Paul and the Economy of Salvation

"A creative and convincing exposition of [Paul's] complex understanding of the last judgment". This major contribution to Pauline scholarship demonstrates that topics often discussed in Pauline studies and Christian theology go astray when the significance of the last judgment falls from view. Offering a fresh Catholic perspective that engages with centuries of Protestant interpretation, this book recaptures the significance of the motif of the last judgment for the interpretation of Paul. "Brendan Byrne's reading of Paul is informed by Catholic sensibility, but more decisively by the Jewish apocalyptic tradition that was the matrix of Pauline eschatology. It provides a fresh appreciation of the significance of the impending judgment for Paul's idea of justification. This is an important contribution not only to Pauline studies but also to Catholic-Protestant dialogue. "-John J. Collins. , Holmes Professor of Old Testament, Yale Divinity School"Born of serious listening to the text, lengthy reflection, and extensive engagement with other interpreters, Brendan Byrne's fresh assessment of Paul as an apocalyptic theologian offers us a significant gift. In a time when Paul's announcement of a final judgment threatens to disappear from even conservative readings of Scripture, Byrne provides a healthy and much-needed corrective. His careful reading of Paul might well provide the basis for fruitful ecumenical dialogue concerning the work of Christ, the gift of the Spirit, and the salvation of the human being. For these reasons and more, this work undoubtedly will win a wide hearing. "-Mark Seifrid. , professor of exegetical theology, Concordia Seminary. "Pauline studies are at their best when a scholar addresses those theological issues that matter to the everyday life of believers. This is precisely what Brendan Byrne has done in his magisterial study of Paul's understanding of the economy of salvation. Perennial questions of justification and salvation, understood in the light of the final judgment, are front and center in his study. How do we become righteous. What does it mean to be righteous. How are we judged. By providing a careful reading of the nondisputed Pauline letters, especially Romans, Byrne answers these questions in ways that go beyond and so bridge the Catholic-Protestant divide. Here is a comprehensive, authoritative work that matters, from a seasoned scholar who appreciates the theological dimension of the text. "-Frank J. Matera. , professor emeritus, The Catholic University of America, Washington, DC