Fortress Press

The Triumph of God: The Essence of Paul's Thought

The Triumph of God: The Essence of Paul's ThoughtThe Triumph of God: The Essence of Paul's Thought

The Triumph of God

The Essence of Paul's Thought

J. Christiaan Beker (Author)

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This book posits two pillars as the foundations of Paul's thought: 1) the interaction between coherence and contingency in Paul's interpretation of the gospel and 2) the apocalyptic character of his gospel. The author ventures to demonstrate how Paul's interpretation of the gospel as coherent is integral with Paul's communication of the gospel as situationally contingent. These ostensibly opposing perspectives actually combine to form a fluid Pauline hermeneutic. The centrality of Christological apocalyptic in Paul's interpretation is posited and involves a radical shift in traditional conceptions of Paul's theology. The author is "recasting Paul's theology as a theocentric theology of hope rather than as a Christocentric salvation-history (O. Cullmann) or as an existentialist theology of the cross (R. Bultmann). A theology of hope views the present as the dawn of the future and the future as the full actualization of the present." Examining the implications of this approach—the ultimacy of God's sovereignty and triumph beside the Christ- event, the formation of a "biblical- theology," a rethinking of traditional concepts of salvation and ethics—the author intends to reveal a fresh and most enlightening view of Paul's theology.
  • Publisher Fortress Press
  • Format Paperback
  • ISBN 9780800624385
  • Pages 168
  • Dimensions 8.44 x 5.5
  • Publication Date June 1, 1990

Endorsements

"The Triumph of God is a book for which we have long been waiting. In it Beker, one of today's leading interpreters of Paul, makes available to a wide readership the central tenets of his bold and much-discussed approach to Paul. Beker's thesis is that, for Paul, the Christ-event is proleptic of the coming, cosmic triumph of God. Categorically, Beker takes issue with any construal of Paul that downplays the theocentric, cosmic, or future aspects of the apostle's apocalyptic gospel. Challenging and controversial, this slim volume is ideal for classroom use. Pastors, teachers, and students will read it with interest and be nudged to see Paul's ancient writings in new perspective."
— Jack Dean Kingsbury, Union Theological Seminary, Virginia

Table of Contents

    Preface

    PART ONE: THE PAULINE LETTER

  1. The Hermeneutical Problem
     Three Solutions
    Summary

  2. Primary Themes in Pauline Thought
     The Dialectic of Coherence and Contingency
    Apocalyptic as the Basis of Paul's Gospel


    PART TWO: THEOLOGICAL CONSEQUENCES
  3. The Contingency of the Gospel
     Paul's Occasional Letters
    Galatians and Romans

  4. The Coherence of the Gospel
     Objections to Apocalyptic
    Apocalyptic and the Resurrection of Christ
    The Cross of Christ and the Demonic Powers
    Christian Life and the Church: The Appropriation and Practice of the Gospel in the Horizon of Hope

  5. The Enigma of the Law and the Struggle between Sin and Death
     The Law amid the Struggle between the Powers
    The Dilemma of Sin and Death: Equal or Disparate Powers?

  6. Summary
    Appendix: Paul the Theologian: Major Motifs in Pauline Theology

    Bibliography
    Indexes
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