Corpus-Paul

["Frank W. Hughes" <fwhughes AT sunbeach.net>]

I don't use a core textbook for my level II course on the Pauline Epistles. 
I have often recommended C. K. Barrett's book, Paul: An Introduction
to his Thought, but primarily I do so because it provides a decent
introduction to Pauline theology.  The matter of the interpretation
of each of the undisputed letters, centering around the identification
of the situation and the application of form criticism and rhetorical criticism,
the students are clearly going to get from me.  So I use Barrett and
its very different approach to balance my own lectures.

I also include on my bibliography Raymond E. Brown's An Introduction to the New Testament because the students all have it since they used in the first year in my NT Intro course.  I like it for its even-handedness (on everything except Pauline chronology!), its massive bibliographies, and its "summaries of basic information" concerning each letter.  The questions for discussion at the end of each chapter of his Intro are extremely thought-provoking.

I do use my article, "The Rhetoric of 1 Thessalonians," from Raymond F. Collins, ed., The Thessalonian Correspondence (BETL 87; Leuven: Peeters, 1990) 94-116, with my level I and II students as a way to introduce rhetorical criticism of letters as well as to deal with 1 Thessalonians as an early Pauline letter.

This past year I introduced a new level III course, Pauline Theology, and used James D. G. Dunn's The Theology of Paul the Apostle as the core textbook.  I think it was quite a success.  I think that the discipline of working carefully through Dunn's big book really helped the students understand the complexity of the issues connected with Pauline theology.  I also think it helped the students think theologically.

Frank W. Hughes
Lecturer in New Testament Studies
Codrington College
St. John
Barbados