The seventh volume of this Companion series is devoted to the writings ascribed to Paul but widely thought not to be genuiinely from the Apostle. These are of particular importance in showing how Paul's authority was exploited in the Early Church, and the topics addressed often deal with Christian discipline and hierarchy. Hence there is a particularly strong feminist agenda to be explored here.The Pastoral Epistles, Ephesians and Colossians are prominent among the writings addressed in this sparkling collection, and the authors include David Scholer, Luise Schottroff, Bonnie Thurston, Lilian Portefaix, Sara Winter and Ingrid Rosa Kitzberger.

The eleventh volume in this series examines New Testament Apocryphal texts, including the Acts of Paul and Thecla, the Acts of John, the Gospel of Thomas, the Gospel of Peter, the Martyrdom of Perpetua, the Acts of Xanthippe and Polyxena, the Acts of Andrew, the Acts of Thomas, and the Apocalypse of Peter, as well as Joseph and Asenath, the Irish apocrypha, and the Greek novels. In this diverse collection the contributors utilize a variety of approaches to explore topics such as the construction of Christian identity, the Christian martyr, heterodoxy and orthodoxy, conjugal ethics and apostolic homewreckers, trials and temptations, the rhetoric of the body, asceticism, and eroticism.

The sixth volume in this series deals with the letters that are generally attributed to the apostle Paul. In this formidable collection, contributors including Richard Hays, Daniel Boyarin, Kathleen Corley, Beverly Gaventa, Margaret MacDonald and Luise Schottroff explore such topics as gender, sexuality, marriage, the physical body, leadership, economic justice, Jewish-Christian relations, metaphors of birth and motherhood, adoption, and slavery.

The Blackwell Companion to the New Testament is a detailedintroduction to the New Testament, written by more than 40 scholarsfrom a variety of Christian denominations. Treats the 27 books and letters of the New Testamentsystematically, beginning with a review of current issues andconcluding with an annotated bibliography Considers the historical, social and cultural contexts in whichthe New Testament was produced, exploring relevant linguistic andtextual issues An international contributor list of over 40 scholars representwide field expertise and a variety of Christian denominations Distinctive features include a unified treatment of Lukethrough Acts, articles on the canonical Gospels, and a discussionof the apocryphal New Testament

Explore the significance of maternal metaphors in the writings of a first-century male missionary and theologian Paul employed metaphors of childbirth or breastfeeding in four out of the seven undisputed epistles. In this book, McNeel uses cognitive metaphor theory and social identity analysis to examine the meaning and function of these maternal metaphors. She asserts that metaphors carry cognitive content and that they are central to how humans process information, construct reality, and shape group identity. Features: A focus on “identity” as the way in which people understand themselves in relation to one another, to society, and to those perceived as outsiders Examination of metaphor as part of Paul’s rhetorical strategy Integration of the work of philosopher Max Black with the work of cognitive linguists George Lakoff and Mark Johnson

The meaningful juxtaposition of academics (“experts”) with the day-to-day lives of nonacademics (“nonexperts”) has animated Gerald O. West’s work from the beginning. Seeking to bridge this chasm, West’s approach of reading the Bible with the “ordinary people” (typically marginalized communities) became a core practice not only of his church work but of his scholarship. West has been a strong proponent of taking seriously the “ordinary reader” as a viable and legitimate contributor to our understanding of biblical interpretation. Not only does this undo the “ivory tower” elitism that tends to pervade academic halls of learning, but it also reflects a form of scholarly humility that has been a mainstay of West’s and should be perpetuated more broadly in biblical scholarship.

The Apostle Paul in the Jewish Imagination is a pioneering multidisciplinary examination of Jewish perspectives on Paul of Tarsus. Here, the views of individual Jewish theologians, religious leaders, and biblical scholars of the last 150 years, together with artistic, literary, philosophical, and psychoanalytical approaches, are set alongside popular cultural attitudes. Few Jews, historically speaking, have engaged with the first-century Apostle to the Gentiles. The modern period has witnessed a burgeoning interest in this topic, however, with treatments reflecting profound concerns about the nature of Jewish authenticity and the developing intercourse between Jews and Christians. In exploring these issues, Jewish commentators have presented Paul in a number of apparently contradictory ways. The Apostle Paul in the Jewish Imagination represents an important contribution to Jewish cultural studies and to the study of Jewish-Christian relations.

In every generation, the study of Paul evolves with new insights and questions. This enigmatic ancient figure continues to ignite interesting conversations and vigorous debates. Complementing the successful The State of New Testament Studies, this book surveys the current landscape of Pauline studies, offering readers a concise guide to contemporary discussions in Pauline scholarship. It brings together a diverse team of leading scholars, providing up-to-date, expert analysis on important issues in Pauline studies, such as Christology, salvation, the Spirit, gender, and empire. In addition, each of the Pauline letters is examined in detail. This book will serve as an ideal supplemental textbook for Paul courses. Contributors include Ben Blackwell, Dennis Edwards, Timothy Gombis, John Goodrich, Nijay K. Gupta, Erin Heim, Chris Hoklotubbe, Joshua Jipp, Scot McKnight, Peter Oakes, B. J. Oropeza, Angela Parker, Kris Song, Jennifer Strawbridge, Sydney Tooth, Cynthia Long Westfall, and Kent Yinger.

Provides feminist approaches to the Song of Songs from leading scholars of the Hebrew Bible and feminist hermeneutics.