Paul and the Resurrection of Israel: Jews, Former Gentiles, Israelites

Jason Staples explores the gospel of Paul, which promotes equal salvific access to Jews and gentiles, tracing it to a hidden strand of thinking in the earlier story of Israel. He argues that postexilic southern Judah maintained a notion of Israel as referring to the north and the ongoing reality of a broad, pan-Israelite sensibility, and that northern Israel's exile meant assimilation among the nations, requiring gentile inclusion to resurrect a greater Israel from the dead.

Format: Unspecified
Length: 350 pages
Publication date: 23 November 2023
Publisher: Cambridge University Press

The gospel advocated by Paul has sparked intense debate for many generations. This gospel proclaimed equal salvific access to Jews and gentiles alike. However, the question remains: On what basis did Paul take such a remarkable step forward in religious history? In order to make sense of this remarkable advancement, Jason Staples delves into texts that have proven notoriously difficult to comprehend. He traces Paul's inclusive theology to a hidden strand of thinking in the earlier story of Israel. In the postexilic southern Judah, Staples argues, Judah did not simply adopt the identity of the fallen northern kingdom of Israel. Rather, Judah maintained a notion of "Israel" as referring to both the north and the ongoing reality of a broad, pan-Israelite sensibility to which the descendants of both ancient kingdoms belonged. Paul's corresponding belief was that the exile of northern Israel meant assimilation among the nations, effectively a people's death. However, the restoration of northern Israel required gentile inclusion to resurrect a greater "Israel" from the dead.

This remarkable perspective challenges traditional interpretations of the gospel and sheds light on the complex dynamics of religious identity and reconciliation in the ancient world. Staples' meticulous research and thoughtful analysis provide a fresh and insightful perspective on this pivotal period of Christian history.

Weight: 790g
Dimension: 161 x 237 x 33 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781009376761