A month or so ago, I introduced to you two authors’ posts about new LNTS volumes. I have now received another post, which I hope you’ll find informative. This very interesting collection of essays is already published in the UK and will be ready for readers in the US at the beginning of July 2011. So, without further ado here it is:
The second century was a tumultuous time for the church who had to wrestle with deviations of belief influenced by hyper-Hellenism, spasmodic persecution by Roman authorities, criticism from pagan intellectuals, and occasional departures from an assumed moral framework by certain figures in the church. It was in the midst of such difficulties that a great many voices came forward to define the doctrines and guiding characteristics of what they considered “genuine” Christianity. The interest of Paul and the Second Century is to explore how great an impact Paul made on the minds engaged in this endeavor.
Therefore, “this volume represents cutting edge research that combines experts in Pauline studies with experts in Second Century Christianity to identify the formative influence that Paul had on Second Century Christian groups and writings."
The contributors explore various arenas in which Pauline thought appears to be evident. Stanley Porter begins Paul and the Second Century by presenting six views on the creation of the Pauline corpus and the implications of each view. Carl Smith submits the deep desire of Ignatius to imitate Paul in both life and death and the ways in which Ignatius intensified the claims of Paul to accomplish his own purposes. Through an examination of Polycarp’s extensive use of Paul, Michael Holmes concludes that Polycarp’s interest focused more on Pauline ethical exhortation than on his theology. Michael Bird demonstrates how Ad Diognetum also relies extensively on Paul and was one of many Christian responses to and appropriations of Hellenistic thought. Todd Still’s discussion compares classic writings on Marcion with more recent ones; this comparison reveals that Marcion’s interaction with Paul yielded strange conclusions, far removed from the apostle’s intended meanings.
Paul Foster demonstrates that in contrast to those individuals and movements who exhibit obvious Pauline influence, the writings of Justin Martyr show no direct impact from Paul; he also offers several possibilities for why this would be the case. As shown by Nicholas Perrin, the Valentinians revered Paul as their paragon of apostleship and his influence in their writings is pervasive. Joel Willitts demonstrates the necessity of separating Jewish Christians from Gentile Christian Judaizers before deciding whether or not an anti-Paul sentiment defined Jewish Christianity. The Acts of Paul, as assessed by Andrew Gregory, is shown to be mostly consistent with the New Testament picture of Paul. Ben Blackwell discusses the importance of understanding Irenaeus’s use of Paul, by declaring him to be the most vital voice representing second-century Christianity’s understanding of the apostle. In the demonstration of Andrew Bain, Tertullian’s ability to engage with Paul, is often put to use as additional evidence to a point Tertullian has already proven. Pauline Nigh Hogan shows how authors put Paul’s letters to use, some to emphasize women’s freedom and others to stress their restriction. Finally, Mark Elliott declares the “triumph of Paulinism,” especially with reference to his ethical exhortations, stemming from freedom from the law to live righteously. [Written by Leasha May]
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