Campbell–Graham Tomlin’s questions from historical theology

Posted on January 7, 2016 by jamesbradfordpate

Reblogging for future reference.

theoutwardquest

I am trying to grasp a new development in scholarship about the apostle Paul.  I am reading a book containing a series of essays and responses to the theories of Douglas Campbell, Beyond the Old and New Perspectives on Paul.

The second essayist, Graham Tomlin, is a specialist in historical theology so he asked Campbell some questions based on that.

His first question is how Campbell’s taking words traditionally quoted as Paul’s own thought and assigning them to opponents of Paul works with the Protestant idea that scripture is clear and accessible to ordinary Christians.  Doesn’t a technical argument based on rhetorical criticism mean that Romans can only be understood by elite scholars?

Campbell replied that this objection could apply across the board to all scriptural interpretation that relies on historical or literary analysis.  Campbell points out that in some translations of the Corinthian correspondence the language of Paul’s…

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About jamesbradfordpate

My name is James Pate. This blog is about my journey. I read books. I watch movies and TV shows. I go to church. I try to find meaning. And, when I can’t do that, I just talk about stuff that I find interesting. I have degrees in fields of religious studies. I have an M.Phil. in the History of Biblical Interpretation from Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati, Ohio. I also have an M.A. in Hebrew Bible from Jewish Theological Seminary, an M.Div. from Harvard Divinity School, and a B.A. from DePauw University.
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