This book was first published in 2010. In a series of exchanges with the Corinthians in the mid-50s AD, Paul continually sought to define the meaning of his message, his body and his letters, at times insisting upon a literal understanding, at others urging the reader to move beyond the words to a deeper sense within. Proposing a fresh approach to early Christian exegesis, Margaret M. Mitchell shows how in the Corinthian letters Paul was fashioning the very principles that later authors would use to interpret all scripture. Originally delivered as The Speaker's Lectures in Biblical Studies at Oxford University, this volume recreates the dynamism of the Pauline letters in their immediate historical context and beyond it in their later use by patristic exegetes. An engagingly written, insightful demonstration of the hermeneutical impact of Paul's Corinthian correspondence on early Christian exegetes, it also illustrates a new way to think about the history of reception of biblical texts.
• Brings together the fields of New Testament studies and patristics in a seamless way • Features fresh translations of all Greek sources • Presents transliterated Greek, which allows all readers to gain a sense of important ancient exegetical vocabulary
Contents
Preface; 1. The Corinthian diolkos: passageway to early Christian biblical interpretation; 2. The agôn of Pauline interpretation; 3. Anthropological hermeneutics between rhetoric and philosophy; 4. The mirror and the veil: hermeneutics of occlusion; 5. Invisible signs, singular testimonies: the agôn over interpretive criteria; 6. Hermeneutical exhaustion and the end(s) of interpretation; Bibliography; Index.
Reviews
Review of the hardback: 'This monograph is beautifully written. Margaret M. Mitchell builds upon her own extensive - indeed, famous studies of the Corinthian correspondence in creating a masterpiece. This remarkable tour de force is the most interesting book I have read on the New Testament for several years and I recommend it without qualification.' Iain Torrance, Princeton Theological Seminary
Review of the hardback: 'The charm of this book … lies in the sense of freshness and urgency which it imparts … I loved reading [it], and it has refreshed and enlivened the way I read Paul.' Catherine Conybeare, Bryn Mawr Classical Review
'… an important contribution to each of the discourses on which i touches. … One rarely encounters works that encompass so much insight in so few pages, in such well-composed prose …' Review of Biblical Literature
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