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The Road from Damascus (McMaster New Testament Studies)

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The conversion of Paul on the road to Damascus has captured the imagination of many artists and writers down through the centuries. Indeed, the idea of a `Damascus road experience' has become part of the English language. However, it has also been the source of much scholarly debate and critique from an historical, sociological or psychological perspective (witness Krister Stendahl's 1963 essay `The Apostle Paul and the Introspective Conscience of the West'). This book is designed to examine the biblical material and ascertain the impact his experience might have had on Paul's understanding of Christology, Eschatology, his Gentile Mission, Justification, Reconciliation, Covenant Theology, the Mosaic Law, the Holy Spirit, Women and Ethics. On the whole the authors do a good job (although I cannot agree with Donaldson's views of Paul's Gentile Mission, which work so hard to avoid the idea that Paul was given the mission by Christ at conversion that he misses the mark altogether). The material is well thought through and, despite some of the technical sounding titles, the language is clear and understandable. Seyoon Kim on Reconciliation and Gordon Fee on the Holy Spirit were particularly thought provoking. This book is well worth a read by pastors, theological students or educated lay people who want to think about the impact that the scriptural record of Paul's conversion has had upon their understanding of the Christian faith.