Rating: 
Summary: This has a theology of Romans chapters 9-11
Review: Big books are sometimes useful for spreading out the obvious over so many pages that the relationship between ideas becomes as interesting as the alpha and omega. Paul mentioned God a lot in his letters. "The word `God' itself occurs 548 times in the Pauline corpus, 153 in Romans alone." (p. 28). Intellectually, the idea of God takes the most significance in theology, carried on still by those who follow in Paul's footsteps, with a humility emphasized in "the concluding doxology early on added to Romans: `to God, only, wise.' (Rom. 16.25)." (p. 32).I rarely have any enthusiasm for religion as a church activity, particularly when it stifles humor as an instinctive defense of church ideas against the outright display of entertainment values, but intellectual study about religious doctrines is likely to be enlightening, even in such religious settings, where over-intellectualizing is likely to be condemned for its over-their-heads qualities but is sometimes tolerated in small quantities. As an apostle, Paul made some striking attempts to expound on a new form of freedom, possibly in a way that is ironic in Philemon 13: "while I am in the chains that the Good News has brought me," but sure that something good would result, as in Philemon 21: "I am writing with complete confidence that you will do even more than I ask." With such faith, it is not surprising that those associated with the church have maintained the ability to write, even at great length, as in THE THEOLOGY OF PAUL THE APOSTLE by James D. G. Dunn. Certain philosophical and theological disputes have attempted to deal with the issues raised in Paul's letter to the Romans, and nine pages of the Index of Scripture and Other Ancient Writings (pp. 772-781) are required to locate all the mentions of its verses in this book. Although Jesus is pictured in the Gospels as being tested in his conversations with Pharisees and Sadducees, Paul was the monumental thinker who provided doctrines for thinking that Christianity was a religion with its own justification on a deep theological level. Dunn's awareness of this problem: "Paul himself, as Pharisaic Jew become apostle of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, embodied one of the most painful of these tensions within himself. [See particularly section 19 below.]" (p. 19 [n. 54]) is indicated early in the book, in his discussion of the religious doctrines shared due to "evidently shared knowledge of the Jewish scriptures, presumably in most cases in their Greek (LXX) form." (pp. 15-16). There is a short list in note 39 on page 13 of letters actually believed to be written by Paul, including Romans and Philemon, but stating "the majority regard Ephesians and the Pastorals as definitely post-Pauline (I side with the majority)." Those who think Ephesians is particularly uptight in ways that modern Americans are not, or shouldn't be, or wouldn't be if we were a thoroughly comic society, will be glad that we can stop blaming Paul for some things that uptight early church dignitaries wanted to put in the Bible anyway. Still, we are stuck with a lot of verses like "he who refrains from marriage will do better." (1 Corinthians 7:38). The theology has a tremendous scope, even if humans are dealt with in anthropological presuppositions. Paul helped put Adam on the theological map, along with sin, death, the law, Jesus, Christ crucified, justification by faith, Israel, the church, and "the law of the Spirit." I already mentioned section 19, where the conflict between an existing religious tradition glorifying Israel and Paul's proclamations are greatest. In the book translated into English as RELIGION WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES OF MERE REASON, Kant belittled the idea of a religion that consecrated an entire people. Kant found Christianity to be superior in its morality because it attended to the individual motivations which he considered the basis for morality within his philosophy. Paul seems to be the main Biblical basis for this emphasis on the individual, though Christ's parable about separating sheep from the goats is worthy of this interpretation. Modern religion, as an intensely private interior aspect of individual existence, likely to be ridiculed if it is mentioned in connection with bloody conflicts, still holds a picture of God "who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else?" (Rom. 8:32). Paul had enough knowledge of the Greek Jewish scriptures to quote them on the normality of such conflicts. "As it is written, `For your sake we are being killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep to be slaughtered.'" (Rom. 8:36). Dunn tries to explain why Paul showed such concern for the Israelites. "In our attempt to follow the course of Paul's own theologizing through Romans we have now reached ch. 9-11. At this point we are bound to stop short and take stock. For the function of Chs. 9-11 within Romans, and so also within Paul's theology, has always been a matter of some controversy. Why did Paul turn so abruptly to express his concern for his `kinsmen in terms of the flesh' (9.3)? He had reached such a wonderful climax of Christian assurance in 8.28-39. Anything following that would inevitably appear as something of an anticlimax. But why this sudden descent to depths of existential angst: `I speak the truth in Christ, I do not lie, my conscience bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, that my grief is great and the anguish of my heart unceasing. . . .' (9.1-2)?" (p. 500).
Rating:
Summary: This has a theology of Romans chapters 9-11
Review: Big books are sometimes useful for spreading out the obvious over so many pages that the relationship between ideas becomes as interesting as the alpha and omega. Paul mentioned God a lot in his letters. "The word `God' itself occurs 548 times in the Pauline corpus, 153 in Romans alone." (p. 28). Intellectually, the idea of God takes the most significance in theology, carried on still by those who follow in Paul's footsteps, with a humility emphasized in "the concluding doxology early on added to Romans: `to God, only, wise.' (Rom. 16.25)." (p. 32). I rarely have any enthusiasm for religion as a church activity, particularly when it stifles humor as an instinctive defense of church ideas against the outright display of entertainment values, but intellectual study about religious doctrines is likely to be enlightening, even in such religious settings, where over-intellectualizing is likely to be condemned for its over-their-heads qualities but is sometimes tolerated in small quantities. As an apostle, Paul made some striking attempts to expound on a new form of freedom, possibly in a way that is ironic in Philemon 13: "while I am in the chains that the Good News has brought me," but sure that something good would result, as in Philemon 21: "I am writing with complete confidence that you will do even more than I ask." With such faith, it is not surprising that those associated with the church have maintained the ability to write, even at great length, as in THE THEOLOGY OF PAUL THE APOSTLE by James D. G. Dunn. Certain philosophical and theological disputes have attempted to deal with the issues raised in Paul's letter to the Romans, and nine pages of the Index of Scripture and Other Ancient Writings (pp. 772-781) are required to locate all the mentions of its verses in this book. Although Jesus is pictured in the Gospels as being tested in his conversations with Pharisees and Sadducees, Paul was the monumental thinker who provided doctrines for thinking that Christianity was a religion with its own justification on a deep theological level. Dunn's awareness of this problem: "Paul himself, as Pharisaic Jew become apostle of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, embodied one of the most painful of these tensions within himself. [See particularly section 19 below.]" (p. 19 [n. 54]) is indicated early in the book, in his discussion of the religious doctrines shared due to "evidently shared knowledge of the Jewish scriptures, presumably in most cases in their Greek (LXX) form." (pp. 15-16). There is a short list in note 39 on page 13 of letters actually believed to be written by Paul, including Romans and Philemon, but stating "the majority regard Ephesians and the Pastorals as definitely post-Pauline (I side with the majority)." Those who think Ephesians is particularly uptight in ways that modern Americans are not, or shouldn't be, or wouldn't be if we were a thoroughly comic society, will be glad that we can stop blaming Paul for some things that uptight early church dignitaries wanted to put in the Bible anyway. Still, we are stuck with a lot of verses like "he who refrains from marriage will do better." (1 Corinthians 7:38). The theology has a tremendous scope, even if humans are dealt with in anthropological presuppositions. Paul helped put Adam on the theological map, along with sin, death, the law, Jesus, Christ crucified, justification by faith, Israel, the church, and "the law of the Spirit." I already mentioned section 19, where the conflict between an existing religious tradition glorifying Israel and Paul's proclamations are greatest. In the book translated into English as RELIGION WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES OF MERE REASON, Kant belittled the idea of a religion that consecrated an entire people. Kant found Christianity to be superior in its morality because it attended to the individual motivations which he considered the basis for morality within his philosophy. Paul seems to be the main Biblical basis for this emphasis on the individual, though Christ's parable about separating sheep from the goats is worthy of this interpretation. Modern religion, as an intensely private interior aspect of individual existence, likely to be ridiculed if it is mentioned in connection with bloody conflicts, still holds a picture of God "who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else?" (Rom. 8:32). Paul had enough knowledge of the Greek Jewish scriptures to quote them on the normality of such conflicts. "As it is written, `For your sake we are being killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep to be slaughtered.'" (Rom. 8:36). Dunn tries to explain why Paul showed such concern for the Israelites. "In our attempt to follow the course of Paul's own theologizing through Romans we have now reached ch. 9-11. At this point we are bound to stop short and take stock. For the function of Chs. 9-11 within Romans, and so also within Paul's theology, has always been a matter of some controversy. Why did Paul turn so abruptly to express his concern for his `kinsmen in terms of the flesh' (9.3)? He had reached such a wonderful climax of Christian assurance in 8.28-39. Anything following that would inevitably appear as something of an anticlimax. But why this sudden descent to depths of existential angst: `I speak the truth in Christ, I do not lie, my conscience bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, that my grief is great and the anguish of my heart unceasing. . . .' (9.1-2)?" (p. 500).
Rating:
Summary: Excellent summary of Pauline theology
Review: Do not let the size of this volume intimidate you. Dunn's work is extensive, and yet friendly to the newer Bible student and the experienced scholar alike. Rather than a commentary of all the letters, Dunn has painstakenly reconstructed for us the mind of the "renegade" rabbi from Tarsus by logically compliling the various topics Paul dealt with. One small point of interest I personally was glad to see was his explaination of the "corporate" church and sheds light on the overly debated predestination issues of the Calvinist and Arminians, which I think both camps miss the whole point of what "election" means. But Mr. Dunn does not spend a lot of time arguing with other scholars, which is also refreshing. I plan on buying more of his work based on this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Some Cautions
Review: Dunn's book has received high praise. His scholarship and attention to detail are evident. Some, however, have called into question his advocacy of the so-called New Persepctive on Paul as being flawed in its presentation of Luther's understanding of Judaism. Read it, but read it with a critical eye.
Rating:
Summary: Some Cautions
Review: Dunn's book has received high praise. His scholarship and attention to detail are evident. Some, however, have called into question his advocacy of the so-called New Persepctive on Paul as being flawed in its presentation of Luther's understanding of Judaism. Read it, but read it with a critical eye.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent exposition of Paul's Theology
Review: I think this is a truly exceptional work, from which I have gathered many valuable insights. I feel that it has been a valuable addition to my collection and well worth the money. Dunn presents a scholarly, detailed (and theologically unbiased) study into the writings of Paul.
He is able to tie up a lot of "loose ends", and make many theological connections which might be elusive to the average bible-reader (like me), revealing what he sees as a stable foundation of Paul's theology. It is well organized and annotated, making for easy topical study.
Just note that this is not an orthodox Christian book, although Dunn always treats the Scriptures and the subject matter with a great deal of care and respect.
Rating: 
Summary: Not good for a Bible study
Review: I was looking for a book on Paul to use as a guide for a teenager Sunday School class. This is not that book. This is a real thesis on Paul. Excellent reference book though.
Rating:
Summary: Not good for a Bible study
Review: I was looking for a book on Paul to use as a guide for a teenager Sunday School class. This is not that book. This is a real thesis on Paul. Excellent reference book though.
Rating:
Summary: The scholarly Judaization of Christianity: after Jesus, Paul
Review: If you are at all acquainted with trends in contemporary theology, exegesis and research on the historical Jesus, you probably know that there has been a huge effort in these areas to present Jesus as a Jew, which means that most of the time he is presented as an eschatological prophet with a more or less overt political agenda. Now in Dunn's book you will find something similar, but this time it is Paul who becomes the 'victim' of this process of Judaization. If I had to summarize the thesis of this ponderous treatise on Pauline theology I would say that Paul was a Jew and that he remained a Jew in his theology. This means among other things that he never taught that Jesus was God.
The book is highly readable with little technical jargon and high-strung phrases, but people who don't have a thorough knowledge of Paul will find to their annoyance that most of the time Dunn doesn't quote in full the passages he is analysing. So keep your Bible on hand to check all the references and read them carefully before you turn to Dunn's comments.
The author gives one a good and very practical overview of all the major themes of Pauline theology with chapters on "Justification by faith" (the longest one), "The Pre-existent Christ", "Jesus the Man" (on the relationship between Paul and the pre-resurrection Jesus), etc. The hot topic of the divinity of Jesus, for which I basically bought the book since I am extremely interested in Christology, is also discussed, but Dunn's comments are very simple and short: the whole analysis covers less than two pages and the conclusion is that Paul was a thorough Jewish monotheist who did call Jesus "Lord" but din't teach that he was God the Son. There is also a lot of emphasis on Adamic theology: the approach that sees Jesus primarily as the "New Adam". It is for example in the light of Genesis and Adam that Dunn explains the meaning of the hotly debated Christological hymn in Philippians 2.
I would say that while it is certainly useful to have a book that covers the whole range of Pauline theology, "The Theology of Paul the Apostle" failed to meet my expectations on several accounts. My main criticism is that what Dunn has to say is most of the time quite unoriginal and even trite. The topics are all of them quite conventional: I would have loved a chapter on Pauline ecology or some other less obvious aspect of his thinking, more on mysticism, but Dunn's approach is very rational and mainly sociological in its thrust. The tone and style is thoroughly academic and on sensitive issues Dunn keeps a low profile and is always soft spoken: don't expect vitriolic tirades à la Robert Eisenman!
Many of the author's comments are fuzzy and strangely unconclusive. He also seems eager to present a picture of Paul which is free of error and contradictions. There is no critical assessment of Paul's arguments, the whole analysis is purely descriptive and strictly theological with very little biographical material (people who want to read about Paul the man should not order this book). There are lots of linguistic explanations, which are certainly enlightening, but after understanding the meaning of the terms used by Paul, one expects something more, and this is what Dunn fails to provide in my view in many cases. A basic knowledge of koine Greek, while not indispensable, will help you better understand some of the chapters in this book.
I like the book, it is practical, but on the whole I didn't learn much from it and it is quite insipid. It lacks teeth.
Rating:
Summary: A great guide for understanding Paul's theology
Review: This is a wonderful summary of Paul's theology from a prominent New Testament scholar on Pauline studies. I've always wanted a recent work on Paul's theology that combines detailed, informative content with clarity. I have found it in this book. It packs a lot of information and yet it is clearly written and understandable for the lay reader, seminary student, and scholar alike. Incidentally, Dunn embraces the "new perspective" on Paul and the Law. However, a traditionalist in Pauline studies will find Dunn's views thought-provoking. I also liked this book because it is very user-friendly. The chapters are organized by topics ("Prologue," "God and Humankind" "The Gospel of Jesus Christ" " The Process of Salvation" etc.) and it is very easy to follow. The reader will also be impressed with the extensive bibliography that Dunn includes at the very beginning. For any student and reader who desires to understand Paul's theology, this book by Dunn is a must! I highly recommend it.
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