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Romans: Text, Readers, and the History of Interpretation
A wide-ranging study of the interpretation of Paul’s letter to the Romans throughout history, from Origen to Karl Barth.
In anticipation of his Illuminations commentary on Paul’s letter to the Romans, Stephen Westerholm offers this extensive survey of the reception history of Romans. After two initial chapters discussing the letter’s textual history and its first readers in Rome (a discussion carried out in dialogue with the Paul-within-Judaism stream of scholarship), Westerholm provides a thorough overview of over thirty of the most influential, noteworthy, and representative interpretations of Romans from nearly two thousand years of history. Interpreters surveyed include Origen, John Chrysostom, Augustine, Peter Abelard, Thomas Aquinas, Martin Luther, John Calvin, John Locke, Cotton Mather, John Wesley, and Karl Barth.
Bearing in mind that Paul did not write for scholars, Westerholm includes in his study interpreters like Philipp Jakob Spener and Richard Baxter who addressed more popular audiences, as well as an appendix on a remarkable series of 372 sermons on Romans by beloved British preacher Martyn Lloyd-Jones. A further aim of the book is to illustrate the impact of this New Testament letter on Christian thought, supporting Westerholm’s claim that “the history of the interpretation of Romans is, in important areas and to a remarkable extent, the history of Christian theology.”
In anticipation of his Illuminations commentary on Paul’s letter to the Romans, Stephen Westerholm offers this extensive survey of the reception history of Romans. After two initial chapters discussing the letter’s textual history and its first readers in Rome (a discussion carried out in dialogue with the Paul-within-Judaism stream of scholarship), Westerholm provides a thorough overview of over thirty of the most influential, noteworthy, and representative interpretations of Romans from nearly two thousand years of history. Interpreters surveyed include Origen, John Chrysostom, Augustine, Peter Abelard, Thomas Aquinas, Martin Luther, John Calvin, John Locke, Cotton Mather, John Wesley, and Karl Barth.
Bearing in mind that Paul did not write for scholars, Westerholm includes in his study interpreters like Philipp Jakob Spener and Richard Baxter who addressed more popular audiences, as well as an appendix on a remarkable series of 372 sermons on Romans by beloved British preacher Martyn Lloyd-Jones. A further aim of the book is to illustrate the impact of this New Testament letter on Christian thought, supporting Westerholm’s claim that “the history of the interpretation of Romans is, in important areas and to a remarkable extent, the history of Christian theology.”
- GenresNew Testament
533 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 29, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
April 27, 2023
Down through the ages, Paul's Letter to the Romans has stood out as a foundational text for Christian theology and spirituality. Augustine, Luther, and Wesley all pointed to it as the key to their own conversion experiences, though for Wesley it was hearing Luther's preface to Romans that caused his heart to be strangely warmed. While these testimonies stand out, Romans has been at the center of theological conversations since the very beginning of the Christian movement.
Stephen Westerholm's book on Romans serves in some ways as an extended introduction to the Letter to the Romans. He divides the book into three parts. Part 1 focuses on the Texts on which our readings are based beginning with Papyrus 46, the earliest copy of Romans dating to somewhere around the year 200 CE. He takes note of variants and the question of what happened to the end of the epistle, which in P46 ends at 16:23. After this lengthy discussion, Westerholm moves on to other early Greek manuscripts, followed by a discussion of the major manuscript groupings---Alexandrian, Western, and Byzantine. While many readers of Romans will not be interested in the manuscript history, this can prove helpful to better understanding the texts that have come down to us.
Part 2, which is also chapter 2, focuses on the first readers of the letter to the Romans, along with a word about the "Paul within Judaism" School. He speaks of the assemblies in Rome that would have received the text, the social and economic status of the readers, along with their ethnicity --- especially whether this is a largely Gentile community. As for the "Paul within Judaism" school. This school insists that Paul didn't convert to Christianity and lived his entire life within Judaism, even observing Jewish law. Accordingly, he believed all Jews were called to do the same. Thus the focus of the letter is Gentile believers, to whom Paul is speaking. The question faced here is whether the message is universalized to include both Jews and Gentiles or not. Westerholm addresses this school in large part because he has problems with the perspective.
These two sections/chapters cover the first quarter or so of the book. Part 3, which encompasses 4 chapters. This section focuses on the History of Interpretation, beginning with the Patristic Period. Here Westerholm looks at Origen's views, along with the Antiochian interpreters, including among them John Chrysostom. In essence, Origen represents the Alexandrian tradition, while Chrysostom along with two others the more literal Antiochene tradition. Finally, he looks at early Latin interpreters, focusing on Augustine and Pelagius. With the discussion of Pelagius and Augustine, the latter who didn't write a commentary on Romans but set the course of future discussions of Romans, especially in his debates with Pelagius, we spend the remainder of the book focused on Western interpreters. The chapter on the Medieval period takes a look at Peter Abelard and Thomas Aquinas, who follow in some modified ways Augustine's lead (chapter 4).
Chapters 5 and 6 focus largely on Protestant developments. Chapter 5 focuses on the Sixteenth century, beginning with the Humanists John Colet and Erasmus, both of whom were Catholic. Erasmus, of course, is famous for his Greek text. This leads us to look at Luther, Melanchton, and Calvin, followed by a section in chapter 5 that takes note of the English translations beginning with Wycliffe, followed by Tyndale, who would prove extremely influential on later translations, including the Geneva Bible and the King James Version.
Chapter 6 covers the most ground. Titled "The Modern Period," we move through fifteen interpreters beginning with the Pietist Philipp Jakob Spener and ending with Karl Barth. Along the way, we'll encounter figures such as Richard Baxter, John Locke, James Arminius, Wesley, and others. Among this list are two Roman Catholic interpreters, Augustin Calmet and Robert Witham, who together were involved in the production of the Douai-Rheims translation. For me, the chapter on Barth's commentary was the most helpful and interesting, but then I have a fondness for Barth.
Chapter 7 offers a conclusion/summary of what we encountered along the way. As you can see Westerholm is focused on taking us westward, leaving behind interpreters in the east after Chrysostom. I'm not an expert on Romans, but surely some commentators on Romans came from the Eastern churches, especially ones who represent the Alexandrian tradition. In taking us up to Barth, whose commentary proved to be revolutionary at the time of its publication, Westerholm isn't dealing with more recent interpreters. As you can see they're all male and European. There is an appendix to the book that focuses on the interpretation of Romans by the conservative British (Welsh origins) preacher, David Martyn Lloyd-Jones, who devoted twelve years to expositing Romans on Friday evenings at Westminster Chapel, London. I'm not exactly sure why he is included here, other than he has proven influential among evangelicals in the 20th century and beyond.
If you are interested in diving deep into the history of the interpretation of Romans, this can prove helpful. At times it feels, to a non-New Testament scholar, but a church historian, that we get into the weeds. Nevertheless, it can prove a useful reference tool.
Stephen Westerholm's book on Romans serves in some ways as an extended introduction to the Letter to the Romans. He divides the book into three parts. Part 1 focuses on the Texts on which our readings are based beginning with Papyrus 46, the earliest copy of Romans dating to somewhere around the year 200 CE. He takes note of variants and the question of what happened to the end of the epistle, which in P46 ends at 16:23. After this lengthy discussion, Westerholm moves on to other early Greek manuscripts, followed by a discussion of the major manuscript groupings---Alexandrian, Western, and Byzantine. While many readers of Romans will not be interested in the manuscript history, this can prove helpful to better understanding the texts that have come down to us.
Part 2, which is also chapter 2, focuses on the first readers of the letter to the Romans, along with a word about the "Paul within Judaism" School. He speaks of the assemblies in Rome that would have received the text, the social and economic status of the readers, along with their ethnicity --- especially whether this is a largely Gentile community. As for the "Paul within Judaism" school. This school insists that Paul didn't convert to Christianity and lived his entire life within Judaism, even observing Jewish law. Accordingly, he believed all Jews were called to do the same. Thus the focus of the letter is Gentile believers, to whom Paul is speaking. The question faced here is whether the message is universalized to include both Jews and Gentiles or not. Westerholm addresses this school in large part because he has problems with the perspective.
These two sections/chapters cover the first quarter or so of the book. Part 3, which encompasses 4 chapters. This section focuses on the History of Interpretation, beginning with the Patristic Period. Here Westerholm looks at Origen's views, along with the Antiochian interpreters, including among them John Chrysostom. In essence, Origen represents the Alexandrian tradition, while Chrysostom along with two others the more literal Antiochene tradition. Finally, he looks at early Latin interpreters, focusing on Augustine and Pelagius. With the discussion of Pelagius and Augustine, the latter who didn't write a commentary on Romans but set the course of future discussions of Romans, especially in his debates with Pelagius, we spend the remainder of the book focused on Western interpreters. The chapter on the Medieval period takes a look at Peter Abelard and Thomas Aquinas, who follow in some modified ways Augustine's lead (chapter 4).
Chapters 5 and 6 focus largely on Protestant developments. Chapter 5 focuses on the Sixteenth century, beginning with the Humanists John Colet and Erasmus, both of whom were Catholic. Erasmus, of course, is famous for his Greek text. This leads us to look at Luther, Melanchton, and Calvin, followed by a section in chapter 5 that takes note of the English translations beginning with Wycliffe, followed by Tyndale, who would prove extremely influential on later translations, including the Geneva Bible and the King James Version.
Chapter 6 covers the most ground. Titled "The Modern Period," we move through fifteen interpreters beginning with the Pietist Philipp Jakob Spener and ending with Karl Barth. Along the way, we'll encounter figures such as Richard Baxter, John Locke, James Arminius, Wesley, and others. Among this list are two Roman Catholic interpreters, Augustin Calmet and Robert Witham, who together were involved in the production of the Douai-Rheims translation. For me, the chapter on Barth's commentary was the most helpful and interesting, but then I have a fondness for Barth.
Chapter 7 offers a conclusion/summary of what we encountered along the way. As you can see Westerholm is focused on taking us westward, leaving behind interpreters in the east after Chrysostom. I'm not an expert on Romans, but surely some commentators on Romans came from the Eastern churches, especially ones who represent the Alexandrian tradition. In taking us up to Barth, whose commentary proved to be revolutionary at the time of its publication, Westerholm isn't dealing with more recent interpreters. As you can see they're all male and European. There is an appendix to the book that focuses on the interpretation of Romans by the conservative British (Welsh origins) preacher, David Martyn Lloyd-Jones, who devoted twelve years to expositing Romans on Friday evenings at Westminster Chapel, London. I'm not exactly sure why he is included here, other than he has proven influential among evangelicals in the 20th century and beyond.
If you are interested in diving deep into the history of the interpretation of Romans, this can prove helpful. At times it feels, to a non-New Testament scholar, but a church historian, that we get into the weeds. Nevertheless, it can prove a useful reference tool.
December 1, 2023
2023 reads: 38
Rating: 3 stars
I so wanted to enjoy this more but Westerholm largely focused on four theological issues that have attracted interpreters: 'inherited' sin; justification; good works; and predestination. This meant that Westerholm's treatment leaned decidedly theological to the exclusion of textual and biblical ideas. This volume also worked through these theological issues diachronically. All in all, a mostly underwhelming project.
[Read for the NT Colloquium at the SBTS]
Rating: 3 stars
I so wanted to enjoy this more but Westerholm largely focused on four theological issues that have attracted interpreters: 'inherited' sin; justification; good works; and predestination. This meant that Westerholm's treatment leaned decidedly theological to the exclusion of textual and biblical ideas. This volume also worked through these theological issues diachronically. All in all, a mostly underwhelming project.
[Read for the NT Colloquium at the SBTS]
February 22, 2024
Helpful.
August 22, 2023
If you read this, expecting to find a comprehensive commentary on Romans, you will be disappointed. However, this book is valuable. Westerholm has combed through the centuries and brought before the reader a selection of influential treatments of Paul’s most famous epistle. He highlights what he believes are the most important or most unusual parts of each theologian’s teaching.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews