Solidarity and Difference: A Contemporary Reading of Paul's Ethics [Paperback]

David G. Horrell (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0567043223 | ISBN-13: 978-0567043221 | Publication Date: September 16, 2005

This book presents a wide-ranging study of Pauline ethics, examining how Paul's moral discourse envisages and constructs communities in which there is a strong sense of solidarity but also legitimate difference in various aspects of ethical practice. Unlike many books on New Testament ethics, this work reads New Testament texts with an explicit awareness of contemporary ethical theory, and attempts to assess Paul's contribution as a moral thinker in the context of modern debate. The contents include a survey of the variety of approaches to understanding Pauline ethics and of the contemporary liberal-communitarian debate. Using a framework indebted to the social sciences, as well as to contemporary ethical theory, various chapters go on to examine the construction of community in Paul's letters, the notions of purity, boundaries and identity, Paul's attempts to deal with diversity in his churches, the role of imitating Christ in Paul's ethics, and the ethic Paul develops for interaction with 'outsiders'. Finally, the pattern of Paul's moral thinking is considered in relation to the liberal-communitarian debate, with explicit consideration given to the central moral norms of Pauline thought, and the prospects for, and problems with, appropriating these in the contemporary world. It is argued that, while Paul's ethics raise problems which prevent their easy application today, by thinking with, beyond, and sometimes against Paul, we can find in his letters valuable resources for the pressing moral tasks that confront us.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'David Horrell's nuanced study significantly advances the conversation about Pauline ethics. Engaging in patient and respectful dialogue with a variety of scholarly viewpoints, Horrell depicts a Paul whose deepest moral commitments focus on community solidarity and other-regard, as defined by the pattern of Christ's self-giving death. His judicious exegesis shows that Paul's ethics cannot be boxed in to either a "communitarian" or a "liberal" perspective; thus, Horrell's reading of Paul offers a mediating voice that suggests a way beyond certain impasses in contemporary ethical debate. At the same time, the book shows how social-scientific analysis of Paul's letters can be brought into fruitful engagement with theological exegesis. Anyone who reads Horrell's richly synthetic work, therefore, will be challenged to think more precisely about matters of central importance.' Richard B. Hays, George Washington Ivey Professor of New Testament, The Divinity School, Duke University, USA. (Richard B. Hays )

'Horrell's two-way conversation between contemporary ethics and Paul fills a gaping hole; and fills it beautifully. For those who take their lives seriously in our complex global society, this book is too important to be missed.' (Ann Jervis, Associate Professor of New Testament, Wycliffe College, Toronto. )

'David Horrell has put us all in his debt with this careful, but penetrating study. Ethics is too often a neglected element in the study of Paul, but Horrell shows how these key issues of solidarity and other-regard for difference lie at the heart of Paul's theology and his entire mission. Furthermore, in relating them to the current debate about liberals and communitarians, Horrell has produced a thorough-going account which is as relevant for today as it is exciting to read. Not only will this book be essential reading for both ethicists and New Testament scholars, I hope it will also provoke greater debate and dialogue between the disciplines.' The Reverend Dr Richard A Burridge, Dean of King's College London, UK. (The Reverend Dr Richard A Burridge )

'D.G.Horell discovers in his new book three basic values underlying the moral world of Paul: corporate solidarity, difference to other people and other-regard. His results are an important contribution to our understanding of Paul's ethics. He succeeds in locating them in the contemporary ethical debate between liberals and communitarians, i.e. between our search for universal norms and our commitment to the 'local' traditions of our concrete communities. There is much exegetical and moral wisdom in this lucidly written book, a wisdom which avoids simplifications and the peril of modernizing Paul. The Paul we encounter in this book is no eccentric, but a serious moral thinker of Early Christianity wrestling with problems which are not out of date, but which recur again and again in our life.' Gerd Theissen, Professor for New Testament, University of Heidelberg, Germany. (Gerd Theissen, )

'This book is a real gem! Horrell provides a thoroughly readable, but deeply scholarly, study of Pauline ethics. Particularly valuable are insights provided from the social sciences, together with the way in which Horrell relates Paul's ethics with modern ethical theories. This will be essential reading for all students of Paul as well as for any wishing to relate the NT to contemporary ethical discussions.' Professor Christopher Tuckett, Pembroke College, Oxford University, UK.

'This is a bold and highly stimulating intellectual experiment. Placing Paul in conversation with current ethical debate - especially that between 'communitarians' (such as Hauerwas) and 'liberals' (such as Habermas) - Horrell explores Paul's distinctive metanorm of solidarity and his subtle negotiations of difference, as ways of maintaining community. Through close study of key texts and carefully reasoned debates across multiple disciplines, Horrell reconfigures the Pauline ethic and opens it up to dialogue with public morality as never before. Both New Testament scholars and ethicists will welcome this ground-breaking work.' - John Barclay, Lightfoot Professor of Divinity, Durham University, UK. (John Barclay )

"We should be grateful for David Horell's contribution [and] careful exegesis"

(Duncan Dormor Church Times )

"deserves more space than I can give it here"

"This is book for the seroius student. But there is also much which is relevent to moral issues both within and outside the Church"

(Neil Richardson Methodist Recorder )

"For the Pauline scholar or ethicist, the strengths would seem to outweigh the weknesses, and the book would be well worth spending the time necessary to reap the benefits of Horrell's work."- James G. Samra, June 2006/ Vol. 49 no.2

(Journal Of Evangelical Theological Society )

'David Horrell's achievement in producing this study of Paul's ethics is immense. It combines a careful and nuanced study of the Greek texts with an insightful appreciation of the current ethical debates in the English and German speaking world. The range of scholarship is so wide, and the connections between Paul's writings and our present ethical debates is so sensitively handled, that I doubt if this study will be surpassed for some considerable time.'

Michael Williams, ANVIL, volume 23 No. 3, 2006

(Michael Williams, Bolton Anvil )

The author achieves his aim of presenting an exegetically serious discussion and a thoughtful dialogue.' (Atsuhiro Asano, The Expository Times, November 2006, Vol 118, No. 2 Expository Times )

'This is an excellent example of an approach to Paul's letters reflecting clearly on Horrell's own presuppositions and methodological procedures. Moreover, it successfully engages contemporary philosophical, sociological and ethical theories and Paul in a conversation demonstrating the significance of such a conversation for contemporary societies.' ~ Kathy Ehrensperger, Vol 28.5, 2006

(Kathy Ehrensperger Journal For The Study Of The New Testament )

"This book is based on the conviction that Paul, whose ethical teaching is fascinating within its own context, is also 'worth wrestling with as a practical moral philosopher' in the twenty-first century...
Moreover for Paul - as Horrell himself so admirably draws out in his exegesis of the text - theology and ethics belong together..."

(Morna D Hooker Theology )

"His fresh interpretation of the apostle's moral argumentation significantly advances the discussion of his [Paul's] ethics... An engaging and important contribution to Pauline studies" Victor Paul Furnish RBL 03.07

(Victor Paul Furnish Rbl )

'His [Horrell's] account is factually very clear, systematic and easy to understand.'

(Samuli Siikavirta )

'David Horrell's nuanced study significantly advances the conversation about Pauline ethics. Engaging in patient and respectful dialogue with a variety of scholarly viewpoints, Horrell depicts a Paul whose deepest moral commitments focus on community solidarity and other-regard, as defined by the pattern of Christ's self-giving death. His judicious exegesis shows that Paul's ethics cannot be boxed in to either a "communitarian" or a "liberal" perspective; thus, Horrell's reading of Paul offers a mediating voice that suggests a way beyond certain impasses in contemporary ethical debate. At the same time, the book shows how social-scientific analysis of Paul's letters can be brought into fruitful engagement with theological exegesis. Anyone who reads Horrell's richly synthetic work, therefore, will be challenged to think more precisely about matters of central importance.' Richard B. Hays, George Washington Ivey Professor of New Testament, The Divinity School, Duke University, USA. (, )

"We should be grateful for David Horell's contribution [and] careful exegesis"

(, Church Times )

"deserves more space than I can give it here"

"This is book for the seroius student. But there is also much which is relevent to moral issues both within and outside the Church"

(, Methodist Recorder )

'David Horrell's achievement in producing this study of Paul's ethics is immense. It combines a careful and nuanced study of the Greek texts with an insightful appreciation of the current ethical debates in the English and German speaking world. The range of scholarship is so wide, and the connections between Paul's writings and our present ethical debates is so sensitively handled, that I doubt if this study will be surpassed for some considerable time.'

Michael Williams, ANVIL, volume 23 No. 3, 2006

(, Anvil )

'This is an excellent example of an approach to Paul's letters reflecting clearly on Horrell's own presuppositions and methodological procedures. Moreover, it successfully engages contemporary philosophical, sociological and ethical theories and Paul in a conversation demonstrating the significance of such a conversation for contemporary societies.' ~ Kathy Ehrensperger, Vol 28.5, 2006

(, Journal For The Study Of The New Testament )

"This book is based on the conviction that Paul, whose ethical teaching is fascinating within its own context, is also 'worth wrestling with as a practical moral philosopher' in the twenty-first century...
Moreover for Paul - as Horrell himself so admirably draws out in his exegesis of the text - theology and ethics belong together..."

(, Theology )

"His fresh interpretation of the apostle's moral argumentation significantly advances the discussion of his [Paul's] ethics... An engaging and important contribution to Pauline studies" Victor Paul Furnish RBL 03.07

(, Rbl )

'His [Horrell's] account is factually very clear, systematic and easy to understand.'

(, )

About the Author

David G. Horrell is Professor of New Testament Studiesat the University of Exeter, UK. He is the author of several books, includingAn Introduction to the Study of Paul (T&T Clark, Second Edition 2006) and Solidarity and Difference (T&T Clark, 2005). He was the editor of the Journal for the Study of the New Testament from 2002-2007. He is an active member of the British New Testament Society, having chaired the Social World of the New Testament Seminar from 2001-2006, andis also a member of the Society for Biblical Literature (SBL) and Society for New Testament Studies (SNTS). He completed his PhD at Cambridgeon Paul's Corinthian letters and the letter known as 1 Clement.

Product Details

• Paperback: 356 pages
• Publisher: T&T Clark Int'l (September 16, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0567043223
• ISBN-13: 978-0567043221
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,801,033 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Reference work, October 29, 2010

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This review is from: Solidarity and Difference: A Contemporary Reading of Paul's Ethics (Hardcover)

Horrell concludes with three alternative ways of appropriating Pauline ethics to contemporary situations and dilemmas. As the first alternative, Horrell presents thinking `with' Paul along the lines of Hauerwas's ecclesial ethics, secondly, `beyond' Paul to offer a mediating position between communitarian and liberal ethics, and thirdly, `against' Paul due to the sheer differences between our plural society and the Pauline communitarian context.

The primary goal of David G. Horrell's book is to bring Paul's ethical teaching into interplay with contemporary ethical theory. Horrell's motivation for bringing Paul back from the allegedly irrelevant world of overly contextual ancient Judaeo-Hellenistic thought is a healthy one: it is too often the case in the current ethical debates that tear up Christian churches worldwide that some or most of Paul's ethical teaching is simply dismissed as if its date of expiry had passed long before John Locke and Immanuel Kant. Horrell insists on the NT being relevant to modern ethical theory (p. 32).
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