The Purchase By An Open Bibliophile But Also A Closet Bibliomaniac

I placed an order through Amazon.com a couple of weeks back and the parcel arrived a couple of days ago. I think the shipping speed has improved over the years. Naturally, I have no complaint. Now the open bibliophile but also a closet bibliomaniac is a happy man.

With the arrival of my new "toys," I have the following books as my "bedtime" reading for the coming couple of weeks.

Mark Reasoner, Romans in Full Circles. Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 2005.

The New Testament book of Romans has played an important role in the life of the church from the period of the early church and through to the present day. In this concise survey of the major theological changes associated with Paul’s letter, Mark Reasoner focuses on its history and interpretation, particularly through the works of Origen, Augustine, the medieval exegetes, Luther, and Barth. In doing so, he reveals that by a circuitous route, western Christians in the 20th and 21st centuries are returning to reading Romans in ways very similar to Origen’s concerns in the third century. This is true particularly in regard to issues of the human will, sensitivity to Jews and Judaism, openness to the possibility of universalism, and a deconstructive reading of the obedience to government passage in Romans 13. Thus, in addition to giving a helpful overview of Romans itself, this book will help readers situate their theological questions within the 2000-year history of conversations about Paul’s letter to Roman believers.


Terrance Callan, Dying and Rising with Christ: The Theology of Paul the Apostle. Mahwah: Paulist Press, 2006.

Terrance Callan describes the theology of Paul that underlies and comes to expression in his letters. What is most distinctive about this presentation of Paul's theology is the argument that dying and rising with Christ as part of the body of Christ is central to Paul's understanding of Jesus as savior and to his understanding of Christian life. While other presentations of Paul's theology acknowledge the presence of this theme in Paul, none of them sees it as central to his theology. Dying and Rising with Christ also discusses Paul's understanding of God more extensively than other presentations.

A. Andrew Das, Solving the Romans Debate. Minneapolis: Fortress, 2007.

Scholars have long debated the "double character" of Romans. Why did Paul address a long discussion of Jewish themes to a Gentile audience? Das provides a fresh understanding of the identity and attitudes of the Gentile Christians in Rome and of the expulsion of Jews from Rome under the emperor Claudius. His reading offers new insight into Paul's concern for the Jewish roots of the Christ movement.

Christopher Rowland & Christopher Tuckett, eds. The Nature of New Testament Theology. Oxford: Blackwell, 2006.

This volume brings together some of the most distinguished writers in the field to provide an overview of discussions about the nature of New Testament theology. The volume explores New Testament theology in three main ways. Firstly, it examines the development, purpose and scope of New Testament theology. It then goes on to examine the relationship of New Testament theology with other branches of theology, such as systematic theology, biblical theology, practical theology and social scientific criticism. Finally, it looks at crucial issues within the New Testament, such as the historical Jesus, the theology of the cross, eschatology, ethics and the role of women. The book is dedicated to and honours the work of Robert Morgan whose pioneering work gives it its title.

A. Andrew Das. Paul and the Jews. Library of Pauline Studies. Peabody: Hendrickson, 2003.

The book examines the question, "How did Paul’s thinking compare with that of the Jews of his time?" By providing a survey of the scholarly views on this question, Andrew Das offers the beginning Pauline student an entrance into the interesting world of Pauline studies and then presents his own conclusions to this pivotal question.