Synopses & Reviews
Though Paul was the voice of early Christianity, responsible for spreading the nascent gospel across the first-century Mediterranean world, he remained deeply rooted in the Hebrew Scriptures, freely and insightfully drawing on the Jewish texts to support, clarify, and strengthen his message. This book by respected New Testament scholar Richard B. Hays explores Paul as interpreter of Israel's Scripture.
Gathering eleven of Hays's finest short studies, "The Conversion of the Imagination examines a range of themes and texts that shed light on Paul's understanding and use of the Hebrew Scriptures. Among the topics Hays discusses are the role of Scripture in Paul's ethics, echoes of psalms and books like Isaiah in Paul's writing, and key passages from Romans that illumine Paul's "biblical theology."
Filled with fresh perspectives and relevant commentary, "The Conversion of the Imagination is an important resource for students of Paul and the New Testament.
Synopsis
The Conversion of the Imagination contains some of the best work on Paul by first-rate New Testament scholar Richard B. Hays. These essays probe Paul's approach to scriptural interpretation, showing how Paul's reading of the Hebrew Scriptures reshaped the theological vision of his churches.
Hays's analysis of intertextual echoes in Paul's letters has touched off exciting debate among Pauline scholars and made more recognizable the contours of Paul's thought. These studies contain some of the early work leading up to Hays's seminal Echoes of Scripture in the Letters of Paul and also show how Hays has responded to critics and further developed his thought in the years since. Among the many subjects covered here are Paul's christological application of Psalms, Paul's revisionary interpretation of the Law, and the influence of the Old Testament on Paul's ethical teachings and ecclesiology.
Synopsis
"The Conversion of the Imagination contains selected essays of Richard Hays on Pauline hermeneutics, written over a period of more than twenty years. Together, they constitute a probing examination of Paul's approach to scriptural interpretation, showing that Paul's readings of Israel's Scripture sought to reshape the theological imagination of his churches.
Table of Contents
The conversion of the imagination : Scripture and eschatology in 1 Corinthians -- "Who has believed our message?" Paul's reading of Isaiah -- Psalm 143 as testimony to the righteousness of God -- Abraham as father of Jews and Gentiles -- Three dramatic roles: the law in Romans 3-4 -- Christ prays the Psalms : Israel's Psalter as matrix of early Christology -- Apocalyptic hermeneutics : Habakkuk proclaims "The Righteous One" -- The role of Scripture in Paul's ethics -- On the rebound : a response to critiques of echoes of scripture in the letters of Paul -- A hermeneutic of trust.