idea that Gentiles are grafted in with Israel into Abraham's lineage is sound, and demonstrated well in the book. However, I could use (and would use) most of Johnson Hodge's points to prove, not that this is the ethnic lineage of Abraham, as she argues, but through the FAITH lineage of Abraham, as I believe is far more in keeping with Paul's point. Johnson Hodge even admits that Gentiles are grafted into the lineage without actually becoming Jewish or needing to take on Jewish identity markers, which goes against the Roman adoption practices she tried to use as a parallel to her point. She argues that this is because they have a "hybrid" ethnicity, but I would argue that the reason for this, is because while lineage is important in Paul (and this Johnson Hodge demonstrates as well as anyone I've read), the nature of that lineage is faith, not ethnicity. In this way, Paul is able to keep his Jewishness, AND present a universalist faith at the same time. Johnson Hodge needs to argue against this universalist ideal in order to make her point.
I also found Johnson Hodge's argument lacking any reference to sin, despite the fact that it is relevant to many of the contexts of the passages she discussed. In what way might an understanding of Paul's view of sin help us to read him in regards to bringing Jews and Gentiles together?
Overall, I thought the book was interesting. I wasn't a fan of the way the information was arranged, as she skipped around a bit too much from within chapters. Shorter, more focused chapters may have been a better way to organize information. But the topic itself is very interesting, and many of Johnson Hodge's arguments work, albeit for slightly different reasons than she presents.
The idea that Gentiles are grafted in with Israel into Abraham's lineage is sound, and demonstrated well in the book. However, I could use (and would use) most of Johnson Hodge's points to prove, not that this is the ethnic lineage of Abraham, as she argues, but through the FAITH lineage of Abraham, as I believe is far more in keeping with Paul's point. Johnson Hodge even admits that Gentiles are grafted into the lineage without actually becoming Jewish or needing to take on Jewish identity markers, which goes against the Roman adoption practices she tried to use as a parallel to her point. She argues that this is because they have a "hybrid" ethnicity, but I would argue that the reason for this, is because while lineage is important in Paul (and this Johnson Hodge demonstrates as well as anyone I've read), the nature of that lineage is faith, not ethnicity. In this way, Paul is able to keep his Jewishness, AND present a universalist faith at the same time. Johnson Hodge needs to argue against this universalist ideal in order to make her point.
I also found Johnson Hodge's argument lacking any reference to sin, despite the fact that it is relevant to many of the contexts of the passages she discussed. In what way might an understanding of Paul's view of sin help us to read him in regards to bringing Jews and Gentiles together?
Overall, I thought the book was interesting. I wasn't a fan of the way the information was arranged, as she skipped around a bit too much from within chapters. Shorter, more focused chapters may have been a better way to organize information. But the topic itself is very interesting, and many of Johnson Hodge's arguments work, albeit for slightly different reasons than she presents.
February 20, 2008
I'm in the middle of it now. It's really fantastic in some spots... perhaps slightly too ambitious in others. Her writing style is also a little odd at times... while she's very clear and concise (short, crisp sentences, etc), it does often read like a term paper of sorts. She almost compulsively cites other authors to bolster her points and it can lead to the impression that she's not confident in making her own assertions.
I read the dissertation on which this book in based a couple of years ago and I recall that version being a bit more convincing (and "original")... less of this "As so-and-so argues," business. HOWEVER, the premise of her work (how Paul constructs ethnic ID) and her critiques of the field are spot on. And the material she has added since the dissertation on kinship construction, etc is excellent.
Definitely worth a read. I would recommend chapter 2 especially to the HDS crowd that can't seem to shake Koester-influence (I count myself among them)...
UPDATE: Just finished it. After chapter 4 it really takes off and is completely amazing. Total must read. One of those "revolutionize-the-field" type books. Seems to be the norm among Stowers enthusiasts (the trend stopping at yours truly!). :)
I read the dissertation on which this book in based a couple of years ago and I recall that version being a bit more convincing (and "original")... less of this "As so-and-so argues," business. HOWEVER, the premise of her work (how Paul constructs ethnic ID) and her critiques of the field are spot on. And the material she has added since the dissertation on kinship construction, etc is excellent.
Definitely worth a read. I would recommend chapter 2 especially to the HDS crowd that can't seem to shake Koester-influence (I count myself among them)...
UPDATE: Just finished it. After chapter 4 it really takes off and is completely amazing. Total must read. One of those "revolutionize-the-field" type books. Seems to be the norm among Stowers enthusiasts (the trend stopping at yours truly!). :)
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews