Abraham's Divided Children: Galatians and the Politics of Faith (NT in Context Commentaries) - Softcover

Perkins, Pheme

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1563383594 ISBN 13: 9781563383595

Publisher: Trinity Press International, 2001

Synopsis

This newest addition to the popular Trinity New Testament in Context series focuses on the politics of division in Paul's letter to the Galatians. Traditionally, Galatians has been read as the "Magna Charta" of Christian liberty since in Galatians Paul teaches that Gentiles need not become Jews before becoming Christians. As Pheme Perkins demonstrates, the matter was not so simple. She uses recent evidence to show that the communal boundaries of Judaism were more porous than has been assumed. Thus, rather than portraying a simple conflict between Jews and Gentile converts, Galatians depicts a Jewish community whose identity is in flux and Gentile converts not entirely certain about their lineage in the Christian faith. In Abraham’s Divided Children, Perkins argues that while Paul might have tried to use his rhetoric to encourage unity among Gentile converts, he actually created harsh divisions between the Christian and Jewish communities. Perkin's lively and engaging reading of Galatians challenges much recent scholarship on Paul's letter and offers fresh insights into a contentious Pauline text. Pheme Perkins is Professor of New Testament at Boston College and the author of numerous books and articles, including Peter: Apostle for the Whole Church.

About this title

About the Author:

Pheme Perkins is Professor of New Testament at Boston College and the author of numerous books and articles.

Review:

"Conversant with Greco-Roman and Jewish literature of the Hellenistic period, Prof. Perkins moves with a sure step through the thickets of Pauline prose and the complication of numerous commentators to produce a sober a judicious reading of Paul's letter to the Galatian churches. Concise and succinct, the book is a work of mature scholarship, and an important contribution to Pauline studies. The careful reader will reap ample rewards."—Paul J. Achtemeier, Professor of Biblical Interpretation emeritus at Union Theological Seminary in Virginia (Paul J. Achtemeier)

"A sober and judicious reading of Paul's letter to the Galatian churches. Concise and succinct, the book is a work of mature scholarship, and an important contribution to Pauline studies. The careful reader will reap ample rewards." (Paul J. Achtemeier)

"This perceptive and careful study challenges much recent scholarship on Galatians and is sure to invigorate further exploration of this text. Perkins's analysis may not convince every reader at every point, but a close reading of this volume will reward every student of Paul. It not only presents a rich depository of information about Galatians and Paul's thought but also offers many new insights drawn from her own rigorous research. It is a timely work for twenty-first-century Christians who must wrestle with wide-spread anti-Semitic and anti-Islamic sentiments."—Robert A. Bryant, Interpretation, January 2003 (Robert A. Bryant)

"In this relatively brief commentary, Perkins carries on a rich running conversation with recent scholarship on Galatians, making an important contribution to debates about the setting and purpose of this challenging letter."—David W. Kuck, Religious Studies Review, January 2003 (David W. Kuck)

"Conversant with Greco-Roman and Jewish literature of the Hellenistic period, Prof. Perkins moves with a sure step through the thickets of Pauline prose and the complication of numerous commentators to produce a sober a judicious reading of Paul's letter to the Galatian churches. Concise and succinct, the book is a work of mature scholarship, and an important contribution to Pauline studies. The careful reader will reap ample rewards."—Paul J. Achtemeier, Professor of Biblical Interpretation emeritus at Union Theological Seminary in Virginia (Sanford Lakoff)

"A sober and judicious reading of Paul's letter to the Galatian churches. Concise and succinct, the book is a work of mature scholarship, and an important contribution to Pauline studies. The careful reader will reap ample rewards." (Sanford Lakoff)

"This perceptive and careful study challenges much recent scholarship on Galatians and is sure to invigorate further exploration of this text. Perkins's analysis may not convince every reader at every point, but a close reading of this volume will reward every student of Paul. It not only presents a rich depository of information about Galatians and Paul's thought but also offers many new insights drawn from her own rigorous research. It is a timely work for twenty-first-century Christians who must wrestle with wide-spread anti-Semitic and anti-Islamic sentiments."—Robert A. Bryant, Interpretation, January 2003 (Sanford Lakoff)

"In this relatively brief commentary, Perkins carries on a rich running conversation with recent scholarship on Galatians, making an important contribution to debates about the setting and purpose of this challenging letter."—David W. Kuck, Religious Studies Review, January 2003 (Sanford Lakoff)

About this edition

• Publisher: Trinity Press International
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 1563383594
• ISBN 13: 9781563383595
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 200