The Price of Partnership in the Letter of Paul to the Philippians: Make My Joy Complete Contributor(s): Jennings, Mark A. (Author), Keith, Chris (Editor) |
|
ISBN: 0567678016 ISBN-13: 9780567678010 Publisher: T&T Clark OUR PRICE: $158.40 Product Type: Hardcover - Other Formats Published: January 2018 |
Additional Information |
BISAC Categories: - Religion | Biblical Criticism & Interpretation - New Testament - Religion | Biblical Studies - New Testament - Paul's Letters |
Dewey: 227.606 |
LCCN: 2017027510 |
Series: Library of New Testament Studies |
Physical Information: 0.56" H x 6.14" W x 9.21" (1.13 lbs) 240 pages |
Themes: - Religious Orientation - Christian |
Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
Publisher Description: Mark A. Jennings challenges the consensus that there is no clear single purpose that shapes the entire epistle to the Philippians; instead arguing that there is significant evidence for Paul to have written the letter with the sole intent of persuading the church to maintain its exclusive partnership with him and his gospel mission. Jennings examines each section of Philippians with standard historical-critical methods, rhetorical criticism, and social-scientific methods. Establishing that Paul's argument is rooted in three fundamental tenets, emphasis is first placed on koinonia, and the agreement that Paul and the Philippians had entered into regarding his apostolic mission. Second, Jennings looks at the repeated 'proofs' that Paul offers, that simultaneously affirm the ordained superiority of his apostolic mission and repudiate the claims of his rivals. Third, Jennings analyses the issue of finances in the epistle, discussing how Paul rhetorically transforms the Philippians' financial support into a salient indicator that they esteem his gospel mission authentic. Finally, whereas other scholars have argued that Paul entreats the Philippians to be steadfast in their commitment to the gospel of Christ, Jennings proposes that Paul urges the church to be steadfast in their commitment to his gospel of Christ. Jennings then considers how this seemingly small distinction has profound ramifications for understanding the letter, and shows the gap between these interpretations. |
Contributor Bio(s): Keith, Chris: - Chris Keith is Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity and Director of the Centre for the Social-Scientific Study of the Bible at St. Mary's University College, Twickenham, UK. He is the author of The Pericope Adulterae, the Gospel of John and the Literacy of Jesus, a winner of the 2010 John Templeton Award for Theological Promise, and Jesus' Literacy: Scribal Culture and the Teacher from Galilee. He is also the co-editor of Jesus among Friends and Enemies: A Historical and Literary Introduction to Jesus in the Gospels, and was recently named a 2012 Society of Biblical Literature Regional Scholar. |