Over the past twenty-five years research on Paul's life and thoughthas yielded a wealth of new, sometimes controversial theories concerningsuch crucial questions as Paul's Jewishness and his relationto the Jesus tradition. This volume provides an excellent overviewof recent trends in Pauline studies and introduces fresh work onthe Thessalonian correspondence and Christianity.

Written by a distinguished scholar of the New Testament, thebook ranges widely over themes related to Paul, his theology, andhis role in the formation of the church. Of special interest arechapters that challenge the so-called "New Perspective" on Paul setforth by people like E. P. Sanders and James D. G. Dunn, thatdiscuss the importance of the Dead Sea Scrolls in reframing ourperspective on the Jewish backgrounds of Christianity, and thatrelate the Pauline understanding of justification to recent ecumenicalagreements.

Presenting cutting-edge New Testament scholarship in accessibleessays, this volume will benefit everyone interested in Paul, early Christianity, and the Jewish roots of both.

In a world where people on all sides of major debates claim to speak for the Bible, how do we find our way back to a genuine understanding of scripture? In Who Owns the Bible?, Karl Donfried shows the inadequacy of the liberal Left, the far Right, and even mainstream Christian churches to grapple well with how to hear the witness of scripture in our day. He offers guidance on a number of major issues that concern us all.

First Thessalonians is one of the most discussed books of the New Testament. This volume by today's top Thessalonians scholars introduces readers to the current scholarly debate on Paul's earliest letter, discussing the difficult challenges that 1 Thessalonians poses to modern readers and explaining the various methods now being used to interpret this important New Testament letter.