Review of my Book in JSNT 32/5 (2010)

Below is a very generous review of my book, as published in the Journal for the Study of the New Testament 32/5 (August 2010): 97.

‘The Sufferings of Christ are Abundant in us’: A Narrative Dynamics Investigation of Paul’s Sufferings in 2 Corinthians
Kar Yong Lim
LNTS 399; London: T&T Clark, 2009, 978-0-567-10728-2, £65.00, xvi + 240 hb
Reviewed by Grant Macaskill

Kar Yong Lim seeks to bring recent scholarship on Pauline narrative dynamics, generally focused on Romans and Galatians, to bear on 2 Corinthians, and specifically on the theme of suffering that runs through the letter. After surveying the history of research on the theme, the author notes that such research has often focused on individual sections of the text in isolation from the wider letter and has, rather surprisingly, neglected both the scriptural background to these texts and the narrative of the cross in relation to them. His own study, therefore, seeks to address this by examining all of the major passages on suffering in 2 Corinthians, and the mainstream historical research on these, in conversation with studies of narrative dynamics elsewhere in the Pauline corpus.

The result is a rewarding study of 2 Corinthians. Often, the author offers insights that are only subtly different from those offered by other scholars, but the integration of these into the wider context (and, indeed, into the broad sweep of Pauline theology) makes for a satisfying study. Significantly, the adoption of a narrative dynamics approach does not displace meticulous attention to traditional historical spadework, resulting in a well-rounded study that ought to feature prominently in future discussion of the passages in question.

My Book Available for Review at RBL

I've just noted that my book is now available for review at Review of Biblical Literature.

Any interested takers? If interested, please log in to the site of Review of Biblical Literature (if you are a member of the Society of Biblical Literature) and volunteer to review it.

Two Articles for Publication

Time flies - next week marks the final week of class for the seminary. In terms of my personal research,I managed to squeeze in some time over the past few weeks to get two articles ready for publication . I am glad that the articles are now out of my way, and I can move on to other research project.

The first article is on "Paul's Use of Temple Imagery in the Corinthian Correspondence: The Creation of Christian Identity" that will form a compendium of essays to be published by T&T Clark, hopefully in time for SBL Annual Meeting in November. In this article, I argue that Paul creatively draws on the symbolic universe of the Christ-community by employing the temple imagery in the Corinthian correspondence. By doing so, Paul uses the temple imagery powerfully in his appeal to realign the community to the ethos of the gospel of Christ in the formation of a distinct Christian identity. What emerges then from a the use of the temple imagery is a vivid and extraordinary image that holds together a number of different notions such as community identity, the building up of community, and the appearance of the community to the outsiders.

The other is a short article on "οἵτινες καταγγέλλουσιν ἡμῖν ὁδὸν σωτηρίας (Acts 16:17): Is Paul Proclaiming The Way or A Way of Salvation?" This article argues that the absence of the article before the phrase ὁδὸν σωτηρίας should be taken seriously. Such construction can be taken to indicate either a definite or an indefinites nuance, as suggested by the Apollonius' Canon. A close examination of how the word ὁδός and σωτηρίας are used in Acts demonstrates that the phrase ὁδὸν σωτηρίας should rightly be translated as "a way of salvation" and not "the way of salvation" (as translated in the many English translations such as the ESV, KJV, NASB, NET, NIV, NKJV, and RSV, amongst others). Seen from this perspective, I argue that the slave girl was in fact proclaiming in her shouts that Paul was merely preaching a way of salvation, and NOT the way of salvation. This would have been confusing and misleading, to say the least, to the hearers. It is tantamount to a complete distortion of the content of Paul's message. As such, Paul has no choice but to perform exorcism on her. As such, Paul was not merely deeply troubled by the source of the proclamation which is from Satan, as understood by most commentators. Rather, Paul was deeply troubled over the content of the message of the slave girl that directly challenged the gospel and thereby caused confusion among the hearers.

The Global Paul: Travel Opportunity by SBL and Nida

SBL announces a travel and lecture opportunity in partnership with the Nida Institute.

According to SBL, this is "a series of academically oriented journeys with lectures and discussions that will attempt to penetrate more deeply the theology of Paul through visitation of the sites at which the Apostle was present together with a more profound study of and interaction with the Graeco Roman world in which he carried out his missionary and pastoral activities. Pre-departure preparatory materials will be available and regional lectures as possible will be announced."

For 2010, the journey will cover Paul's First Journey, visiting places like Damascus, Antioch, Southeastern Turkey and Beyond, with subsequent journeys planned for 2011 and 2012C.

"This academic tour to sites in Syria, Lebanon, Turkey and Cyprus is intended primarily for faculty and graduate students, as well as for others with appropriate background and scholarly interest on a space available basis. Accompanying this tour will be two well known international Pauline scholars: Karl Donfried and Philip Towner. Dr. Donfried is Professor Emeritus of New Testament at Smith College and served as the McCarthy Professor at the Pontifical Biblical Institute, Rome; Dr. Towner serves as Dean of the Nida Institute for Biblical Scholarship at the American Bible Society."

For further information, please visit SBL's website at www.sbl-site.org, or click here for the description and here for the proposed itinerary.

New Perspective on Paul and the Jews Academic Seminar

I have just been alerted concerning the Interdisciplinary Academic Seminar on New Perspective on Paul and the Jews that was recently held from Sept 12-14 at the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven. This seminar is part of the Research Project on Paul and the Jews.

The conference was organised around 8 topics as follows:

1. What nomenclatures best represent the Judaism that Paul was in dialogue with: covenantal nomism, variegated nomism, ethical monotheism, etc.? What are the notions of covenant or works-righteousness that lie behind the use of these terms?
2. Is covenant a central notion in Paul? What are the merits of a semantic domain linkage between diatheke and dikaiosyne? Can one argue for an embedded covenantal framework in Paul’s thought? If so, does this framework supersede the Mosaic covenant (cp. 2 Cor 3:7-18)?
3. What is the relationship between creation and covenant in Paul’s thinking, specifically the motif of kaine diatheke and kaine ktisis (2 Cor 3 and 5 respectively)?
4. Does Paul move away from an Israel kata sarka to a notion of Israel kata pneuma? Is the new reality the ekklesia tou theou? Is this church part of, or distinct from, Israel?
5. Was Paul Torah-observant? Did Paul’s Christ transcend the Law, embody it or something else? Is Paul in continuity or discontinuity with the prophetic reading of the Law? Is Paul an interpreter or manipulator of Israel’s scriptures?
6. What is the relationship between Pauline studies and Jewish-Christian dialogue? Should Pauline studies take into account the post-Shoah context of contemporary ecumenical and interreligious dialogue between Christians and Jews?
7. Are the classical interreligious and soteriological models of exclusivism, inclusivism and pluralism acceptable or useful for Christian/Jewish dialogue? How do they relate to the typical dialogical positions of single and double covenant schemes? What is the best way forward?
8. Are the religious ends of Christianity and Judaism compatible? Is the church in mission with or in mission to the Jews? How should this apparent tension be portrayed in homiletics, liturgy, catechetics, etc?

My doctoral supervisor, Dr Bill Campbell (pictured above), presented a paper on "Covenant, Creation and Transformation in Paul." All papers presented at the conference are now made available online:

• Michael Bachmann (Germany)
• Michael Bird (UK)
• Thomas Blanton IV (USA)
• William Campbell (UK)
• Philip Cunningham (USA)
• Hans Hermann Henrix (Germany)
• Daniel Langton (UK)
• Mark Nanos (USA)
• John Pawlikowski (USA)
• Hans-Joachim Sander (Austria)
  

With such a prestigious panel of speakers, one can be sure of a very exciting exchange and dialogue. For me, reading the papers will be my diet for the next couple of days.

Approaches to Paul: New Book by Zetterholm

I have always lamented that there is a lack of a textbook particularly for my postgraduate students who are beginning their research on studies on Paul. How does one plough through all the recent studies on Paul, from the New Perspective on Paul to Paul and Roman Empire; from Feminist to postcolonial interpretation of Paul; and from Paul and Ethnicity to multi-disciplinary approaches to Paul? Even within the New Perspective school, how does one address all the divergent views that emerged within those who subscribe to the New Perspective on Paul?

The task of a beginner in trying to make sense of the complex developments in the studies on Paul in the last two decades or so is a daunting one. There are endless list of works to read, but where can one go and find a clear, concise discussion of the issues, and where the dynamic interaction with all the history of modern Pauline scholarship is clearly presented in a thorough and balanced manner?

I finally find my answer in the new monograph by Magnus Zetterholm from Lund University, which arrived in the mail a couple of weeks ago. Zetterholm's new book, Approaches to Paul: A Student's Guide to Recent Scholarship, is an excellent and indispensable book that every beginning and seasoned student of the studies on Paul should have. Zetterholm not only engages with recent development of the studies on Paul, he also surveys the history of relationship between Paul and Judaism. He also reviews the works of the works of Lyoyd Gaston, Peter Tomson, Stanley Stowers, Mark Nanos, Caroline Johnson Hodge, Frank Thielman, A. Andrew Das, Simon Gathercole, Stephen Westerholm, Neil Elliot, Kathy Ehrensperger, Davina Lopez, amongst others, in a critical, yet balanced manner.

Zetterholm has done a great service to those who wish to have a clear, thorough and yet concise survey of recent scholarship on the studies on Paul. At the same time, those who would like a glimpse on recent development in Pauline scholarship would also find Zetterholm's work extremely beneficial.

This book is highly recommended.

My Book Finally Arrived!

My book that has been recently released by T&T Clark, "The Sufferings of Christ Are Abundant in Us: A Narrative Dynamics Investigation of Paul's Sufferings in 2 Corinthians", finally arrives in the mail today!

UPDATE:
1. Click here for the news update at my seminary's website
2. See also the announcement of my book at the University of Wales Lampeter's website and the Department of Theology and Religious Studies' blog.

Working on My SBL International Meeting Paper

Over the next few days, I'll be busy working on my paper to be read at the Society of Biblical Literature International Meeting in Rome, to be convened in 2 weeks' time.

In my paper entitled "Reading Romans 13:1-7 with Multiple Lenses: Some Reflections from A Multi-Faith Context with Malaysia as A Test Case", I attempt to employ the methodology developed by social scientist, James C. Scott (in both his works, Weapons of the Weak: Wveryday Forms of Peasant Resistance and Domination and The Art of Resistance: Hidden Transcripts), in reading Romans 13:1-7, especially in understanding the public discourse of the ruling elites and the hidden transcript of the masses in reacting to subordination, resistance and hegemony of the powerful elites.

It is interesting to note that James Scott develops his theory based on his fieldwork among the Muslim rural peasants in Kedah, the northern state in Peninsular Malaysia, in reacting against the Muslim ruling elites. I hope to extend Scott's discussion to include how the minority middle-class Christians in urban setting response to the Muslim ruling elites by drawing on both the public discourse and hidden transcript embedded in Romans 13:1-7. This paper will be an initial attempt to investigate whether Scott's theory developed among the majority Muslim rural peasants in Malaysia can be profitably extended to include the minority, middle-class urban Christians in Malaysia.

However, time is fast running out, and my paper remains very sketchy. Am I a chronic procrastinator?

Paul and Peter Mixed up?

I just realised that having had my research focusing on the Apostle Paul for the past few years has, in some ways, conditioned me to think in certain pattern.

I was preparing for my sermon tomorrow, and the text that I would be preaching from is taken from 1 Peter 4:7-11. While scripting my sermon, I kept using the phrase, "Paul says" instead of "Peter says..." several times. It became so naturally for me to say, "Paul argues..."; "Paul suggests..."; and "Paul exhorts..." when it should rightly be "Peter argues...Peter suggests...Peter exhorts..."

My goodness....is this a good or bad sign?

SBL International Meeting Online Programme Book Now Available

The 2009 SBL International Meeting Online Programme Book is now available.

My paper is scheduled on 3rd July. It is very interesting to note that almost the entire session on Paul and Rome (4 out of 5 papers) is represented by my alma mater, University of Wales, as highlighted below. And I am very pleased to discover that I am slotted in together with my doktorvater and his dear wife in this session as well. Both Kathy's and my book will be released by T&T Clark in May, and we all agreed that there is much for all of us to celebrate in Rome!


Paul and Pauline Literature
7/03/2009
1:30 PM to 4:30 PM
Room: Room TBD - Hotel TBD

Theme: Paul and Rome

Anthony Cogliolo, University of Wales
Where Did Paul’s Addressees in Rome Reside ?: Trastevere and Beyond (25 min)

William S. Campbell, University of Wales
‘All God’s Beloved in Rome’: Who Did Paul Think they Were? (25 min)

Mark D. Nanos, Rockhurst University
When in Rome, Would the Paul of 'All Things to All People' (1 Corinthians 9:19-23) Do as the Romans Do? (25 min)

Break (30 min)

Kathy Ehrensperger, University of Wales Lampeter
‘…Nothing is in Itself Unclean’: Hospitality and Paul’s Discussion of Koinos and Katharos in Romans 14.1-15.13 (25 min)

Kar-Yong Lim, Seminari Theoloji Malaysia
Reading Romans 13:1-7 with Multiple Lenses: Some Reflections from A Multi-Faith Context with Malaysia as A Test Case (25 min)

Exploring Paul Conference, Saint Paul University

To celebrate the year of Saint Paul, the Faculty of Theology and the Faculty of Philosophy of Saint Paul University are proud to host jointly a one-day conference on Exploring Paul.

Papers may be on any aspect of Saint Paul's life and thought, from his historical circumstances to his philosophical and theological endeavours and the associated problems of interpretation.

The date of the conference is Wednesday, April 29th, 2009, to be held at the Saint Paul University.

Papers are to be a maximum of 25 minutes reading time.

Please send an abstract (1000 word maximum) by March 10, 2009 to:
Richard Feist
Dean
Faculty of Philosophy
Email: rfeist@ustpaul.ca

Confirmed Participants include:

• Normand Bonneau (Theology): Story Line and Behavior in Paul: Salvation-Historical Consciousness
• J. Kevin Coyle (Theology): Paul after Paul: Early Christian Readings (or Not) of the Apostle?
• Richard Feist (Philosophy): Paul's Cynicism
• Raymond Jahae (Philosophy): Reflections on Paul's Teaching on the Law
• Jim Pambrun (Theology): Creation and New-Creation in Paul: a Reflection on the Aesthetic Moment in Apocalyptic Genre

Library of New Testament Studies, Volume 399

I have just received the proofs for my upcoming book that will be published by T&T Clark in May 2009. So it is official now - my work on Paul's sufferings in 2 Corinthians will be part of the Library of New Testament Studies monograph series(formerly known as the Journal for the Study of New Testament Supplement Series), Volume 399. The book is also featured in the 2008-09 T&T Clark biblical studies catalogue, which can be downloaded here.

With the help of some friends, (Vic Cern, who will be compiling the indexes of Authors and Scripture References; and Sarah and Ruth, who will be checking the accuracy of references), I will be working hard to read the proofs carefully for the final time before it finally goes to the printer. This would keep me very busy for the next few weeks.

Romans Class Begins

Classes officially begins this week, and I had my first lecture on Exegesis of Romans to a group of 26 students yesterday. I tried to do things a little bit different this semester, and this is reflected in the course requirement for the course on Romans. In addition to the usual exegesis paper, I gave the class an option of taking the final exam or coming out with a creative project capturing the theme/themes of Romans.

In the course outline, I state the following:

Devise a creative project based on your understanding of the major theme/themes found in Romans. It could take the form of a teaching lesson, drama, Sunday school material, bible study, movie clip, music, sculpture, painting, or any other creative form which demonstrates a clear indication of your understanding of the major theme/themes of Romans and how this particular theme/themes can be demonstrated in a relevant manner to your current audience. You will be evaluated on your creativity, clarity, and the effectiveness of conveying the message of Romans to your contemporary audience.

I wonder how successful this creative project will be - only time will tell, and I do hope some of the students will take up this option. It would be interesting to see how one interprets the theme/themes of Romans in a contemporary fashion.

As It Is Written: SBL New Publication

Society of Biblical Literature announces a new publication, As It Is Written: Studying Paul's Use of Scripture, edited by Stanley E. Porter, Christopher D. Stanley.

The description of this book as provided by the publisher is as follows:

"All scholars recognize that Scripture plays a vital role in the theology and rhetoric of the apostle Paul. They disagree, however, about how best to make sense of the many marked and unmarked references to Scripture that permeate his letters. This book aims to move the discussion forward by examining the reasons behind these scholarly differences. The essays are united by a concern to show how scholarly opinions concerning Paul’s use of Scripture have been influenced by the application of divergent methods and conflicting presuppositions regarding Paul, his audiences, and the role of biblical references in his letters. The book also seeks to extend the boundaries of the discussion by applying the insights of deconstruction, postcolonial theory, and feminist criticism to the study of Paul’s use of Scripture. Together these essays show what can be accomplished when scholars take the time to discuss their differences and try out new approaches to old problems."

The contributors include Douglas A. Campbell, Roy Ciampa, Steven DiMattei, Kathy Ehrensperger, Neil Elliott, Bruce N. Fisk, Mark D. Given, Steve Moyise, Stanley E. Porter, Jeremy Punt, and Christopher D. Stanley.

Caricatures of Theological Paraphrases of John 1.1

JW has been rather productive in his blogging activities of late. Of his several posts today, I find his Caricatures of Theological Paraphrases of John 1.1 to be extremely interesting. As usual, when I read entry such as this, I could not help but to make some further contribution by adding on a few more entries to his list:

Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ λόγος,

καὶ ὁ λόγος ἦν πρὸς τὸν θεόν,

καὶ θεὸς ἦν ὁ λόγος.

E. P. Sanders: In the beginning was covenantal nomism. And covenantal nomism was with St Paul's thought. And covenantal nomism was St Paul's thought.

James Dunn: In the beginning was the new perspective. And the new perspective was with St Paul's thought. And the new perspective was St Paul's thought.

Seyoon Kim: In the beginning was conversion. And conversion was with St Paul's thought. And conversion was St Paul's thought.

Ralph Martin: In the beginning was reconciliation. And reconciliation was with the centre of St Paul's theology. And reconciliation was the centre of St Paul's theology.

Lim Kar Yong: In the beginning was confusion. And confusion was with St Paul's interpreters. And confusion was St Paul's interpreters.

Larry Hurtado: In the beginning was the devotion. And the devotion was with Lord Jesus Christ. And the devotion was Lord Jesus Christ.

James Dunn: In the beginning was being remembered. And being remembered was with Jesus. And being remembered was Jesus.

N. T. Wright: In the beginning was 5 volumes of Christian Origins and the Question of God. And the 5 volumes were with him. And no, not 5, but 6 volumes will be him!!

Speaking at JB Wesley Family Camp in Desaru

This year, I will be celebrating the nation's 51st Merdeka in a slightly different manner.

In a matter of minutes, I will be leaving for Johor Bahru, the southern gateway of Peninsular Malaysia. From JB (as it is popularly known), I will be making my way to the popular east coast beach, Desaru.

The Johor Bahru Wesley Methodist Church has graciously invited me to be their family camp speaker to be held at Pulai Desaru Beach Resort from August 30-September 1, 2008. Based on the theme of "We Live By Faith and Not By Sight", I will be speaking on a series of 3 messages in the camp.

For my messages, I will be focusing on Paul's letters to the Corinthians. Paul uses a host of imageries borrowed from the Greco-Roman world of his time to drive home the point that he would like the churches to learn. In this family camp, I hope to explore 3 powerful imageries that Paul uses in his letters to the Corinthians to unpack what it means to “live by faith, and not by sight.”

Session 1: We live by faith, not by sight: Our relationships - Lessons from the temple imagery

Session 2: We live by faith, not by sight: Our Story - Lessons from ancient physiognomy and the imagery of Paul's body

Session 3: We live by faith, not by sight: Our Legacy - Lessons from the athlete imagery

It will be a very packed weekend, and I would appreciate that readers of this blog could offer a prayer for me. Thank you.

Greece Trip (15): What is She Doing?

What is my colleague doing?

Greece Trip (14): Thessaloniki: What Would Have Gone Through Paul's Mind (1)? - Part 4

Thessalonica is the second major city Paul visited in his Second Missionary Journey after receiving the Macedonian call (Acts 16:6-10). As in Philippi, Paul faced tremendous opposition to his gospel in Thessalonica.

In Philippi, it was the owners of the slave girl that Paul set free, together with the crowd, that opposed Paul for "advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practise" (Acts 16:21), and this subsequently led to the his imprisonment.

In Thessalonica, a group of Jews rounded up some bad characters from the city, formed a mob and started a riot in the city, accusing Paul for causing trouble and "defying Caesar's decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus" (Acts 16:8).

In both cities, Paul had no choice but to leave, perhaps for the sake of the safety of the newly established community of Christ-followers. In fact, Paul had to leave Thessalonica at night.

I often wonder what would have gone through Paul's mind when he left Thessalonica. Both his mission to Philippi and Thessalonica had to be ended prematurely. In both cities, he faced intense persecution and opposition. In fact, in Philippi, he was humiliated, unjustly and unfairly tried as a Roman citizen - and in his own words, he had "suffered and been treated outrageously" (1 Thess 2:2). According to today's understanding of models of church growth, Paul's church planting activities in these two cities are far from successful.

At this point when Paul made his way to Berea, would he have doubted the vision of the Macedonian man he saw in Troas (Acts 16:6-10)? What would be the conversation like between him and Silas on the journey? Would they feel a sense of discouragement? Would they have entertained the thoughts of giving up?

What would you and I do when we are faced with similar situations like those of Paul's? Would we have doubted our calling? What would we do if were Paul? Would we still persevere on in our mission? Or would we give up?

Davina Lopez's Apostle to the Conquered

Many new and exciting books are hitting the shelves for the past few weeks - and I have been finding it extremely difficult to keep up with recent NT scholarship.

Another example of an excellent piece of Pauline scholarship is the book by Davina Lopez, Apostle to the Conquered: Reimagining Paul's Mission, published by Fortress Press in March this year.

In this book, Lopez "combines attention to Roman visual and literary representations of conquered nations with a gender-critical "re-imagination" of Paul's apostleship. The result is a new and more critical perspective on the systematic violence of the Roman Empire, and a renewed understanding of "Paul's politics of the new creation."

The Contents of this book are as follow:

Introduction: The Problem with "the Nations"
The Fate of the Nations in Roman Imperial Representation
Destiny and the Naturalization of Conquest
Conversion, Call, and Consciousness
The Politics of the New Creation
Conclusion: Dislocating Paul's "Universalism"

Greece Trip (13): Thessaloniki: Kissing Aristotle's Toe - Part 3

My fetish with toes....??