Romans: A Social Identity Commentary (T&T Clark Social Identity Commentaries on the New Testament)

William S. Campbell provides a comprehensive commentary on Paul’s most challenging letter. In conversation with reception history and previous scholarship, he emphasizes the contextuality of Romans as a letter to Rome, using social identity theory combined with historical, literary and theological perspectives to arrive at a coherent reading of the entire letter. Because Paul has never visited Rome and is not the founder of the Christ-movement there, Campbell argues that his guidance and teaching are formulated more cautiously than in his other letters. Yet the long list of people who had previous links with him and his mission to the ‘gentiles’ demonstrates that Paul is well-informed about the situation in Rome and addresses issues that have arisen. With Christ the Messianic Time is beginning, but there was some lack of clarity in Rome about the implications of this for Jews and gentiles. Rather than ethne in Christ replacing Israel, as some in Rome possibly concluded, Campbell stresses that Paul affirms the irrevocable calling of Israel, and that simultaneously the identity of ethne in Christ is also called alongside the people Israel; thus, the integrity of the identity of both is affirmed as indispensable for God’s purpose now revealed in Christ. Campbell fully demonstrates how Paul in Romans achieves this by the social and theological intertwining of the message of the gospel.

William S. Campbell is Reader in Biblical Studies, University of Wales, UK, is author of 'Paul's Gospel in Inter-Cultural Context' (1992) and is Editor of Journal of Beliefs and Values.

Kathy Ehrensperger is Research Professor New Testament in Jewish Perspective, Abraham GeigerCollege, at the University of Potsdam, Germany.

Philip Esler is Portland Chair in New Testament Studies at the University of Gloucestershire, UK.

Aaron Kuecker is Provost and Professor of New Testament at Trinity Christian College, USA, and is an ordained minister in the Reformed Church in America, USA.

J. Brian Tucker is Professor of New Testament at Moody Theological Seminary, USA, and an external affiliate at The Centre for the Social-Scientific Study of the Bible at St. Mary's University, UK.