This volume is the published doctoral dissertation of the author. His work was supervised by Douglas Moo; and he presents an argument which extends the work of the venerable James D G Dunn. He presents a convincing observation that Paul in his use of zeal language provides us with a threefold proposition. Neither zeal nor knowledge, zeal without knowledge, and zeal with knowledge. Paul was a Zealot and his conversion and mission to the Gentiles was a transformation that he defended with knowledge. I would love to see this young scholar's contribution to this question represented alongside his inspiration by Dunn's work. He also gives credit to G K Beale for his scholarship as an influencer of his study.
Amazon credit:
This book examines the concept of 'zeal' in three Pauline texts (Rom 10:2; Gal 1:14; Phil 3:6) as a way-in to discussion of the 'New Perspective' on Paul.
The concept of zeal has been discussed in a sustained way by James D. G. Dunn, who argues that Paul was drawing on a long and venerable tradition of Jewish zeal for the nation of Israel, that is, a concern to maintain Israel's distinction from the surrounding nations by defending and reinforcing its boundaries. Ortlund interacts with Dunn, agreeing that this concern for distinctiveness was a crucial, and neglected, concern of Paul's before his conversion. Nevertheless, Ortlund contends that Dunn has presented an overly narrow understanding of Pauline zeal that does not sufficiently locate zeal in the broader picture of general obedience to Torah in Jewish tradition. As such, Ortlund shows in this work that zeal refers most immediately to general obedience to Torah - including, but not to be centrally circumscribed as, ethnic distinction.
Publ.: Bloomsbury, T&T Clark
Publ. date: 1/16/2014
Print length: 208 pgs.
