Sacrifice, Brotherhood, and the Body: Abraham and the Nations in Romans

In Romans,Patrick McMurray argues that Paul's use of sacrificial language in 12:1 is applied to the living sacrifice of the gentiles,building on his earlier discussion of the Abrahamic lineage and brotherhood with Christ. This new familial membership is transformative, empowering the gentiles to live new lives of love and fulfilling the law.

Format: Hardback
Length: 280 pages
Publication date: 24 June 2021
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

Rewritten text:

Sacrifice, Brotherhood, and the Body: Abraham and the Nations in Romans offers a fresh perspective on Paul's use of sacrificial language, particularly in light of recent advancements in our understanding of sacrifice. In his book, Patrick McMurray contends that while Jesus' death is not explicitly framed as a sacrifice in Romans, Paul's central invocation of sacrifice occurs in 12:1, when he applies it to the living sacrifice of the Gentiles. By linking sacrifice with brotherhood, Paul builds upon his earlier discussions of the Abrahamic lineage and brotherhood with Christ, emphasizing the familial aspect of this relationship. The living sacrifice of the Gentiles themselves, according to McMurray, serves as the means by which this familial membership is ratified and fulfilled.

In this context, Paul harnesses the ethnic and familial function of sacrifice to bring God's promise to Abraham to fruition. The promise, which explicitly requires plurality and ethnic diversity within Abraham's lineage, is fulfilled through the inclusion of the Gentiles in the Abrahamic lineage alongside their new brothers, the Israelites. The transformation that results from this new familial membership is profound, as it empowers the Gentiles to live new lives of love that align with the law (13:8–10).

In Romans, therefore, Christ frees the Gentiles and assumes the role of their brother, facilitating their entry into Abraham's lineage. This action brings the promise to fulfillment and upholds the law. Through this reconception of sacrifice and its relationship to brotherhood and the body, Romans offers a valuable contribution to our understanding of Paul's theology and its implications for the Christian faith.

Weight: 599g
Dimension: 227 x 161 x 28 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781978712782