The
Paul Paper
Instructions.
Read Bruce Longenecker’s “What Did Paul Think Is Wrong in God’s World?” and
Michael Gorman’s “What Did Paul Think God Is Doing about What’s Wrong?” Once
you have finished reading these articles, you will write a substantive paper (9-12
pages double-spaced) in which you answer the questions listed below. You can
think of the paper as a summary, yet there are some reflection questions as
well. You do not have to defend an original thesis in this assignment; your
task is summarize and evaluate, not innovate. The paper is intended to help
you to develop both (a) your understanding of Paul’s thought and the debates
about its interpretation and (b) your critical thinking, reading, and writing
skills.
A few words about structure are in
order. Your assignment should not (with the exception of the reflection
questions – see below) have the structure of a homework assignment like Shively
I and Shively II. In particular, you should not number the questions, create
space between them, and answer them in sequence. Rather, your paper should
consist of integrated paragraphs, as in a traditional argumentative essay. In
other words, your paper should not look like this:
1. …..
2. …..
3. …..
Instead,
it should look like this:
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
If
you have any questions about this, please contact me.
Perhaps
the greatest challenge that you will face in completing this assignment is
deciding how you want to organize your material. I would recommend answering
the questions in order. I would also recommend employing section headings.
To
illustrate what I mean, take a look at p. 171 of Longenecker’s article. At the
bottom of the page, you will see the words “SUPRAHUMAN POWERS THREATEN THE
SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD.” These words function as a section heading. Scholars are
fond of using section headings for several reasons. First, in dividing the text
up into sections, they make it more digestible for the reader. It is easier to
read a text that is divided into sections rather than one that consists of a
large, seamless whole. Second, section divisions help the reader to grasp the
structure that the author wishes to impose on the text. Third, if the section
headings consist of words rather than numbers, they inform the reader of the
subject matter of the section, much like the title of the text itself.
For
all these reasons, section headings help readers to approach and understand the
text. However, students rarely employ section headings themselves, even in long
papers. I would recommend that you employ section headings in your paper. Not
only will it help me to read your paper, but it will help you to write it, as
it will encourage you to think about the structure of your paper and will serve
as a broad outline. (An additional bonus of section headings is that they can
help with the writing process itself.) To clarify, I do not recommend that you
use the same section headings employed by Longenecker and Gorman. Your section
headings will likely need to be broader. In any case, I would like you to
create your own. Two general section headings would be “Longenecker” and
“Gorman.” However, you can be more specific. For instance, for Gorman, you
might want to use two section headings – say, (i) “Means” and (ii) “Mode.” For
Gorman, you could also use the section heading “Gorman” with three or four
sub-headings – say, (i) “Introduction,” (ii) “Means,” (ii) “Mode,” and (iv) “Additional
Points.” I realize that some of these sub-headings are not very poetic, but
they get the job done nonetheless. Perhaps you can think of better ones.
Your
paper should include a formal introductory paragraph. A formal concluding
paragraph is optional.
Please
note the following additional instructions:
· In answering the questions, you should
rely on two sources and two sources alone – i.e., the Longenecker and Gorman
articles. You can also consult the Bible, of course, but that is all. Do not
consult any additional sources beyond these. Students who consult additional
sources will receive a zero for the assignment even if these sources are cited.
If you want to consult external sources to expand your understanding of the
material, wonderful – do it after you have completed the assignment.
· You are permitted to quote the articles,
but you should do so sparingly. Paraphrase – even close paraphrase – is
preferable to quotation. Try to put the answers into your own words as much as
possible. This will facilitate comprehension, and it will help you to develop
your critical thinking, reading, and writing abilities. Nonetheless, there may
be cases where paraphrase seems impossible, and where quotation seems
inevitable. In those cases, you may quote – indeed, you may quote with
boldness.
· Any use of ChatGPT or similar AI programs
will be considered plagiarism and will result in a zero for the assignment.
Please see the sections on academic honesty and ChatGPT in the syllabus.
· You do not have to provide a works cited
page, though you are welcome to do so if you like. However, you should supply
the page numbers from which any quotations are taken.
Some
additional instructions can be found in the syllabus (see under “Written
Assignments.”)
This
assignment should take you several days to complete. You will want to start the
assignment in advance, and you will want to avail yourself of outlines and
drafts. Please give it the time that it deserves. Enjoy it – even savor it!
There is no need to rush! Give yourself the opportunity to wrestle with texts
and ideas. The rewards are great.
As always, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to
contact me.
Questions.
There are three sets of questions –
Longenecker, Gorman, and Reflection. The reflection questions should be
self-explanatory. However, the questions on Longenecker and Gorman deserve some
comment.
Longenecker and Gorman
each organize their articles around one main question concerning Paul’s
understanding of salvation. For Longenecker, the question is how Paul
understands what we are being saved from. (In other words, what is it that
threatens us/oppresses us/divides us from God.) For Gorman, the question is how
Paul understands how we are saved. (For Gorman, this question itself divides
into two further main questions – namely, (i) the question of how Paul
understands what God has done/is doing/will do to save/heal/free us [the means
of salvation] and (ii) the question of how Paul understands how we acquire
this salvation/healing/freedom [the mode of salvation].)
For each of these
articles, I am asking you to summarize how their authors articulate and answer
the main question(s) that they address. Thus, in a sense, I am asking you only
one question about Longenecker and Gorman. At the same time, I am requiring you
to address various details that Longenecker and Gorman address in answering their
question(s). In requiring you to address these details, I am not trying to
micromanage you or stifle your creativity. Instead, I am trying to give you
some direction and guidance. You may note that I am requiring you to address
more details for Gorman’s article than Longenecker’s. This is because Gorman’s
article is longer and denser than Longenecker’s, and its organization is
considerably more complicated than Longenecker’s. There should be plenty of
room for you to exercise both your critical thinking and creative abilities in
completing the assignment.
One
more thing. Longenecker and Gorman frequently cite passages from the Bible in
support of their readings. You should feel free to include their citations as
often as possible. If you know of any additional passages from Scripture that
might support or challenge their interpretations, you are welcome to add these.
But this is not necessary. I do not expect you to be able to do this.
Longenecker
According to Longenecker, what does
Paul think is wrong with God’s world? Make sure that you address the following
points:
· The powers, including (i) Paul’s
general characterization of the powers and their activity; (ii) the powers of Sin and Death, including
how they work together and how they oppress human beings (you might want to
incorporate some material from Gorman pp. 188-89 here); the distinction between
Sin (uppercase) and sin/sins (lowercase); (iv) whether Paul thinks of the
powers as independent, intentional, cosmic forces or merely as personifications
of bad human decisions.
· How human beings both (i) conspire
with are (ii) corrupted by the powers.
· Paul’s discussions of “covetousness”
in Romans and “conceit” in Galatians.
You do not have to address the
section “Dethroning a Counterfeit Gospel” in your paper, though you may if you
like. It’s up to you.
Gorman
According to Gorman, what does Paul
think that God is doing about what’s wrong with the world? Make sure that you
address the following points:
Framework/Introduction
·
Gorman’s discussion of Paul’s images of salvation (p. 188)
○
Many images or one? Simple or complex?
○
Individual? Communal? Cosmic? All of these?
· Gorman’s general characterization
(summary) of Paul’s understanding of what God is doing (p. 188)
The
means of salvation
· The Christ-event/Christ-story
· Incarnation, Crucifixion, and
Resurrection
· Sin
(singular and capitalized) and sins (plural and lower-cased)
The
mode of salvation
· Faith
· Justification
· Participation
· Transformation
· Baptism
Additional
themes that pertain to the means of salvation, the modes of salvation, or both
· The various role of the Father, the
Son, and the Holy Spirit in salvation according to Paul
·
The role of grace in salvation according to Paul
·
The Old Testament roots of Paul’s understanding of salvation
·
The “vertical” and “horizontal” dimensions of salvation according to Paul
·
The past, present, and future dimensions of salvation according to Paul
You should distinguish, as Gorman
does, between the means and the mode of salvation (see p. 194). You should also
discuss how the means and mode of salvation relate to one another, and why both
are necessary. Why not just the means without the mode? Or the mode without the
means? Your paper should contain an answer to this question.
Reflection
You should answer the questions below
after completing the sections on Longenecker and Gorman. You can incorporate
your answers to these questions into the body of the paper (perhaps in a
separate section before your conclusion), or you can answer them on a separate
page and append them to the end of your paper. For these questions, and these
questions alone, you can number them and answer them separately, as with
homework assignments like Shively I and Shively II (see above).
· What was it like reading the
Longenecker and Gorman articles? Did you find them difficult? Interesting?
Boring? How did they compare to other articles that you have read for this
class?
· Do you feel that you are getting a
sense of contemporary academic writing on the Bible? If a friend asked you to describe what contemporary
academic articles on the Bible are like, how would you answer the question?
· Do you think that Longenecker and
Gorman defended their interpretations successfully? Were you largely convinced
by their interpretations? Were there any major points on which you remain
unconvinced?
· How did this assignment impact your
understanding of Paul? The New Testament in general?
· What do you personally think of
Paul’s views on salvation? Do you find them interesting? Inspiring? Strange?
Concerning? Some combination of these? Explain.
· Are there any questions about Paul,
the New Testament, the Bible, or Christianity that arose for you while
completing this assignment?
· I am sure that the assignment was
challenging. Did you think that it helped you to develop your critical thinking
skills? Your reading and writing skills?
