Breaking free from abstract approaches that defend traditional theologies, Jewett shows that the entire letter aims to elicit support for Paul's forthcoming mission to the "barbarians" in Spain. His work specifically focuses on Paul's missionary plans and how they figure in the letter, on Paul's critical and constructive tack with the Roman community, and finally and especially on how Paul's letter reframes the entire system of honor and shame as it informed life in the Roman Empire at the time. The latter remains a pertinent message today. The first commentary to interpret Romans within the imperial context as well as in the light of the situation in Spain, this landmark commentary, twenty-five years in the making, will set the standard for interpretation of Romans for the next generation.
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Book Description
Deeply conversant in the full range of questions and interpretations of the letter, Jewett's commentary explores the crucial and controverted passages that have always animated studies of Romans. Jewett also incorporates the exciting new insights from archaeology of the city of Rome, social history of early Christianity, social-scientific work on early Christianity, and the interpretation and reception of Paul's letter through the ages.
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About the Author
Robert Jewett is Visiting Professor of New Testament at the University of Heidelberg, Germany. He is the author of numerous books including Captain America and the Crusade against Evil: The Dilemma of Zealous Nationalism, with John Shelton Lawrence (Wm. B. Eerdmans, 2003).
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
57 of 57 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A new 'New Perspective',
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This review is from: Romans: A Commentary (Hermeneia: A Critical & Historical Commentary on the Bible) (Hardcover)
Jewett's commentary on Romans will take its place beside those written by Dunn and Cranfield as absolute must-haves for serious work. His understanding and application of Greco-Roman rhetorical theory does a better job of explaining some of the structural questions surrounding Romans than any other work I've seen. His ancient parallels are eclectic but usually germane to the point under consideration.
One of the reasons I didn't mind investing countless hours reading a 1,000 page commentary on a 7,101 word book was the way he carefully demonstrates exegetical alterations to quoted texts from the Septuagint. That feature alone makes the book worth more than half of its hefty price tag. Indeed, this commentary will become one of the standards for new exegetes just because of how it deals with the rhetorical tradition and how masterfully Jewett explains Paul's use of the Old Testament. Theologically, his work leaves something to be desired. It is hard to fault a scholar for wanting to see Romans as more than a piece of systematic theology, but it seems to me at times Jewett goes too far in the direction of finding what he perceives as Paul's motivation for writing a situational letter everywhere he looks. His argument that Romans was written to encourage Roman churches to get along so that they could support Paul's mission to Spain is nothing new. But he almost sounds hostile to any kind of dogmatic intent on Paul's part. It's as if Jewett doesn't think that incorrect dogma had anything to do with the internecine strife between churches in the eternal city. Jewett tries to go behind Augustine's understanding of the righteousness of God as forgiveness and finds that, instead, Paul was concerned to overcome the cultural obsession with gaining honor and avoiding shame among believers at Rome. Although he may have a valid point in some sections of the letter, the endless special pleading on this theme becomes tiresome after about 20 or 30 references to it. He also has the annoying habit of, on the one hand referring to 'The Father of Jesus Christ' but then referring to God with a feminine pronoun. As an amateur grammarian (theological concerns notwithstanding) that bugged me. On the whole, though, the bibliography is amazingly complete and up-to-date (especially in German and English). The only thing this commentary is lacking, as far as I can tell, is a little more interaction with patristic exegetes, but at 1,011 pages, you have to leave something out eventually.
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A commentary of Romans, the life work of an extraordinary scholar,
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This review is from: Romans: A Commentary (Hermeneia: A Critical & Historical Commentary on the Bible) (Hardcover)
I begin this review with part of Paul's greeting to the churches at Rome, "Grace to you and peace from God our Father and [the] Lord Jesus Christ." (Romans 1:7b, author's translation) Dr. Jewett was my favorite professor and adviser in seminary. Not only is he an extraordinary scholar and teacher, he is also a pastor to his students. Though it is a commentary primarily for scholars, I still would recommend it to pastors and others who love this Pauline letter. Dr. Jewett always had high hopes and expectations of his students. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed the challenge of the work we were given. Reviewed by the Rev. Carol Tuck, on leave and living in Las Cruces, New Mexico.
6 of 41 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Not Good for the Average Person,
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This review is from: Romans: A Commentary (Hermeneia: A Critical & Historical Commentary on the Bible) (Hardcover)
This book is written strictly for those who are WELL versed in Ancient Near East Literature prior to reading the book. It is hard to comprehend certain items because of this. There is also a vast amount of Greek and it is only defined a few times, after that if you want to know what it says you have to keep looking back. For a good commentary look at The Epistle to the Romans by Douglas Moo (much easier to understand and it is a good book).
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