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The Theology of Paul the Apostle
In this major work, James D. G. Dunn brings together more than two decades of vigorous and creative work on interpreting the letters of Paul into an integrated, full-scale study of Paul's thought.
Using Paul's letter to the Romans as the foundation for constructing a fuller exposition of Paul's whole theology, Dunn's thematic treatment clearly describes Paul's teaching on such topics as God, humankind, sin, christology, salvation, the church, and the Christian life. In the process Dunn engages in a concise way what other important scholars have said regarding each area of inquiry.
The Theology of Paul the Apostle represents a major contribution to the ongoing discussion regarding what Paul's theology is and what its continuing relevance is to the study and practice of religion and theology.
Using Paul's letter to the Romans as the foundation for constructing a fuller exposition of Paul's whole theology, Dunn's thematic treatment clearly describes Paul's teaching on such topics as God, humankind, sin, christology, salvation, the church, and the Christian life. In the process Dunn engages in a concise way what other important scholars have said regarding each area of inquiry.
The Theology of Paul the Apostle represents a major contribution to the ongoing discussion regarding what Paul's theology is and what its continuing relevance is to the study and practice of religion and theology.
844 pages, Perfect Paperback
First published January 1, 1997
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About the author
James D.G. Dunn
130 books90 followersJames D. G. ("Jimmy") Dunn (born 1939) was for many years the Lightfoot Professor of Divinity in the Department of Theology at the University of Durham. Since his retirement he has been made Emeritus Lightfoot Professor. He is a leading British New Testament scholar, broadly in the Protestant tradition. Dunn is especially associated with the New Perspective on Paul, along with N. T. (Tom) Wright and E. P. Sanders. He is credited with coining this phrase during his 1982 Manson Memorial Lecture.
Dunn has an MA and BD from the University of Glasgow and a PhD and DD from the University of Cambridge. For 2002, Dunn was the President of the Studiorum Novi Testamenti Societas, the leading international body for New Testament study. Only three other British scholars had been made President in the preceding 25 years.
In 2005 a festschrift was published dedicated to Dunn, comprising articles by 27 New Testament scholars, examining early Christian communities and their beliefs about the Holy Spirit. (edited by Graham N. Stanton, Bruce W. Longenecker & Stephen Barton (2004). The Holy Spirit and Christian origins: essays in honor of James D. G. Dunn. Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans Pub. Co. ISBN 0-8028-2822-1.)
Dunn has taken up E. P. Sanders' project of redefining Palestinian Judaism in order to correct the Christian view of Judaism as a religion of works-righteousness. One of the most important differences to Sanders is that Dunn perceives a fundamental coherence and consistency to Paul's thought. He furthermore criticizes Sanders' understanding of the term "justification", arguing that Sanders' understanding suffers from an "individualizing exegesis".
Dunn has an MA and BD from the University of Glasgow and a PhD and DD from the University of Cambridge. For 2002, Dunn was the President of the Studiorum Novi Testamenti Societas, the leading international body for New Testament study. Only three other British scholars had been made President in the preceding 25 years.
In 2005 a festschrift was published dedicated to Dunn, comprising articles by 27 New Testament scholars, examining early Christian communities and their beliefs about the Holy Spirit. (edited by Graham N. Stanton, Bruce W. Longenecker & Stephen Barton (2004). The Holy Spirit and Christian origins: essays in honor of James D. G. Dunn. Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans Pub. Co. ISBN 0-8028-2822-1.)
Dunn has taken up E. P. Sanders' project of redefining Palestinian Judaism in order to correct the Christian view of Judaism as a religion of works-righteousness. One of the most important differences to Sanders is that Dunn perceives a fundamental coherence and consistency to Paul's thought. He furthermore criticizes Sanders' understanding of the term "justification", arguing that Sanders' understanding suffers from an "individualizing exegesis".
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July 19, 2025I don’t like to rate books I am forced to read, BUT I loved every minute of my time with Paul!!! Jimmy Dunn can do no wrong in my eyes!
January 2, 2022
Dunn was one of the most important and insightful Paul scholars of the late 20th century, and as most Paul scholars of that era wrote a "big book on Paul," this is Dunn's contribution to that trend. Making use of 40 years of research, this book is of course loaded with important insights, and deals well with nearly every important discussion on Pauline research over the past century or so.
In my view, the main benefit of the book is the helpful way it frames Paul's approaches to theology. Most popular level preaching and interpretation of Paul is deeply flawed because it deals only with what Paul likely meant in the most universal application possible, but not all of Paul's writing should be read that way. Dunn rightly recognizes three important layers to consider when interpreting any passage in Paul's writing:
First, the level of Paul's continuity with his Jewish heritage.
Second, the places of innovation where Paul broke with his Jewish heritage.
Third, the ways that Paul's ideas and arguments were influenced by the audiences of his individual letters.
With these various layers in mind, Dunn rightly shows throughout this book that Paul was constantly in dialogue with his Jewish past, his conversion experience, his opponents, and his churches, and these dialogues shaped his letters in some surprising ways. Such layers and dialogues are not often enough taken into account, especially by popular preaching and teaching, and this has caused a lot of confusion about what Paul really meant.
The book is not without its problems, though these problems most often extend from limitations of "theologies" rather than from Dunn's treatment of the subject. Most prominent is that fact that theologies rarely attend closely enough to actual exegesis of Scripture passages, and this book is as guilty as most. Far too often I read one of Dunn's important conclusions and thought to myself, "But, how did you arrive there?" A book of this sort simply does not have the space to allow an author to lay out the internal logic of individual verses and sections of Paul's work, as theologies of this nature tend to focus more on "big picture" questions. It's a limitation I understand, but it still limits the book's value as a conversation partner.
On the whole, this is a great book, which I will revisit many times over the years. Dunn's conclusions are not always satisfying, but they are reasonable and well articulated. Most helpful of all is the way that Dunn, in the introduction to the book, lays out the extreme problems faced when writing a "theology," and so he approaches the task fully self aware that the entire enterprise is inherently flawed in certain regards. This is an indispensable book for any student of Paul.
In my view, the main benefit of the book is the helpful way it frames Paul's approaches to theology. Most popular level preaching and interpretation of Paul is deeply flawed because it deals only with what Paul likely meant in the most universal application possible, but not all of Paul's writing should be read that way. Dunn rightly recognizes three important layers to consider when interpreting any passage in Paul's writing:
First, the level of Paul's continuity with his Jewish heritage.
Second, the places of innovation where Paul broke with his Jewish heritage.
Third, the ways that Paul's ideas and arguments were influenced by the audiences of his individual letters.
With these various layers in mind, Dunn rightly shows throughout this book that Paul was constantly in dialogue with his Jewish past, his conversion experience, his opponents, and his churches, and these dialogues shaped his letters in some surprising ways. Such layers and dialogues are not often enough taken into account, especially by popular preaching and teaching, and this has caused a lot of confusion about what Paul really meant.
The book is not without its problems, though these problems most often extend from limitations of "theologies" rather than from Dunn's treatment of the subject. Most prominent is that fact that theologies rarely attend closely enough to actual exegesis of Scripture passages, and this book is as guilty as most. Far too often I read one of Dunn's important conclusions and thought to myself, "But, how did you arrive there?" A book of this sort simply does not have the space to allow an author to lay out the internal logic of individual verses and sections of Paul's work, as theologies of this nature tend to focus more on "big picture" questions. It's a limitation I understand, but it still limits the book's value as a conversation partner.
On the whole, this is a great book, which I will revisit many times over the years. Dunn's conclusions are not always satisfying, but they are reasonable and well articulated. Most helpful of all is the way that Dunn, in the introduction to the book, lays out the extreme problems faced when writing a "theology," and so he approaches the task fully self aware that the entire enterprise is inherently flawed in certain regards. This is an indispensable book for any student of Paul.
April 20, 2021
James Dunn's "The Theology of Paul the Apostle" is a wonderful book. Over 700 pages in length, it will be a book that I return to time and time again. While I read it over the course of a couple of months, because of a Master's course, I would highly recommend others to take their time with this book. It is one that can be read in a few weeks or months, but one that should ultimately be chewed on slowly, as it attempts to be as comprehensive of an overview of Paul's theology as possible.
Dunn's writing style is incredibly accessible, even conversational, and it makes his work a joy to read, no matter the daunting length of the book. This book especially can provide a helpful introduction into some of the key insights of the "New Perspective on Paul" tradition, particularly in regard to Paul's Jewish identity and his complex relationship to the law. Dunn, as one of the forefathers of the "New Perspective" helps readers step into some new intriguing insights about Paul and his theology. Sadly, Dunn only covers the seven Pauline letters that are considered authentically Pauline, only briefly touching on Colossians, while barely mentioning Ephesians and the Pastorals. One wonders what this book might have been, or what different findings may have surfaced, if Dunn had taken the "deutero-Paulines" into consideration.
Dunn's writing style is incredibly accessible, even conversational, and it makes his work a joy to read, no matter the daunting length of the book. This book especially can provide a helpful introduction into some of the key insights of the "New Perspective on Paul" tradition, particularly in regard to Paul's Jewish identity and his complex relationship to the law. Dunn, as one of the forefathers of the "New Perspective" helps readers step into some new intriguing insights about Paul and his theology. Sadly, Dunn only covers the seven Pauline letters that are considered authentically Pauline, only briefly touching on Colossians, while barely mentioning Ephesians and the Pastorals. One wonders what this book might have been, or what different findings may have surfaced, if Dunn had taken the "deutero-Paulines" into consideration.
April 2, 2010
Wow! The phrase; "Why use a sentence, when a paragraph will do" is certainly an understatement with this book! I am reading it as coursework for my Masters of Theology degree, but probably would have read it anyway.
Honestly, at the outset of the book, I thought that I'd get more of a tangible background into Paul himself, both as 'Saul of Tarsus' and 'Paul the Apostle', but this author actually remained DEEP in the theology side of Paul's life. I did, however, gain new insights AND appreciation for Paul and the Jews, but certainly of Isreal itself.
I truly finished this book on April Fools Day! No kidding! :-)
Honestly, at the outset of the book, I thought that I'd get more of a tangible background into Paul himself, both as 'Saul of Tarsus' and 'Paul the Apostle', but this author actually remained DEEP in the theology side of Paul's life. I did, however, gain new insights AND appreciation for Paul and the Jews, but certainly of Isreal itself.
I truly finished this book on April Fools Day! No kidding! :-)
February 14, 2019
800 pages on the Theology of Paul. This tomb written for theologians was frankly most of the time over my head. My Mother gave it to me as a left over form Seminary. She never completed it but I did. Although, most of it was a slog for me, there were still gems that I collected and use in my teachings of creation care and climate justice. This is not for the faint of heart but when I told my pastor I was reading it, he was impressed. Please I didn't have to take a quiz or anything but if theology is your jam then this is a good thing to add to your list.
December 8, 2020
Well written and challenging.
July 17, 2025
In my top 10 non fiction books of all time. Stunning. Gorgeous. I love Jimmy 🤍
February 26, 2016
Initial review:
After teaching for several years at the University of Durhaim, Dr. J. Dunn presents a written and elaborated copy of his notes on the theology of Paul. His approach is to look at Paul's theological understanding as developing based on experiences through which Paul goes. The central experience is that of Christophany. The preceding one is that of early formation, and the following one emerges as Paul writes his letters. Dunn takes the epistle to Romans as the foundation for his view of Paul's theology. This take both enhances and limits Dunn's work. As much as the Roman epistle filled with theological themes it is not the only work left for our use. Any foundation should come from combined theology of all works rather than one work despite its significance. Another omission is the book of Acts. Not only does it hold large sections describing Paul's actions, which pertain to practical theology, but it also contains Pauline sermons, which are verbal expressions of his theology.
Overall, the work provides a fresh look at Paul's thinking about God. After all, can we allow Paul to be a mere human who has developments in his theology? Moreover, the point that those developments were based on certain experiences opens a whole new horizon of relationship with God. Many theologians of the past were practicing mystics. One can only wish that such a theologian as Dunn is would include all available works related to Paul. Besides theologians, who will definitely be glad to enjoy the freshness of Dunn's work, church leaders and missionaries will find many thoughtful ideas in this book.
After teaching for several years at the University of Durhaim, Dr. J. Dunn presents a written and elaborated copy of his notes on the theology of Paul. His approach is to look at Paul's theological understanding as developing based on experiences through which Paul goes. The central experience is that of Christophany. The preceding one is that of early formation, and the following one emerges as Paul writes his letters. Dunn takes the epistle to Romans as the foundation for his view of Paul's theology. This take both enhances and limits Dunn's work. As much as the Roman epistle filled with theological themes it is not the only work left for our use. Any foundation should come from combined theology of all works rather than one work despite its significance. Another omission is the book of Acts. Not only does it hold large sections describing Paul's actions, which pertain to practical theology, but it also contains Pauline sermons, which are verbal expressions of his theology.
Overall, the work provides a fresh look at Paul's thinking about God. After all, can we allow Paul to be a mere human who has developments in his theology? Moreover, the point that those developments were based on certain experiences opens a whole new horizon of relationship with God. Many theologians of the past were practicing mystics. One can only wish that such a theologian as Dunn is would include all available works related to Paul. Besides theologians, who will definitely be glad to enjoy the freshness of Dunn's work, church leaders and missionaries will find many thoughtful ideas in this book.
April 17, 2016
This is an exhaustive and stimulating exhibition of Pauline theology, sufficiently formulaic and accessibly organized to be used as a reference text. Dunn's approach assumes nothing, and reconstructs Paul's intellectual universe from the ground up, as it were. He belabors axiomatic points of Paul's thought which most other exegetes tend to overlook by assumption; Paul's beliefs about God, monotheism, the Jews, Israel, the Mosaic Law, and so on.
Dunn employs very sharp textual analysis, and is able to refute common preconceptions about Paul merely by defining certain Pauline terms more accurately by taking their context into consideration. A notable example of this is the discussion of Paul's understanding of "flesh", sarx, and what it means to live "according to the flesh", kata sarka. "Flesh", in Pauline thought, can have at least two different senses: one denoting inappropriate sensual gratification, and the other denoting the tribalism of the Jewish people. Another example is the term "faith", which Paul understood not as mere belief, but rather as the response of the Messianic believer to God's all-sustaining grace.
This Paul guy is actually pretty interesting.
Dunn employs very sharp textual analysis, and is able to refute common preconceptions about Paul merely by defining certain Pauline terms more accurately by taking their context into consideration. A notable example of this is the discussion of Paul's understanding of "flesh", sarx, and what it means to live "according to the flesh", kata sarka. "Flesh", in Pauline thought, can have at least two different senses: one denoting inappropriate sensual gratification, and the other denoting the tribalism of the Jewish people. Another example is the term "faith", which Paul understood not as mere belief, but rather as the response of the Messianic believer to God's all-sustaining grace.
This Paul guy is actually pretty interesting.
May 15, 2013
Book is well written and comprehensive. The only problems I had with the book were my disagreements with the author's theology in particular areas, his view on the non-Pauline authorship of certain books (which exempted them from discussion), and his method of "dialogue" which used sources other than the epistles themselves as sources for Paul's theology. Whether or not one agrees with Dunn, the book makes a solid contribution to the study of Pauline theology and forces readers to grapple with New Perspective on Paul assertions, a necessary exercise in the study of Paul today.
December 28, 2014
As usual, James DG Dunn exhibited why he is a biblical scholar of impeccable erudition. Dunn is so thorough in his analyses and never jumps to any conclusion. He takes you through all of his methodology and fully explains how he arrives at conclusions. By going into the Greek meaning of many of Paul's key words, Dunn adds much needed context to Paul's writings. I have a much better understanding of the issues Paul was addressing in his letters after reading this book. And how very different Paul's churches looked than the average church today.
May 4, 2015
A great work that explores the thought of Paul, but particularly Romans, in relation to Christian life and practice. Dunn's work is a must read for any NT student and probably any Christian and church leader for that matter. Undoubtedly, not all conclusions will be agreed upon as Dunn minimizes certain areas and expands on others. In fact, I think he missed some opportunities to make significant contributions but instead teetered on the edge. This is certainly a book to be read and reflected on. There's much here that is deserving of multiple readings.
August 26, 2014
Overview of a biblical theology of Paul's theology using Romans as the outline. Heavily influenced by (dated) lexical resources, Sander's covenantal nomism, and some Barrian fallacies. Useful bibliographies. The stated method is dialogue, but it practice it seems more like biblical-theology mixed based on grammatical-historical exegesis. More work to be done in all of these areas; useful for starting future research projects.
August 16, 2007
this took awhile for me to go thru, but it was well worth it. dunn has a very clear writing style and really made me think about a lot of things i wouldn't have thought of otherwise. probably the best theology book i have read to date.
January 21, 2011
This was my first introduction to Dunn. Although I don't always see eye to eye on some of his conclusions, this book is outstanding. Dunn is an excellent writer which makes this fat book easy to read. It is thorough and insightful. A great reference on Pauline theology.
December 5, 2007
Helps give an understanding of Paul, his traveling to reach the people of ancient times, and his teachings. Uses the Bible or references, and solidifies the theology of today.
March 14, 2010
If you're interested in the New Perspective and Pauline theology this is a long read but rewarding. This can be accessed topic by topic and need not be read chronologically.
June 8, 2015
A deep and difficult book but immense. Did not agree with everything but plenty to stretch me well beyond where I was at with Paul.
February 22, 2007
Contain foundamentals of the theology of saint Paul, and good disscution about salvation theology.
July 19, 2014
I found this dry compared to his Unity and diversity in the New Testament which I really liked
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews