Chapter Twelve: Wide and Narrow Paths
S.1. Preamble
Alternative strategies of re-framing and re-reading (p412), generating a new context or re-interpreting words or small units.
S.2. Re-framing (p413)
2.1 Generative Re-framing: Stendahl to solve his own problems proposes that Paul's J discussion defends his Gentile mission within the context of early Church discussions, emphasis salvation-history (R 9-11) relegating R 1-4 (p414), temporary expedients; separates J from conversion: asserted not demonstrated, prima facie false: (p415) leaves the J texts intact; but the J theorists fit the text and biography together better.
Excursus: Francis B. Watson's Paul and the Hermeneutics of Faith ((Excursus sub-section indicators omitted))
contra Schweitzer, Sanders and Raisanen. "Paul occupies a hermeneutical space between a dogmatic, a priori, Christological reading of Scripture and an anachronistic, historical-critical posture, both of which are unacceptable" (p416-18); defensive position confined to hermeneutic, replaces rationalist P1 with Jewish readers, not citing contemporary Jews but the Pentateuch (p419); advantages (p420-21); disadvantages (p422): failure of Numbers (p423) Deuteronomy contingent (p424; failure of Galatians 3 as new base (p424-25); constricted hermeneutic; illogical connections (p426); failure of account of Sola Fide (p427); "absurd" hermeneutical, rather than revelatory conversion (p428); Jews still trapped (p429); the reading cannot "reach Christ" (p430) difficulty with R 1-4.
2.2 Editorial Reframing (p431)" generative or editorial reframing’s implausible (p432).
Excursus: E.P. Sanders's Paul and Palestinian Judaism and Paul, the Law and the Jewish People
((Excursus sub-section indicators omitted))
Participationist eschatology and righteousness by faith, primacy of former and retrospectively constructed (p433) "Paul thinks backwards," starting with the Christological; R 1.18-2.29 a "synagogue sermon" (p434). Fair Jewish description; disparate discourses; the retrospective dynamic; participationist eschatology; less rigid on text, notes meaning variants (p435) and intertextuality, the anomalies of R 1-3 (436). Vulnerable characterisation of faith (p437); arbitrarily accuses Paul of flawed authoring; systematic problems with contract (p438); the vulnerability of Christ to plight: are the 'conflicting' views of Paul contradictory or complementary (p439); in spite of weaknesses, the arguments "brilliant and prescient" in anticipating DAC's reading in terms of retrospective epistemology and participationism (eschatological).
S.3. Rereading
3.1 Motif Rereading’s (p440): Kasemann on R 1.17, 3.5 &c "saving power"; Wright and Dunn on "God's faithfulness" (p241); the 'motifists' agree in some cases but not others (p242); the problem of integrating revised motifs (p443).
Excursus: J.D.G Dunn
((Excursus sub-section indicators omitted)
Dunn re-interprets God's righteousness as covenant faithfulness and the works of law as social mores (p444); Dunn's case (p445); re-defined Judaism as "covenantal nomism" (p446); failure of argument on "works of law" (p447-50); contextual problems (p451-54). Lessons from Dunn: any reconstrual of R 1-4 will have to be radical and possess exegetical integrity (p455-57).
The Basic Interpretative Situation: all solutions up to this point doomed (p458).
3.2 Comprehensive Rereading’s: The search for a radical rereading (p459).
Excursus: Stanley K. Stowers's: A Rereading of Romans
((Excursus sub-heading indicators omitted))
"... at times more passionate than clear." R 1-18-32 is a "decline and fall" commentary after Hesiod; 1.1-16 addressed to a "pretentious pagan" who has ignored 1.18-32; but he (and Jews) can be saved if they perform good deeds; he knows the law through cultural diffusion (p460); 2.17-4-21 is a debate between Paul and another Jewish teacher of Gentiles; from 3.3 Paul becomes the questioner; 3.21-26 is Christological, a "messianic delay" complemented by Christ's "adaptability": "Christ has adapted himself to the weak, allowing himself to be crucified as a messianic pretender, and delaying the full use of his powers and authority against those wicked powers, so that wicked Jews and pagans might be afforded time to repent before the day of judgment and God's wrath. God has, meanwhile, vindicated this humble decision by resurrecting Christ". Stylistic continuity in 3.27-4.2: "Abraham as the founder of a blessed lineage analogous to Christ rather than an example of saving faith" (p461). The reading avoids any criticism of Jews and is only talking of pagan salvation; he interprets faith (Pistis) as Christ's faithfulness (p462). Lacks over-arching coherence: cites 1.18-32 as Paul's position and holds that the argument through 2.16 is jointly held by Paul and the teacher, although this material focuses on the pagan it applies to the Jews and unleashes JT again; Christ's death and resurrection are otiose; and Paul explicitly links the Crucifixion with the problem of human sin (p463); contradictory rereading’s (p464); dependence on Stendahl and outright rejection of Augustine; brilliant but muddled (p465).
S.4. Summary and Implications
The State of Play
The need for "an argumentatively radical but exegetically modest proposal" (p466).