New Romans Studies

One time a professor of mine said he cleaned his bookshelves and discovered he had thirty commentaries on Romans; that was in the mid 70s. Since the mid 70s one study after another has appeared about Romans, not the least of which are all the studies on Romans from the angle of the new perspective. But there are two new studies, and these are serious engagements of the text of Romans and are not new perspective though both appreciate and have learned from Sanders, Dunn, and Wright.

The first is an almost 500 page introduction (!) to Romans by Richard N. Longenecker, a dean of Pauline studies. I read Longenecker’s first study on Paul way back in the 70s and he has been at it ever since. This introduction, called Introducing Romans: Critical Issues in Paul’s Most Famous Letter, covers all the important topics and will pave the way for his commentary on Romans. He begins with uncontested issues: author, amanuensis, integrity, occasion and date. Then he turns to two pivotal issues — addressees and purpose. Part three is about the Greco-Roman oral, rhetorical and epistolary conventions; then the Jewish and Jewish Christian procedures and themes; part four concerns the text and major intepretive approaches (righteousness of God, justification, faith, “in Christ” the “faith of Christ” theme, new perspective (he doesn’t think they deal adequately with works of the law and the presence of legalism in Judaism), honor/shame, reconciliation/peace and a set of observations on patterns of distribution. Finally, he examines the focus or central thrust, and then the structure and argument.

This book, and the commentary to follow, will mark a milestone in Romans studies. Longenecker is a dean of Pauline studies and this brings to fruition a lifetimes of study.

A second study is a full-blown but readable and accessible commentary on Romans by Arland J. Hultgren: Paul’s Letter to the Romans: A Commentary. Here’s the thing about commentaries: good commentaries scoop up the great insights from previous commentaries and move the discussion forward; they also sort out the options that are now brimming on the surface and, if they are excellent work, also list the principal evidence in favor of the options. I don’t mind commentaries that go their own way and do so without much discussion of previous literature, but the best commentaries sort things out and move us forward.

Hultgren, who by the way has only a 35 page introduction (Longenecker has almost 500 pages), thinks Romans is not about how to get in (in or out in the sense of saved or not) but it is designed to ask how God can reclaim creation. In particular, how to include Gentiles. And also how to reclaim Israel — and here God’s promises to Israel remain. The letter is a summary of Paul’s primary theological convictions as he looks forward to his mission to Spain. The righteousness of God, surely one of the most pressing issues, refers to God’s saving action in Christ.

What Hultgren does is bring — once again — a lifetime of study to Romans, and he chose to write what can only be called “brief” these days — a brief commentary on Romans of only 800 pages.