Robert Paul Seesengood Livres

Seesengood traces the life and impact of Paul – one of Christianity’s most influential figures – through the major periods Christian history. Exploring the changing interpretations of Paul and his work, the author throws new light on his writings and on religious history. Offers a unique, insightful journey through the many and varied interpretations of Paul’s life and work over 2,000 years – from the Gnostic controversy, to Luther and the Reformation, to contemporary debates over religion and science Explains Paul’s pivotal role within Christian history, and how his missionary journeys, canonized epistles and theological insights were cornerstones of the early Church and central to the formation of Christian doctrine Argues that each new interpretation of Paul is the result of a fresh set of cultural, social and ideological circumstances – and so questions whether it is ever possible to discover the real Paul

Bring a cultural-studies toolkit to bear on the world's most interpreted text The study of the Bible has adapted to the full range of analytical tools available to theologians, scholars, and researchers of every stripe. The marriage between cultural studies and Biblical studies has been especially fruitful, increasingly producing rich and provocative engagements with Biblical texts and contexts. Students of the Bible stand to profit significantly from a volume which illustrates the value of cultural studies approaches by putting these theories into practice. American Standard meets the needs of these students with a series of lively essays working through cultural-studies readings of specific Biblical texts. Drawing connections between the Bible and its modern settings, American popular culture, and more, it balances theory with direct close reading to provide an accessible introduction to the vast and varied landscape of cultural studies. American Standard readers will also find: An invaluable literature review of core cultural studies texts Detailed analyses incorporating fantasy gaming, the films of Joel and Ethan Coen, American diet culture, and more An author with an extensive teaching and publishing history in cultural and Biblical studies American Standard is ideal for advanced undergraduate or seminary students taking courses in biblical interpretation, American religion, critical theory, or any related subjects.

This guide explores and summarizes scholarship on Philemon, acquainting beginning students with what has been said about Philemon, and equipping them to understand the larger debates and conversations that surround it. It explores how different initial scholarly assumptions result in different interpretations and "meanings;" these meanings always have ethical implications. Reading Philemon challenges us to rethink the process of commentary and the communities interpretation creates. Though only one chapter long, Paul's Letter to Philemon has generated a remarkable amount of commentary and scholarship over the centuries, figuring in debates over textual reconstruction, the formation of biblical canon, the culture of ancient Rome, Greek language and its translation, and the role of the Bible in Western politics and economics. The focus of this short letter is labor, love and captivity. Tradition since Chrysostom has argued the letter is an appeal to Philemon on behalf of a fugitive slave Onesimus, now a convert to Christianity. Yet this interpretation depends upon several assumptions and reconstructions. Other equally plausible contexts could be -- and have been -- argued.