That We May Be Mutually Encouraged: Feminism and the New Perspective in Pauline Studies

Abstract

That We May Be Mutually Encouraged: Feminism and New Perspective in Pauline Studies, by Kathy Ehrensperger. New York/London: T & T Clark, 2004, Pp, 304, $39.95 (paper). ISBN: 056702640X. Over last three decades there has been revolutionary shift of thinking in Pauline Studies, especially due to criticism, post-Shoah theology, and socalled New Perspective on Paul. Yet-and this is starting point of Kathy Ehrensperger's work, which was originally submitted Ph.D. thesis at University of Wales, Lampeter, UK (2002)-interaction between these strands of research in theology and biblical has been minimal. While traditional male scholarship appraises the first Christian theological thinker of law-free Gentile church and is hardly aware of interpretations, similarly, research on conceives of apostle as father of misogyny and dominating power (p. 1), thereby often uncritically reapplying patterns of traditional mainstream/raa/esirc'ara interpretation (p, 2). Ehrensperger holds view that insights of research . . . would lead to illuminating and fruitful interactions and new insights for each of these theologies and would prove especially relevant for understanding from radical new perspective (p. 1). In particular, she asserts that presents a theology of mutuality in context of relationships of people who are different (p. 194), is already indicated by title of her study, quotation of Rom 1:12. The book is divided into two parts: Part 1 focuses on Hermeneutics and Presuppositions, whereas in part 2 Ehrensperger examines Paul in Contemporary Studies and Theologies, Part 1 is opened by short Introduction (pp. 1-4) that summarizes outline and main arguments of study. It is followed by survey of Changing Perspectives (ch. 2, pp. 5-42) in areas of Pauline research. Ehrensperger illustrates changes in philosophies and hermeneutics (Jacques Derrida, Hans-Georg Gadamer, Walter Benjamin), which paved way for postmodern, postcritical, and post-Shoah approaches in biblical interpretation. The most important hermeneutical consequences include shift from dominating notion of hegemony to an emphasis on diversity and difference, Although theologies were prominently involved in this hermeneutical paradigm shift, they often unconsciously transmitted patterns of anti-Judaism-a problem of which, however, research has increasingly become aware. The following overview of history of research in Pauline highlights, first, that only with emergence of so-called New Perspective on (esp. works of E. P. Sanders and James D, G. Dunn) did scholars seek to overcome antiJewish tendencies in many analyses of Paul. second, Ehrensperger demonstrates that research on and his letters has been gradually increasing during last years and thereby has been sensitive to avoid trap of anti-Judaism (p. 39), but feminist approaches to have hardly yet taken into account shift in Pauline studies (p. 27). Chapter 3 examines origins of apparent contradictions in and analyzes whether they can be resolved by relating them to Different Perspectives (pp. 43-120) on Paul. The Pauline letters are usually interpreted expressions of Western rational logic, which is mainly based on Greek philosophy, which has had predominant influence on our tradition of interpretation. Although Hellenism affected cultural context of ancient Judaism in Diaspora well in Palestine, Ehrensperger states that its influence did not annul basic Jewish shaping of, and commitment in, Jewish literature of that period and Jewish biblical interpretation (p. 92). Central to patterns of thinking is that Hebrew Bible is about relationship between God and human beings, and of human beings with each other and with creation. …