Paul and Religion

Unfinished Conversations

Paul W. Gooch

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Year: 2022
• Print ISBN:
  9781108477109
• eBook ISBN:
  9781108755450
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Biblical Studies

Paul and Religion demonstrates the continuing and contemporary relevance of the most important, and most controversial, figure of early Christianity. Paul Gooch interrogates the Pauline writings for their meaning as well as implications for religion as an entire form of life, a stance on the world expressed in distinctive practices. Bringing a philosophical approach to this topic, he connects Paul's ideas to lived experience. In a conversational style, Gooch explores Paul's experience of grace and his dismissal of distinctive markers of religious identity in favour of love as binding together a community. Contrary to common expectations, he finds within Paul's letters material for conversations about issues in our day, such as gender and sexuality. From his close reading of the Letters, Gooch argues that the Pauline religious form of life is not identical with institutional Christianity. Indeed, his conclusions may be welcome to those who belong to other faiths.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half-title page
• Series page
• Title page
• Copyright page
• Dedication
• Contents
• Preface
• 1 What Does Paul Have to Do with Religion?: Beginning the Conversation
• 2 What Kind of Religious Interlocutor Is Paul?: Understandings and Misunderstandings
• 3 What Is the Religious Form of Life for Paul?: Going Wrong and Getting Right
• 4 What Does the Pauline Religious Form of Life Have to Do with Death?: Amazing Grace
• 5 What, for Paul, Is the Nature of the Religious Form of Community?: Body, Family, Love
• 6 How, for Paul, Should Life ‘in Christ’ Be Lived?: Love and Do What You Will
• 7 What, for Paul, Are the Marks of Membership?: Bodies and Hearts
• 8 How, for Paul, does a Religious Community Relate to Others?: Insiders and Outsiders
• 9 Paul and Religion: The Conversation Continues
• Select Bibliography
• Locorum Index
• Subject Index