Opening Paul's Letters

“Gray not only describes complicated literary matters in clear and accessible ways but also provides helpful examples to show how knowing this information enriches understanding. His advice to readers wisely makes genre and rhetoric the servants of interpretation rather than straitjackets that demand particular forms or turns in an argument. This combination of introducing new information and demonstrating nuanced usage is just what beginning students need. The balance and clarity of this volume make it an excellent supplement in a course on Paul.”
—Jerry L. Sumney, professor of biblical studies, Lexington Theological Seminary

“Patrick Gray provides a refreshing approach to interpreting Paul’s letters that places these documents solidly in their ancient literary contexts. Gray rightly notes that an accurate understanding of Paul’s rhetoric and theology rests on a solid grasp of the conventions of ancient letter writing. He introduces the form and content of the letters themselves and then considers how Paul’s letters would be received, read, and understood by their initial recipients. This clearly written and eminently practical work is sure to be appealing as a textbook for students or as an orientation for general readers. Instructors will appreciate the discussion questions, which provide guidance for review and further exploration in classroom settings. Reading this book will help change the way Paul’s letters are read—for the better!”
—Richard S. Ascough, associate professor of New Testament and Greek, Queen’s University

“A superb guide to Paul’s letters, impressive in its command of the relevant ancient sources and current scholarly debates. Gray’s exposition reflects a gifted teacher’s instinct for connecting with students through astute use of popular culture and classic literary texts while giving due attention to the fascinating complexity of Paul’s ancient context.”
—Carl R. Holladay, Charles Howard Candler Professor of New Testament, Emory University, Candler School of Theology

“Appropriately interpreting a work entails recognition of its literary genre, and that is especially true for reading the Bible, which contains a wide variety of genres. Gray’s delightful new book provides useful guidance to students in learning how to read Paul’s letters as letters, doing so in light of ancient epistolary theory and practice and with an eye to how ancient conventions differ from those used today.”
—John Fitzgerald, professor of religious studies, University of Miami

“This is the best entry on the letters of Paul in print. Gray covers the basic areas with clarity and balance. He invites students to experience Paul by opening their eyes rather than narrowing them. The cultural examples are a model of pedagogy.”
—Gregory E. Sterling, dean, Yale Divinity School

“This book should become the go-to introductory book on Paul’s letters. Clearly written and carefully organized, it moves across the complicated landscape of Paul’s letters with ease. Gray always has the reader in mind—the reader of Paul and the reader of this book—as he raises and answers questions that are essential for understanding Paul and his literary setting.”
—Gail O’Day, dean and professor of New Testament and preaching, Wake Forest University School of Divinity

“With an economy of words, [Gray] offers a fresh and insightful approach to reading the letters of Paul that is complex yet clear, focused yet balanced. Transparent, succinct, and accessible are words not usually associated with the letters of Paul, yet they accurately characterize Gray’s scholarship. This concise, well-ordered, and practical text reveals a pedagogical intent that makes it immensely appropriate for beginning students. . . . This inherently interdisciplinary, multi-dialogical work draws from scholars and theorists from contemporary as well as ancient times. It addresses the multi-dimensional concerns of historical, cultural, philosophical, and literary analysis, toward an integrative intent, in order to render a richer, deeper, and more expansive perspective. . . . This text is a veritable treasure trove, filled with practical, applicable resources. This generative work makes an important and needed contribution to biblical studies because it not only asserts an exemplary pedagogical framework for teaching the letters of Paul, it implies a shift in how readers know what is to be known about Paul’s letters. At the same time, it extends access to what is known to a broader readership. Indeed, this text achieves its stated purpose. It reorients the reader by providing an interpretive framework in which epistolary genre through cultural experience becomes the norm for interpreting the letters of Paul.”
—Veronica R. Goines, Homiletic

“An easily accessible introduction to Paul’s epistles and the canonical letters often attributed to him. Gray’s careful literary analysis focuses especially on the letters’ literary genre and on various subgenres found within the letters. . . . The book excels in placing Paul in his cultural context, in considering the characteristics of the audiences to whom he wrote, as well as in explaining how he read Scripture—specifically, the Septuagint. Gray also considers important issues of literary dating and of authorship, pseudonymity, and attribution in first-century C.E. culture. . . . An excellent undergraduate- or seminary-level introduction to Paul’s writings and to the role of genre in literary interpretation, this will also interest general readers looking for a deeper understanding of the Pauline contributions to the Gospels.”
—Carolyn M. Craft, Library Journal

“Written as a textbook for students of the New Testament who are beginning a more serious study of Paul, [this book] offers a clear and cogent introduction to the Pauline letters—not so much their content but their literary genre and the requirements for reading these ancient texts attentively. Gray, who . . . delights in the art of teaching, takes the student reader through such questions as the particular format of Paul’s letters in comparison to standard forms of ancient letter writing, his relationship to the audiences to whom the letters are addressed, and his use of sources—particularly the Old Testament. A very helpful resource both for students and for their teachers!”
—Donald Senior, CP, The Bible Today