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corpus-paul - Re: [Corpus-Paul] Paul - his place in history as seen from today

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  • From: "David Hindley" <dhindley AT compuserve.com>
  • To: "'Corpus-Paul'" <corpus-paul AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Corpus-Paul] Paul - his place in history as seen from today
  • Date: Mon, 13 Nov 2006 08:40:58 -0500

Bob,

 

Perhaps, deep down, theologians are not quite convinced by the new perspective.

 

After all, for much of Christian history theology (and to some extent the myths associated with theology) has driven history. Oddly, similar to the present day backlash in reaction to modern historical emphasis on the contributions of Native-Americans and African-Americans and economic factors on the development of United States history, looking at the development of Pauline theology as socio-economically driven may also seem to some like "historical revisionism."

 

It hasn't helped things that, in spite of all the contributions that the new perspective criticism has given to Pauline studies, we have still been forced to fall back on rhetoric to "explain" the crazy contradictory statements we find in the Pauline literature as it has been passed down to us. In other words, Paul is still viewed (and revered) as a creative genius on some sort of higher ethical plane than his contemporaries.  Is it any wonder that many Jews still seem to consider Paul almost an "evil genius" bent on destroying Judaism?

 

Still, IMHO, the new perspective has not really pursued truly historical explanations for the theology of the Pauline literature, although a groundwork has been laid.

 

Respectfully,

Dave Hindley
Cleveland, Ohio USA


From: corpus-paul-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org [mailto:corpus-paul-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Bob MacDonald
Sent: Saturday, November 11, 2006 5:13 PM
To: 'Corpus-Paul'
Subject: [Corpus-Paul] Paul - his place in history as seen from today

<<In the 2006 John Albert Hall lectures in Victoria, (The Place and Authority of Scripture in World Religions Keith Ward, University of Oxford), Paul was given short shrift – the speaker was presenting pre-new-perspective as far as I could tell. I heard that Paul was the one who married Greek philosophical thought into the Jewish ways, creating a new religion. What are you Biblical Studies folk and historians doing to educate the Theologians? >>



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