The irony of Galatians: Paul's letter in first-century context

Intra-Jewish conflict in Paul's communities After taking on traditional interpretations of Romans in (The Mystery of Romans, Nanos now turns his attention to the Letter to the Galatians. A Primary voice in reclaiming Paul in his Jewish context. Nanos challenges the previously dominant views of Paul as rejecting his Jewish heritage and the Law. Where Paul's rhetoric has been interpreted to be its most anti-Jewish, Nanos instead demonstrates the implications of an intra-Jewish reading. He explores the issues of purity, insiders/outsiders; the charactor of "the gospel"; the relationship between groups of Christ-followers in Jerusalem, Antioch, and Galatia; and evil-eye accusations. Front Cover The Irony of Galatians Title Page Copyright Dedication Contents Acknowledgments Abbreviations Prologue Part I: The Methodological Basis for Interpreting This Letter Preliminary Qualification of the Source Material Establishing the Rhetorical and Historical Context of this Letter The Epistolary Character of Galatians as Ironic Rebuke The Structure of Paul’s Argument Part: II Identifying the Players and Exigencies The Identity of the Addressees Viewing the Exigencies from Multiple Perspectives Engaging the Prevailing Interpretations Proposing A New Identification: The Influencers Part III: A New Construction of the Galatian Contexts The Local Jewish an Pagan Communal Contexts of the Addressees Paul’s “Good News of Christ” Versus the Influencers’ “News of Good” Conclusion: The Irony of Galatians Some Problems with Rhetorical Classification of Galatians Bibliography Index of Ancient Sources Index of Selected Subjects Index of Modern Authors Back Cover

After taking on traditional interpretations of Romans in The Mystery of Romans, Nanos now turns his attention to the Letter to the Galatians. A primary voice in reclaiming Paul in his Jewish context, Nanos challenges the previously dominant views of Paul as rejecting his Jewish heritage and the Law. Where Paul's rhetoric has been interpreted to be its most anti-Jewish, Nanos instead demonstrates the implications of an intra-Jewish reading. He explores the issues of purity; insiders/outsiders; the character of "the gospel"; the relationship between groups of Christ-followers in Jerusalem, Antioch, and Galatia; and evil-eye accusations.

About the Author:
Mark D. Nanos (Ph.D., University of St. Andrews) is the author of The Mystery of Romans (Fortress Press, 1996), winner of the 1996 National Jewish Book Award for Jewish/Christian Relations.