Social-Science Commentary on the Letters of Paul

This latest addition to the fortress social-science commentaries on new testament writings illuminates the values, perceptions, and social codes of the mediterranean culture that shaped paul and his interactions both harmonious and conflicted with others, malina and pilch add new dimensions to our understanding of the apostle as a social change agent, his coworkers as innovators, and his gospel as an assertion of the honor of the god of israel. review "if you are tired of reading the same 'newbook on paul over and over, this commentary on the letters of paul is the place to go next. in addition to traditional material on rhetoric and background, this social-scientific commentary brings to the fore necessary, significant and enlightening ways of understanding the social role of paul and his social dynamics with the churches he founded. in this it is unique; it is the only comprehensive social-science reading of paul. the reading scenarios at the end are themselves worth the price of this book." -jerome neyrey "university of notre dame"if you are tired of reading the same 'newbook on paul over and over, this commentary on the letters of paul is the place to go next. in addition to traditional material on rhetoric and background, this social-scientific commentary brings to the fore necessary, significant and enlightening ways of understanding the social role of paul and his social dynamics with the churches he founded. in this it is unique; it is the only comprehensive social-science reading of paul. the reading scenarios at the end are themselves worth the price of this book." endorsements: "if you are tired of reading the same 'newbook on paul over and over, this commentary on the letters of paul is the place to go next. in addition to traditional material on rhetoric and background, this social-scientific commentary brings to the fore necessary, significant and enlightening ways of understanding the social role of paul and his social dynamics with the churches he founded. in this it is unique; it is the only comprehensive social-science reading of paul. the reading scenarios at the end are themselves worth the price of this book." — jerome neyrey, university of notre dame"this is not the typical introspective, individualistic paul of western theology. rather malina and pilch reveal paul as a thoroughgoing mediterranean person, functioning as a change agent among israelites living in minority communities around the greco-roman world. pauline theology will never look the same again." — richard l. rohrbaugh, lewis and clark college bruce j. malina is professor of new testament at , omaha, and author or coauthor or editor of many influential volumes in new testament, including several recent fortress press titles: social science commentary on the book of revelation (2000); social science commentary on the synoptic gospels (2nd edition 2003); social science commentary on the gospel of john (1998); and the social gospel of jesus (2001).john j. pilchteaches at johns hopkins university in baltimore, maryland. among his numerous publications are the cultural world of jesus: sunday by sunday (1995-97), the cultural dictionary of the bible (1999), and healing in the new testament (2000). malina and pilch have co-authored the social science commentary on the book of acts (2008) and the social-science commentary on the letters of paul (2005), both from fortress press.