Romans Through History and Cultures

Receptions and Critical Interpretations

Cristina Grenholm and Daniel Patte, series editors

The series, Romans Through History and Cultures, includes a wealth of information regarding the receptions of Romans throughout the history of the church and today, in the “first” and the “two-thirds” world. It explores the past and present impact of Romans upon theology, and upon cultural, political, social, and ecclesial life, and gender relations.

In each volume, the authors contribute to an integrated practice, “Scriptural Criticism,” which takes into account: with contemporary biblical scholars, that different readings can be grounded in the same text by different critical methods; with church historians and practical theologians, that the believers’ readings interrelate biblical text and concrete life; and with theologians, that believers read Romans as Scripture.

The cover art skillfully represents that any interpretation of a scrip-tural text is framed in three ways: a) by an analytical frame that reflects each reader’s autonomous choice of a textual dimension as most significant--see the individual studying the text; b) by a contextual/prag-matic frame shaped by a certain relational network of life in society and community--see the people joining hands; and, c) by a hermeneutical frame inspired by a certain religious perception of life--see the bread and chalice and the face-to-face encounter.

By elucidating the threefold choices reflected in various interpretations of Romans through the centuries and present-day cultures, the volumes in the series--which emerge from a three-year Society of Biblical Literature Consultation and an on-going SBL Seminar--raise a funda-mental critical question: Why did I/we choose this interpretation rather than another one?

Romans through History and Cultures Series

Engaging

Augustine

On Romans

Self, Context, and Theology in Interpretation

Edited by

Daniel Patte and

Eugene TeSelle

Trinity Press International

Harrisburg Pennsylvania

To Krister Stendahl

Teacher, Scholar, Bishop, Friend

Cover art by Elizabeth McNaron Patte

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written permission of the publisher.

Trinity Press International, P.O. Box 1321, Harrisburg, PA 17105

Trinity Press International is a division of the Morehouse Group.

Cover design: Jim Booth

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Contents

Abbreviations vii

Chronology of Major Events and Writings of Augustine xii

Introduction. Engaging Scripture: Patristic Interpretation 1

of the Bible

Eugene TeSelle

1. Modus inveniendi Paulum: Augustine, Hermeneutics, and 63

His Reading of Romans

Thomas F. Martin, O.S.A.

2. Augustine and Israel: Interpretatio ad litteram, Jews, and 91

Judaism in Augustine’s Theology of History

Paula Fredriksen

3. Exploring the Inner Conflict: Augustine’s Sermons on 111

Romans 7 and 8

Eugene TeSelle

Appendix: Augustine’s Old Latin Text of Romans 7-8 129

and its English Translation

Eugene TeSelle

4. A Conversion of Augustine: From Natural Law to 147

Restored Nature in Romans 2:13-16

Simon J. Gathercole

5. Readings of Augustine on Paul: Their Impact on Critical 173

Studies of Paul

John K. Riches

6. Jews and Gentiles, Galatians 2:11-14, and Reading Israel in 199

Romans: The Patristic Debate

Peter J. Gorday

Conclusion. Augustine, a Model for the Practice of “Scriptural 237

Criticism” in New Testament Studies

Daniel M. Patte

A Last Word. 270

Krister Stendahl

Contributors 273

Index of Scriptural References 275

Index of Augustine References 280

Index of Ancient and Medieval Authors Cited 284

Index of Authors Cited 287