"This important study locates moral formation squarely at the heart of Paul's letters--not by replacing 'theology' with 'ethics' but by demonstrating that Paul's agenda was in fact the moral transformation of his communities. Thompson traces the roots of Paul's moral teaching in the Old Testament and the story of Christ and exposes his indebtedness more to Hellenistic Judaism than to Greco-Roman moral philosophy. Crucially, he positions Paul's writings in another 'context,' in communities of people who have begun new life in Christ, who await the final day, and for whom the present is about metamorphosis into a moral counterculture. Thompson does not try to answer all of our present-day questions; instead, he marks well the path for anyone wanting to explore the contours and coherence of Paul's moral vision."  
\--__Joel B. Green__, editor of Dictionary of Scripture and Ethics; professor of New Testament interpretation, Fuller Theological Seminary  
  
"In his bracing book, Thompson argues that a coherence to Paul's ethical instruction is found in Paul's stress on the corporate nature of Christian morality. He holds that the church, a countercultural community, is demarcated by its adherence to commandments of the Law viewed through the lens of the Love Commandment. Thompson thinks that the topics of Paul's moral instruction, from the earliest catechesis of converts onward, are those of Jewish moral teaching based on the Torah. He is thoroughly conversant with scholarship on Pauline ethics, but his focus is on a close reading of Pauline texts. The book will be useful to pastors and students and provocative to fellow scholars."  
\--__Abraham J. Malherbe__, Buckingham Professor Emeritus of New Testament Criticism and Interpretation, Yale University  
  
"Books on the moral life according to Paul are relatively scarce. We can be grateful to Thompson for his lucid and readable survey of moral transformation in Paul. Comparing and contrasting Paul's moral vision with both Greco-Roman and Hellenistic writers provides an illuminating social context in which to interpret Paul."  
\--__Thomas R. Schreiner__, James Buchanan Harrison Professor of New Testament Interpretation, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

__James W. Thompson__ (PhD, Vanderbilt University) is the Robert and Kay Onstead Distinguished Professor of Biblical Studies and associate dean of the Graduate School of Theology at Abilene Christian University in Abilene, Texas. His books include Pastoral Ministry according to Paul and Hebrews in Paideia: Commentaries on the New Testament.

This fresh treatment of Paul's ethics addresses this question: how, according to Paul, can Christian communities know how God wants them to live? Leading biblical scholar James Thompson explains that Paul offers a coherent moral vision based not only on the story of Christ but also on the norms of the law. Paul did not live with a sharp dichotomy of law and gospel and recognized the continuing importance of the law. Thompson makes a distinctive contribution by locating the roots of Paul's concrete ethical thought in Hellenistic Judaism rather than Hellenistic moral philosophy. Students of New Testament ethics and Pauline theology will value this work.

A leading biblical scholar shows that Paul offers a coherent moral vision based on both the story of Christ and the norms of the law.

Introduction: Paul's Moral Teaching in Context  
1\. Ethics in Hellenistic Judaism: Maintaining Jewish Identity in the Diaspora  
2\. Shaping an Identity: Moral Instruction and Community Formation  
3\. From Catechesis to Correspondence: Ethos and Ethics in 1 Thessalonians  
4\. Pauline Catechesis and the Lists of Vices and Virtues  
5\. Paul, the Law, and Moral Instruction  
6\. Paul, the Passions, and the Law  
7\. Putting Love into Practice  
8\. Ethics and the Disputed Letters of Paul  
Conclusion: The Coherence of Paul's Moral Teaching  
Indexes

\["For students of New Testament ethics and theology", "Clarifies how Paul guides moral living in communities", "You will gain a deeper understanding of Christian ethics"\]

This eBook explores Paul's ethics for Christian living.

Thompson, James W.

Cover

Title Page

Copyright Page

Dedication

Preface

Abbreviations

Introduction

1 Ethics in Hellenistic Judaism

2 Shaping an Identity

3 From Catechesis to Correspondence

4 Pauline Catechesis and the Lists of Vices and Virtues

5 Paul, the Law, and Moral Instruction

6 Paul, the Passions, and the Law

7 Putting Love into Practice

8 Ethics and the Disputed Letters of Paul

Conclusion

Works Cited

Index of Subjects

Index of Modern Authors

Index of Ancient Sources

Notes

This book explores Pauline ethics, presenting a coherent moral vision rooted in Christ's story and biblical law. Ideal for students and scholars of theology and ethics.

\["For Christians seeking to understand Paul's ethics", "Clarifies the moral vision in Pauline teachings", "You will deepen your understanding of Christian morals"\]

This book explores Paul's ethical teachings rooted in Christ.

Moral Formation according to Paul [eBook]

Navigation Bar

Header Default

Download the Christian360 App to read eBooks and listen to Audiobooks bought at Christian360

Moral Formation according to Paul [eBook]

Description

Need support?

Customer reviews

Download the App

Download the App