OnScript

Gar Anderson - Paul's New Perspective

Episode: Grab a PBR (or craft beer) & get ready for a new perspective as Matt Lynch grills Gar Anderson (Professor of NT at Nashotah House Theological Seminary in Wisconsin) on his new book Paul’s New Perspective (IVP). The basic argument of the book is that Paul’s old perspective is actually what is commonly referred to today as the “New Perspective on Paul” (NPP), and Paul’s new perspective is somewhat closer to the “Old / Traditional Perspective on Paul” (TPP).

Then what was the theological aim in the Pauline Corpus? What language/metaphors/images did he adopt in some of his earliest letters, and which portrayals did he altogether drop and replace in his latter writings? What was Paul’s aim in expounding on Israel and Torah in Romans or the law-grace relations in Galatians? All of these topics and more are thoughtfully and carefully discussed (no expenses spared) in this week’s episode. (-J. Soto)

Guest: Gar Anderson is Professor of New Testament and Acting Dean/President at Nashotah House Theological Seminary in Wisconsin. Previously, Gar was on staff with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship (1984-2001), and was was on the faculty of Asbury Theological Seminary (Orlando, FL campus) from 2002-2007. In addition to his major study on Pauline soteriology, Paul's New Perspective: Charting a Soteriological Journey (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2016), he has also published articles in numerous scholarly journals, dictionaries, and edited volumes. Additionally, Dr. Anderson is a regular contributor to the Covenant blog and writes articles and reviews regularly for The Living Churchmagazine. (adapted from the Nashotah House faculty page).

Book: 'The debate between proponents of the old and new perspectives on Paul has been followed closely over the years, consolidating allegiances on either side. But the debate has now reached a stalemate, with defectors turning to apocalyptic and other solutions. in Paul's New Perspective: Charting a Soteriological Journey (IVP 2016) Garwood Anderson recounts the issues and concludes that "both 'camps' are right, but not all the time." And with that teaser, he rolls up his exegetical sleeves and proceeds to unfold a new proposal for overcoming the deadlock.

But in a field crowded with opinions, could anything new emerge? Anderson's interaction with Paul and his interpreters is at the highest level, and his penetrating and energetic analysis captures attention. What if Paul's own theological perspective was contextually formed and coherently developed over time? Have we asked justification to carry a burden it was never meant to bear? Would fresh eyes and a proper sequencing of Paul's letters reveal Paul's ownnew perspective? Might we turn a corner and find a bold and invigorating panorama of Pauline soteriology? This is a Pauline study worthy of its great theme, and one that will infuse new energy into the quest for understanding Paul's mind and letters.' (adapted from the IVP Academic website)

Help Support OnScript: Click through Paul's New Perspective to purchase Anderson's book (or others, while you're in there) and the OnScript Podcast gets a whopping 2.5% or so (at no loss to you). Each bit helps us keep this operation going. Or visit our Donate Page if you want to join the big leagues and become a regular donor.

Miryam Brand - Evil Within and Without

Episode: What causes our sin? At some point, a first century Jewish teacher stumbles out of the Galilee saying things like, “If your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into the hell of fire” (Matthew 18:9). Unbeknownst to many modern Christians, the New Testament's teaching on sin's causes and solutions enters the fray of a lively literary and sectarian discussion. Jewish communities had lots of ideas about how demons influence us to sin, how the Torah can heal us from sin, and the role of closed communities in solving sin. How can we understand this raucous panoply of evil-talk in Second Temple Judaism? Dru Johnson talks with Dr. Miryam Brand about her research on sin and evil in Second Temple Judaism texts (that is: Jewish texts from 400 BCE–100 CE), which is also featured in her highly accessible podcast and blog.

Guest: Dr. Brand holds a Ph.D. in Bible and Late Antiquity (specialty in Dead Sea Scrolls) from New York University and an Associate Fellowship at the Albright Institute of Archaeological Research. She also has an M.B.A. in Marketing and Finance from Hebrew University in Jerusalem. She currently works in both fields: teaching and research in Second Temple literature while working as a marketing manager for a hi-tech company. She has written scholarly articles for collected writings (“1 Enoch: Introduction and Commentary” in Outside the Bible: Ancient Jewish Writings Related to Scripture, ed. Louis Feldman, James Kugel, and Lawrence Schiffman) and her monograph Evil Within and Without: The Source of Sin and Its Nature as Portrayed in Second Temple Literature (Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 2013).

Most importantly, she runs a podcast and website: understandingsin.com where you can find her writing and speaking on the topic of this interview and well beyond. In those podcasts, which I highly recommend, she teaches winsomely and invites normal people outside academia into the world of Second Temple Judaism.

Book (from the publisher): "Miryam T. Brand explores how texts of the Second Temple period address the theological problem of the existence of sin and describe the source of human sin. . . . The analysis is divided into two parts; the first explores texts that reflect a conviction that the source of sin is an innate human inclination, and the second analyzes texts that depict sin as caused by demons. The author demonstrates that the genre or purpose of a text is frequently a determining factor in its representation of sin, particularly influencing the text’s portrayal of sin as the result of human inclination versus demonic influence and sin as a free choice or as predetermined fact."

Help Support OnScript:

Click through Evil Within and Without to purchase Brand's book (or others, while you're in there) and the OnScript Podcast gets a whopping 2.5%. Each bit helps us keep this operation going. Or visit our Donate Page if you want to join the big leagues and become a regular donor.