The Biggest Influences On my Approach to Pauline Theology

Standing on the Shoulders of Great Scholars

I am very excited about the release of my second monograph with Eerdmans, entitled The Affections of Christ Jesus: Love at the Heart of Paul’s Theology. My first monograph with Eerdmans was entitled Paul and the Language of Faith, and that was my first crack at a focused engagement with Paul’s theology. Affections is kind of a sequel, and develops further my thinking on another important theological concept for Paul.

Every now and again, a scholar or students will mention me in a social media post or book review using a descriptive label, trying to categorize me within a camp of Pauline studies. I have seen terms like “evangelical,” “liberal,” and “New Perspective.” As I think about the accumulation of my own body of work (I have written a dozen or so books related to Paul), I am deeply appreciative of Pauline scholars and other religious writers who shaped me in one way or another. And as I think specifically about Affections, I recognize very clearly that I stand on the shoulder of many giants. So, I acknowledge several scholars whose ideas were formative for my work.

Michael J. Gorman

First and foremost has to be Michael Gorman, who is not only a massive inspiration, but also a mentor and close friend. His book CRUCIFORMITY was probably the first time I thought to myself, “I want to study Paul as a career.” Gorman’s textbook APOSTLE OF THE CRUCIFIED LORD was published right around when I finished seminary, and it energized me even more. Gorman’s emphasis on participation in Christ, cruciform love, transformation, and mission deeply impacted my career, and also my book.

James D.G. Dunn

Jimmy. I miss him. James D.G. Dunn was my hero. Brilliant, clever and witty, friendly, kind, prolific, critical in the best ways, reverent in his own way. I haven’t read everything written by Jimmy, I feel like that would be impossible; but I have read a lot, certainly all the major stuff. His Theology of Paul the Apostle is a modern classic and his work has been deeply formative. Probably what has stuck with me the most is how Jimmy could look behind and beyond texts to see the person of Paul, his passions, his life, and how a living relationship with Christ deeply affected Paul and made him who he was.

Morna D. Hooker

Professor Morna D. Hooker, a force to be reckoned with. I was hooked on her work on “Interchange” as soon as I encountered it. Brilliant. Met her once—terrifying brilliant.

John M.G. Barclay

John is extraordinarily perceptive. He was my professor and secondary supervisor at Durham and I worked with him for a good bit of time when my primary supervisor (Stephen Barton) was on research leave. John taught me to study Paul as a part of his own world—the Jewish and Greco-Roman context of the first century. John’s work on grace is magnificent—historically and theologically rich in equal parts.

Gordon D. Fee

When I think about what kind of career legacy I want to have, I often think of Fee. No matter how scholarly I want to be, my first and foremost concern is service to Christ and his Church. When I study Paul, I cannot help but think of Paul as a man utterly transformed by God’s empowering presence, and that being-in-Christ means deeply knowing the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. Fee dedicated his life to those truths. I hope they are represented well in my book.

Beverly Roberts Gaventa

An incisive scholar and an exquisite writer. Her essays, commentaries, and monographs on Paul continue to inspire and challenge me. Her apocalyptic and cosmic emphasis remind me that it is all about what God has done for me, not what I have done for him. Her work on OUR MOTHER SAINT PAUL opened my eyes to the tender side of Paul, which I hope comes out clearly in Affections.