Pauline Literature. It’s a rite of passage that every theology student has to make it through. I still remember my first Pauline Lit. class. It was set in a warm upstairs classroom in the afternoon. The sun through the windows mixed with the late nights and full belly from lunch made those lectures … well, my apologies to the professor!

My first sleepy encounter with Paul was misleading because the man is fascinating. That old story that Paul made a religion out of Jesus’ revolution doesn’t hold water. Paul lived at the confluence of Judaism and Roman rule and saw how the implications of the death and resurrection of Jesus would work their way through every facet of life.

Thinking through Paul is a clear and comprehensive text book for an undergraduate Pauline Literature class. The book is divided into three sections with Bruce W. Longenecker and Todd D. Still writing about Paul’s life, his letters, and his theology. The authors are clearly well-informed on the various scholarly issues in Pauline studies but do not get lost in the details.

One final note. The layout of this text is superb. It’s printed on glossy paper with many pictures, call-out quotations, and maps which make it engaging to read. Another solid feature of this text is the number of discussion questions at the end of each chapter. Longenecker and Still are excellent companions to help us understand the passionate apostle who traveled the world announcing the gospel.

Longenecker, Bruce W. And Todd D. Still. Thinking through Paul: A Survey of His Life, Letters, and Theology. Zondervan Academic, 2014.