Where is boasting gathercole

Where is Boasting? This important work challenges the validity of the "New Perspective" on Paul and Judaism. Working with new data fom Jewish literature and a fresh reading of Romans 1—5, Simon Gathercole produces a far-reaching criticism of the current approach to Paul and points a new way forward. Building on a detailed examination of the past generation of scholarship on Paul and early Ju This important work challenges the validity of the "New Perspective" on Paul and Judaism.

Building on a detailed examination of the past generation of scholarship on Paul and early Judaism, Gathercole's work follows two paths. First, he shows that while early Judaism was not truly oriented around legalistic works-righteousness, it did consider obedience to the Law to be an important criterion at the final judgment.

On the basis of this reconstruction of Jewish thought and a rereading of Romans 1—5, Gathercole advances his main argument — that Paul did indeed combat a Jewish perspective that saw obedience to the Law both as possible and as a criterion for vindication at the final judgment. Paul's reply is that obedience to the Law is not a criterion for the final judgment because human nature makes obedience to the Law impossible. His doctrine of justification can therefore be properly viewed in its Jewish context, yet anthropological issues also take center stage.

Get A Copy. Paperback , pages. Published October 24th by Eerdmans first published October 15th More Details Original Title. Other Editions 1.

Friend Reviews. To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. To ask other readers questions about Where is Boasting? Lists with This Book. This book is not yet featured on Listopia. Simon Gathercole Buy the ebook: Logos Kindle. Peter Stuhlmacher "Simon Gathercole's new book is well worth reading. A solid piece of work, it enriches Pauline scholarship in at least three ways. Second, by taking issue in a fair-minded way with the chief representatives of the 'New Perspective' on Paul E.

Sanders, James D. Dunn, and N. Wright , Gathercole demonstrates that already before the rabbis, a long succession of early Jewish authors advocated a soteriology resting on two principles — the principle of election and redemption on the one hand, and the principle of recognizing righteous deeds according to the measure of the law on the other. Paul takes critical issue with this view. Finally, Gathercole's book stimulates one to rethink , on the basis of the original texts, the anthropological bases of the Pauline and early Jewish expectations of salvation and the question of the assurance of salvation.

Seyoon Kim "Against E. Sanders's notion of 'covenantal nomism,' Simon Gathercole clearly demonstrates from various Jewish sources that many Jews of the New Testament period thought that eschatological salvation depended on obedience to the Torah as well as on God's election.

Then, against James D. Dunn's and N. Wright's notion of 'national righteousness,' Gathercole convincingly demonstrates that in Romans 1—5 Paul argues for justification of the ungodly by faith in contrast to the Jewish notion of justification on the basis of obedience to the Torah.

The result is an important book marked by the author's firm grounding in the sources, convincing exegesis, and clear argumentation. Gathercole thus drives a big nail into the coffin of the 'New Perspective' on Paul. Journal of Biblical Literature "Gathercole has offered a stimulating study that makes an important contribution to an ongoing debate that may perhaps, with the aid of commendable efforts like his own, enter into new and more fruitful stages of discussion.

Evangelical Quarterly "The volume is important for our understanding of the theology of early Judaism, for Pauline exegesis and theology and for New Testament theology in general. Well written and persuasive. Bibliotheca Sacra "Lucid, evenhanded, and helpful for any student of Jewish and Pauline soteriology. George J. Brooke "In this important book Simon Gathercole breaks free from the overly polarized discussion of the relative positions of grace and works in the writings of early Judaism, including the New Testament.

By placing consideration of final judgment alongside the value of what Jews inherited from the past and experienced in the present, he presents a reading of the Jewish texts that form the matrix of Paul's concerns in a more balanced and nuanced form than is common in the 'New Perspective' on Paul. Sweeping generalizations are avoided through the frequent citation of primary sources, and a wealth of scholarship is presented in a highly readable manner.

This work will become compulsory reading for all involved in reconstructing the variegated Judaism of the turn of the era. John M. Barclay "This is a well-researched and highly significant book that will reignite many debates about Paul and Judaism.

Correcting several one-sided features of the 'New Perspective,' Simon Gathercole also avoids the mistakes in traditional approaches to this topic; indeed, he takes the debate forward into new terrain in which Paul's theology regains its capacity to startle and surprise. This is a very important contribution to the new wave of 'post-Sanders' scholarship. Don't Miss a Thing! Visit EerdWord to find daily posts from Eerdmans. See More. Eerdmans is proud to publish many books that have remained in print for decades - true classics that have stood the test of time.

Visit our Enduring Standards page to see some of our perennially best-selling backlist books. All Categories. Privacy Policy. Eerdmans Publishing Company, All rights reserved. Working with new data fom Jewish literature and a fresh reading of Romans 1—5, Simon Gathercole produces a far-reaching criticism of the current approach to Paul and points a new way forward. Building on a detailed examination of the past generation of scholarship on Paul and early Judaism, Gathercole's work follows two paths.

But it is harder to interpret in this same respect; Paul here goes out of his way to clarify that the contrast is between meritorious works and freely credited faith. Gathercole completes part two as he did part one with a short chapter on boasting. If boasting is so uniformly condemned, how can Paul in Romans 5 suddenly shift to a positive Christian form of boasting? The answer, of course, is that this boasting is in the Lord, not in oneself, in what the Lord has done for us and will do, paradoxically even through suffering.

A brief conclusion recapitulates Gathercole's main points. Jews understood themselves to be born into the covenant community. It was not just that Jews remained in the covenant unless they consciously opted out or forfeited their position through prolonged and flagrant rebellion.

This is what Paul rejected when he became a Christian and labored hard to counter, particularly in Galatians and Romans. One may question details of Gathercole's exegesis here and there. I, for one, am not yet convinced in his adopting Cranfield's approach to the person judged positively on the basis of works in Romans 2 as a Christian and would follow Dunn here with the narrative flow of the text still in pre-Christian times in this chapter.

This is the Jew, and possibly the righteous Gentile, responding appropriately with faith to the Law. I'm not as sure we can take Josephus' claims about his obedience as dispassionately as some do, since he clearly was trying to commend Judaism to his Roman patrons and is willing to stretch the truth a fair bit elsewhere to that end. I would have wanted to include the parable of the Pharisee and tax collector among relevant Gospels materials.

There are also a couple of sentence fragments pp.