Gorman, Michael J. Reading Paul. Eugene, OR: Cascade, 2008.
I would like to thank Wipf and Stock for providing this review copy.
Michael Gorman is Professor of Sacred Scripture and Dean of the Ecumenical Institute of Theology at St. Mary’s Seminary and University in Baltimore, MD. Some of his other publications includ Biblical Exegesis, Apostle of the Crucified Lord: A Theological Introduction to Paul and His Letters, Cruciformity: Paul’s Narrative Spirituality of the Cross, Inhabiting the Cruciform God: Kenosis, Justification and Theosis in Paul’s Narrative Soteriology. Gorman also maintains a lively and thoughtful blog at Cross Talk.
Gorman’s approach to his introduction of Paul is different than many other Pauline overviews. While most introductory texts stick to Paul’s 1st century message, Gorman is not content to simply read Paul as an ancient preacher and letter writer, but also as a necessary voice for the contemporary church and culture.
Gorman’s approach is simple and straightforward, after the introductory chapters concerning Paul life and an overview of his teaching, there are eight major themes that Gorman develops in eight corresponding chapters (apocalyptic, covenant faithfulness, the death of Jesus, Jesus as Lord, participatory salvation, multi/counter-cultural church building cruciform discipleship, and renewal and resurrection). Much of the content and teaching of his book is introduced and summarized in the first introductory chapter in what Gorman calls “Paul in one Sentence”:
“Paul preached, and then explained in various pastoral, community-forming letters, a narrative, apocalyptic, theopolitical gospel (1) in continuity with the story of Israel and (2) in distinction to the imperial gospel of Rome (and analogous powers) that were centered on God’s crucified and exalted Messiah Jesus, whose incarnation, life and death by crucifixion were validated and vindicated by God in his resurrection and exaltation as Lord, which inaugurated the new age or new creation in which all members of this diverse but consistently covenantally dysfunctional human race who respond in self-abandoning and self-committing faith thereby participate in Christ’ death and resurrection and are (1) justified, or restored to right covenant relationship with God and with others; (2) incorporated into a particular manifestation of Christ the Lord’s body on earth, the church, which is an alternative community to the status-quo human communities committed to and governed by Caeser (and analogous rulers) and by values contrary to the Gospel; and (3) and infused both individually and corporately by the Spirit of God’s Son so that they may lead “bifocal” lives, focused both back on Christ’s first coming and ahead to his second, consisting of Christlike, cruciform (cross-shaped) (1) faith and (2) hope toward God and (3) love toward both neighbors and enemies (a love marked by peaceableness and inclusion), in joyful anticipation of (1) the return of Christ, (2) the resurrection of the dead to eternal life, and (3) the renewal of the entire creation.”
As seen from the above quote, Gorman is very concerned with the political aspects Paul’s teachings. I find this to be one of the greatest strengths of his little book. Most popular level books on the political aspects of Paul are extreme that Paul is either painted as an anarchist set on the downfall of Roman Empire or a nice 20th/21st conservative Republican that would never question the government unless is impeded on his preaching. Gorman, thankfully, proposes a political Paul as neither of these characachers.
The main weakness of text might be be due to its scope and length. Some major areas on contention on Paul such as the model of atonement and the role of the Law, are not dealt with at length. However, this is not the intention of the book. This text should most likely not be used in teaching without a larger and fuller treatment of the Apostle (which Gorman has also written in Apostle of the Crucified Lord: A Theological Introduction to Paul and His Letters) but would make an excellent supplemental text to the standard Pauline works to introduce readers to many important topics that are not often given their fair treatment in these larger works.
