Paul and the Giants of Philosophy: Reading the Apostle in Greco-Roman Context - Paperback

by Joseph R. Dodson (Editor), David E. Briones (Editor), John M. G. Barclay (Foreword by)

Biblical Foundations Award Finalist

What forces shaped the intellectual world of the apostle Paul? How familiar was he with the great philosophers of his age, and to what extent was he influenced by them? When he quoted Greco-Roman sources, what was his aim?

Pauline scholars wrestle with such questions in journal articles and technical monographs, but now Paul and the Giants of Philosophy brings the conversation into the college classroomand the church. Each essay addresses Paul's interaction with Greco-Roman philosophical thinking on a particular topic, such as faith, slavery, gift-giving, and the afterlife. And each chapter includes discussion questions and reading lists to help readers engage the material further. Dodson and Briones have gathered contributors with diverse views from various traditions who are united in the desire to make Paul's engagement with ancient philosophy accessible to many readers.

Author Biography

John M. G. Barclay is Lightfoot Professor of Divinity at Durham University.

David E. Briones is associate professor of New Testament at Westminster Seminary California. He is the author of Paul's Financial Policy and coeditor of Paul and Seneca in Dialogue and Paul and the Giants of Philosophy. He has contributed essays to major reference works, including the Dictionary of Paul and His Letters (2nd ed.), and published articles in New Testament Studies, Journal for the Study of the New Testament, and Catholic Biblical Quarterly.

Joseph R. Dodson (PhD, Aberdeen) is associate professor of New Testament at Denver Seminary, author of The "Powers" of Personification, and coauthor of A Little Book for New Bible Scholars.