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Prolegomena to a Theology of Paul*
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 February 2009
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We are in a better position to write a theology of Paul than the theology of anyone else for the first hundred years of Christianity. In contrast, though a theology of Jesus would be the more fascinating, we have nothing first-hand from Jesus which can provide such a secure starting point. The theologies of the Evangelists are almost equally problematic, since their focus on the ministry and teaching of Jesus makes their own theology that much more allusive. Moreover, in two at least of the four cases we have only one document to use; we can speak with some confidence of the theology of that document, but the theology of its anonymous author remains tantalisingly intangible. So too with the other NT letters: either we have only one letter from a particular pen, or the author is unknown, or the letter is too short for us to get much of a handle on its theology, or all three; a theology of 1 Peter is never going to have the depth and breadth of a theology of Paul. Within the first century of Christianity the closest parallel is Ignatius, where, arguably, there are as many genuine letters; but even so we are talking about seven letters written over a very short period, all but one to a relatively small area, in similar circumstances and on a limited range of themes.
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References
1 See Schoedel, W. R., Ignatius of Antioch (Hermeneia; Philadelphia: Fortress, 1985).Google Scholar
2 I refer of course to Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians (2 or more letters?), Galatians, Philippians, 1 Thessalonians and Philemon. There is a roughly even split among critical commentators on Colossians and 2 Thessalonians, while the majority regard Ephesians and the Pastorals as definitely post-Pauline. But the last two groups should not be wholly disregarded when the attempt is made to describe the theology of the apostle whose name they bear. Here weight can be properly given to B. S. Child's plea for a canonical reading of the individual texts (The New Testament as Canon: An Introduction [Philadelphia: Fortress, 1985]).Google Scholar
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