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Aug 8, 2007

Scot McKnight on NPP

In response to Simon Gathercole’s recent article on CT, Scot Mcknight has started a series to introduce the NPP (New Perspective on Paul) to common readers.

NPP, according to Scot, is “The most significant development, outside of historical Jesus studies, in biblical studies in the last 50 years.”

Be sure to read them all.

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Update (Aug 10 2007): Gathercole’s article is now online. [HT: Mark Goodacre]

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Filed by edmund at 1.12 pm under Faith |

4 Comments

  1. Anson

    Hey Edmund, thanks for the link. McKnight is very helpful in briefly introducing those three major NPP theologians. Actually I consider myself fortunate to have started my theological education with NPP right off the bat. The first book my NT prof gave us to read is Wright’s NTPG. I loved it and felt it made much sense. However, the downside is, I really have no clue why people are so furiously arguing against NPP. I don’t understand how big of a deal it is and what the threat is. Given that, therefore, I am not able to think critically and evaluate NPP, because that’s the only perspective I understand about Paul’s justification and first century Judaism. I haven’t taken systematic theology yet, so I don’t know how critical it is to safeguard the traditional view.

    So is this a good thing or bad thing? I don’t know.

    How was your experience like back in the Wycliffe days?

    P.S. Besides that CTmag article (which I’m thinking of checking it out), do you know of any books that compare and fairly evaluate the traditional view vs the NPP?

    Aug 9th, 2007

  2. littleho

    Thanks for your reference to McKnight’s recent posts on NPP. There are many NPPs. It is really a hard exercise to understand them all. Westerholm’s Perspectives Old and New on Paul may be a good introduction to NPP. Also, John Riches, A Century of New Testament Study also has a very brief and good introduction to the background and development of NPP.

    Aug 9th, 2007

  3. edmund

    Back in my Wycliffe days I don’t realize much discussion around NPP (well, I took my NT Intro over 10 years ago). I know Ann Jervis more or less agrees with Sanders, but I did not hear much from Andrew Lincoln when he was still at Wycliffe.

    And come to think of it, maybe I was just too ignorant to realize it when it was mentioned.

    An recent excellent evaluation on the subject is Michael Bird’s The Saving Righteousness of God: Studies on Paul, Justification and the New Perspective. Just look at the endorsements from ALL camps!

    Aug 9th, 2007

  4. Anson

    Edmund and littleho, thanks for all the pointers.
    Ah, so many books, so little time!

    Aug 10th, 2007

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