Paul in Israel's Story

"John Meech's Paul in Israel's Story is an impressive achievement. The deft skill with which Meech integrates biblical criticism, philosophical commentary, and theological insight is innovative and invigorating. Through this interdisciplinary dialogue Meech pioneers new interpretations of Paul's categories of selfhood, the body, Israel, and community. In particular, he demonstrates how the construction of the self's narrative identity through mystical union with Christ is productively elucidated by Ricoeur's philosophy of the intersubjective self - the self as another. Beautifully written, carefully researched, and highly recommended." --Mark I. Wallace author of Finding God in the Singing River: Christianity, Nature, Spirit "Who is the self in the writings of Paul the Jewish Christian apostle to the Gentiles? Mindful of the long shadows cast by Luther's interpretation, Meech investigates the contentious debates among contemporary Pauline interpreters in relation to the hermeneutical options provided by Rudolf Bultmann and Paul Ricoeur. Based on his findings Meech advances an enticing proposal: Paul provides a narrative construal of the self-in-community that is configured in light of both the Torah and transforming reality of Jesus Christ crucified and risen." --Bradford E. Hinze, author of Practices of Dialogue in the Roman Catholic Church: Aims and Obstacles, Lessons and Laments "John Meech offers an informed and stimulating reading of Pauline theology that brings the new perspective on Paul, heretofore largely an intramural debate among New Testament scholars, out of its native habitat and into productive dialogue with the philosophical problem of the self. But perhaps the book's greatest virtue is the creative hospitality of the author, who hosts a dialogue among otherwise unlikely conversation partners to discuss a question of mutual interest. One can hope that what happens within this book might also happen among its diverse readers." --Garwood P. Anderson, Assistant Professor, Biblical Studies, Asbury Theological Seminary "'I have been crucified with Christ.' Those astonishing words by the apostle Paul set in motion John Meech's timely and important proposal for an ontology of self and community in mutual correlation, an ontology constituted by Paul's gospel of the cruicifed and risen Jesus Christ. Meech presents a superb example of the bountiful fruit yielded by grafting the branches of biblical exegesis, theology, and philosophy seamlessly into the Pauline tree. Both intellectually demanding and carefully written, Meech's work challenges the church to hear again the good news of Jesus Christ and the Spirit, and to risk living by it." --Douglas Harink, author of Paul among the Postliberals: Pauline Theology beyond Christendom and Modernity "John Meech's Paul in Israel's Story is an impressive achievement. The deft skill with which Meech integrates biblical criticism, philosophical commentary, and theological insight is innovative and invigorating. Through this interdisciplinary dialogue Meech pioneers new interpretations of Paul's categories of selfhood, the body, Israel, and community. In particular, he demonstrates how the construction of the self's narrative identity through mystical union with Christ is productively elucidated by Ricoeur's philosophy of the intersubjective self - the self as another. Beautifully written, carefully researched, and highly recommended." --Mark I. Wallace, author of Finding God in the Singing River: Christianity, Nature, Spirit "Who is the self in the writings of Paul the Jewish Christian apostle to the Gentiles? Mindful of the long shadows cast by Luther's interpretation, Meech investigates the contentious debates among contemporary Pauline interpreters in relation to the hermeneutical options provided by Rudolf Bultmann and Paul Ricoeur. Based on his findings Meech advances an enticing proposal: Paul provides a narrative construal of the self-in-community that is configured in light of both the Torah and the transforming reality of Jesus Christ crucified and risen." --Bradford E. Hinze, author of Practices of Dialogue in the Roman Catholic Church: Aims and Obstacles, Lessons and Laments "John Meech offers and informed and stimulating reading of Pauline theology that brings the new perspective on Paul, heretofore largely an intramural debate among New Testament scholars, out of its native habitat and into productive dialogue with the philosophical problem of the self. But perhaps the book's greatest virtue is the creative hospitality of the author, who hosts a dialogue among otherwise unlikely conversation partners to discuss a question of mutual interest. One can hope that what happens within this book might also happen among its diverse readers." --Garwood P. Anderson, Assistant Professor, Biblical Studies, Asbury Theological Seminary "'I have been crucified with Christ.' Those astonishing words by the apostle Paul set in motion John Meech's timely and important proposal for an ontology of self and community in mutual correlation, an ontology constituted by Paul's gospel of the crucified and risen Jesus Christ. Meech presents a superb example of the bountiful fruit yielded by grafting the branches of biblical exegesis, theology, and philosophy seamlessly into the Pauline tree. Both intellectually demanding carefully written, Meech's work challenges the church to hear again the good news of Jesus Christ and the Spirit, and to risk living by it." --Douglas Harink, author of Paul among the Postliberals: Pauline Theology beyond Christendom and Modernity