My SBL Regional (EGLBS) Paper Accepted!

I am pleased to report that I will presenting a paper at the Eastern Great Lakes regional SBL in April (8-9).  The title is:

HUMAN IDOLATRY AND PAUL AS FAITHFUL WORSHIPPER OF GOD: RECONNECTING ROMANS 1.18-32 TO 1.8-15

In recent years, scholars have begun to view Romans 1.18-32, with its recounting of the down-spiraling and degrading of humanity, as a center of gravity for the overall concern of Romans.  Thus, links have been found especially between 1.18-32 and key arguments and themes in chapters 2, 6, 8, 12, and 15.  Unfortunately, interpreters tend to only look forward in the letter to see how the problem of 1.18-32 is resolved.  However, if this passage is reconnected to 1.8-15 (via 1.16-17), it becomes clear that Paul sets himself up as the paradigmatic faithful worshipper of God, the opposite of the idolater.  While we will observe a number of verbal and thematic affinities between these texts, it will also be demonstrated that Paul uses himself as a model of true worship to exemplify self-sacrificial devotion as well as to respond to real or potential criticisms of his gospel and his apostleship.