I discovered this morning at the seminary bookstore that one of my old college professors, Dr. Rodney Reeves, has just co-authored a new book on Paul, entitled, appropriately enough, Rediscovering Paul.
According to the dust jacket, it is meant as a textbook for undergraduates, but seminary students would also benefit from it.
Here's a description of the book from Amazon.com:
For some of us, the apostle Paul is like a distant uncle. We've heard he's pretty important. We've read the good parts of his letters. But sometimes he comes across as prickly and unpredictable. Not someone you'd like to hang out with at a coffee shop. He'd raise his voice, try to convert the barista, and we'd want to slink out the back door. For a mid-afternoon latte, we'd prefer Jesus over Paul. But actually, this is the guy who, from Ephesus to Athens, was the talk of the marketplace and the raconteur of the Parthenon. Maybe it's time to give Paul a break, let go of some stereotypes and try to get to know him on his own terms. If that's where you are, Rediscovering Paul is your guide. This is a book that helps us find Paul again--holding forth in the marketplace of Corinth, working with a secretary in framing his letter to the Romans, or pastoring the messy emerging churches of Philippi and Thessalonica. Drawing on the best of contemporary scholarship, honed by teaching and conversing with today's students, Rediscovering Paul is a textbook that rises above the rest.
Unfortunately, I can't claim that I have read it and it's the greatest book ever, but I did sit under Dr. Reeves, and he is definitely an expert on Paul. And another New Testament expert, Dr. Craig Blomberg, was kind enough to write a blurb for it, as well. Considering these two men are two of my favorite professors of all-time, it's enough for me to want to read the book. And if I ever finish all of my required reading, I shall...
3 comments:
Jon,
I have a question about a different book. what did you think of The Sparrow? I've not read any of Russell's books, but that one looked intriguing.
Well, The Sparrow is an intresting book. I will warn you, it gets pretty crude, especially toward the end. I wrote a paper on it and Gilead by Marilynne Robinson where I said:
The author of The Sparrow is a Catholic turned atheist turned Jew, so it is not hard to imagine that she brings an interesting theology to the table! To quote her: When you convert to Judaism in a post-Holocaust world, you know two things for sure: one is that being Jewish can get you killed; the other is that God won’t rescue you. That was the theology I was dealing with at the time.
This is very evident in the book.
Overall, I would recommend it because it is trying to grapple in very real terms with theodicy. It pulls no punches. There is no candy coating.
I would also recommend doing as I did: Read these two books together. Again, from the paper:
...though the settings of these two books differ a great deal, in actuality they both discuss the same topic. They both deal with how a person relates to his or her world and to God. The Sparrow comes at this topic from the idea that God is far removed and mostly unknowable from a human perspective. Gilead considers God more of an old friend, who is always there working things for good. Both books address important issues that Christian leaders need to ponder, and both present aspects of God that are necessary for ministers and other leaders to engage in order to be effective. A balanced reading of both books is therefore in order if one wants to capitalize on their worth.
I hope this answers your question.
You don't know me, BUT Dr. Reeves just left our church from preaching revival. He was my prof and is one of the biblical studies communiy's best kept secrets.
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