Apostle
of the Last Days: The Life, Letters, and Theology of Paul by C. Marvin Pate
Book Review:
C. Marvin Pate is a well-known name in New Testament
Theology, particularly in eschatology; having written and edited other books on
the subject, this time he focuses his attention on Paul’s eschatology.
Pate rejects the New Perspective on Paul being advocated of
late by some important Pauline theologians (e.g. N.T. Wright, Jamed D.G. Dunn)
and opts for the traditional view. Because that view is highly controversial
and is making big waves in contemporary Paul studies, a more detailed
refutation of their basic convictions would have enriched Pate’s book.
Having in mind that Paul lived in a time where Greco-Roman
culture and Jewish Theology were the “locations” where Christianity was born, Pate
seeks to find a place of reconciliation between the vacuity of “realized
eschatology” (a la Preterism) and the
politically invested “consistent eschatology” (totally futuristic). The Bible
seems to favor an “already/not yet” eschatology, especially in light of the
reality of a first and second coming of Jesus. The term used to describe it is
“inaugurated eschatology;” a middle-of-the-road view that takes into account
both sets of Scriptures used selectively by the other two positions.
The many tables present to elucidate Pate’s views are a
testament to the amount of work invested in preparing the book, although the
inclusion of an annotated bibliography would have made the book immensely more
valuable for Pauline research. Others will also miss an index of topics covered
in the book.
A word of caution: It is somewhat problematic to use
eschatology as the hermeneutical lens
through which one reads Paul’s theology, and it may lead to selective use of
evidence rather than an all-encompassing theological exploration of Paul’s
convictions. Pate does his best to avoid this pitfall but readers may disagree
on the level of his success/failure to do so.
The book packs a punch and is recommended as a decent theological
primer to Pauline eschatology.
4/5 Stars
4/5 Stars
Disclosure: The book was
received for free from Kregel Academic & Ministry book review program. The
program does not require a positive review, only a truthful one.
