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Current Trends in Pauline Research: Philippians
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Current Trends in Pauline Research: Philippians

A special issue of Religions (ISSN 2077-1444). This special issue belongs to the section "Religions and Theologies".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2024 | Viewed by 5492

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Isaac Blois

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Torrey Honors College, Biola University, La Mirada, CA 90639, USA
Interests: Philippians; biblical studies; classics
Dr. Gregory Lamb

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Biblical Studies Department, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Wake Forest, NC 27587, USA
Interests: Paul (especially, Philippians); Luke; parables of Jesus; social identity theory and violence; biblical studies; visual exegesis; classics; history of religions; reception history

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The scope and purpose of this Special Issue is to highlight the current trends and methods of approaching Paul’s letter to the Philippian Christ followers, understanding the letter’s aim(s), methods, recipients, and theological impact. Paul is an adept epistle writer, with his corpus reflecting rhetorical sophistication, pastoral sensitivity, missional zeal, and theological power, all of which are on display in his short letter to the Philippian saints. As a shorter Pauline epistle—often assumed to be merely a “warm, friendly, joy-filled letter” in the commentary tradition—Philippians has historically been under-appreciated and misunderstood in biblical studies. However, recent scholarship has corrected some of this neglect and misunderstanding, and this Special Issue seeks to present the latest insights emerging therefrom. Philippians, far from being a minor member of the Corpus Paulinum, serves as a powerful monument to Paul’s overall and mature theological, Christological, and pastoral vision.

Topics Targeted for Submission: Of special interest are developments of new approaches to reading Philippians (intertextual, rhetorical, comparative, sociological, narrative approach, theological readings, etc.), applying such approaches to specific elements of the text of the epistle. We also welcome treatments of individual passages within Philippians that interact with the latest proposals about reading Philippians in various contexts and Sitze im Leben (Greco-Roman, Jewish, etc.).

Dr. Isaac Blois
Dr. Gregory E. Lamb
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Religions is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Philippians
  • hermeneutics
  • pauline studies
  • ethics
  • early Christianity
  • comparative studies
  • Paul within Judaism
  • social scientific studies
  • social identity theory
  • Carmen Christi
  • Christ Hymn

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

22 pages, 437 KiB  
Article
Beyond the Greco-Roman or Jewish Monocle: Reading Philippians and Paul ‘Kaleidoscopically’
by Gregory E. Lamb
Religions 2024, 15(4), 467; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15040467 - 09 Apr 2024
Viewed by 473
Abstract
Typically, scholars view/read the enigmatic apostle Paul monolithically—that is, through either a Greco-Roman or Jewish socio-cultural lens. The traditional Lutheran (Greco-Roman/Western) lens was criticized in the mid-/late-twentieth century by scholars highlighting Paul’s Jewishness—resulting in the so-called “New Perspective on Paul” and “Paul within [...] Read more.
Typically, scholars view/read the enigmatic apostle Paul monolithically—that is, through either a Greco-Roman or Jewish socio-cultural lens. The traditional Lutheran (Greco-Roman/Western) lens was criticized in the mid-/late-twentieth century by scholars highlighting Paul’s Jewishness—resulting in the so-called “New Perspective on Paul” and “Paul within Judaism” movements. This paradigmatic post-Shoah shift of Pauline interpretation begs the questions, “Should we abandon Greco-Roman readings of Paul?” and “Should we continue to read Philippians and Paul through a singular (Jewish) lens?” Building upon the work of Markus Bockmuehl, Abraham Malherbe et al., I argue for an “eclectic and pragmatic” approach. I explain how “monocular” (Greco-Roman or Jewish) and even “binocular” (Greco-Roman and Jewish) approaches flatten Paul’s complex thought world and Sitz im Leben as an in-Christ church-planting missionary. The purpose of this study is to read Philippians and Paul “kaleidoscopically”—considering the distinct Romanitas, juxtaposed and colliding cultures, worldviews, and religions that Paul likely encountered in the cosmopolitan colonia of first-century Philippi. This article transcends the Greco-Roman/Jewish debate surrounding Paul—highlighting the literary and archaeological evidence of competing pagan, Jewish, and Pauline Christ cults in first-century Philippi—and thus encouraging scholars to read Philippians and Paul through a “kaleidoscopic” rather than a monolithic lens. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Current Trends in Pauline Research: Philippians)
16 pages, 365 KiB  
Article
Paul’s Self-Presentation in Phil 1:12–26
by Dolly Elias Chaaya
Religions 2024, 15(4), 464; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15040464 - 09 Apr 2024
Viewed by 458
Abstract
This article demonstrates how Paul’s self-presentation in Phil 1:12–26 serves as an important exemplum to the Christian community, whereby Paul, in contrast to those who “proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition” (Phil 1:17), values the Gospel, and therefore values Christ above all things. [...] Read more.
This article demonstrates how Paul’s self-presentation in Phil 1:12–26 serves as an important exemplum to the Christian community, whereby Paul, in contrast to those who “proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition” (Phil 1:17), values the Gospel, and therefore values Christ above all things. However, Paul’s synkrisis does not lead to self-boasting, but suggests that in regard to the Philippian community, “by his presence again […] their boast might abound in Christ Jesus because of him” (Phil 1:26). This sincerity guides us to focus this article on the function of Phil 1:12–26 in preparing the exemplum of Christ in Phil 2:6–11. In order to reach our desired result, it is necessarily important to underline keywords that are constantly repeated in Phil 1:12–26, such as χριστός, κυρίος, καταγγέλλω, and καύχημα, which serve as a hinge between the first three chapters of the letter to the Philippians, in addition to προσκοπή and παρρησία. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Current Trends in Pauline Research: Philippians)
18 pages, 565 KiB  
Article
“Their End Is Destruction”: Reading Philippians as Philosophical Dialogue
by Eric Covington
Religions 2024, 15(4), 462; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15040462 - 08 Apr 2024
Viewed by 377
Abstract
Paul’s address to the ekklesia in Philippi evidences an ideological conflict within the community. The letter encourages the community to persevere in a prescribed philosophy while simultaneously recognizing the presence of “opponents” (Phil 1:28) and “enemies” (Phil 3:18) against whom the community must [...] Read more.
Paul’s address to the ekklesia in Philippi evidences an ideological conflict within the community. The letter encourages the community to persevere in a prescribed philosophy while simultaneously recognizing the presence of “opponents” (Phil 1:28) and “enemies” (Phil 3:18) against whom the community must “stand firm” (Phil 4:1). Building on Pierre Hadot’s work in identifying ancient philosophy as a “way of life”, this article examines the nature of this ideological conflict by reading Philippians in light of the conventions of ancient philosophical dialogue. While the letter does not take the strict literary structure of a formal dialogue, it can rightly be understood as a philosophical text that is engaging in a critical conversation about competing philosophical “ways of life”. In this philosophical dialogue, Paul critiques the alternative way of life on offer to the Philippian ekklesia by portraying it as an insufficient way of life that will lead to destruction. He simultaneously presents his own philosophy as the one that is consistent with the appropriate “goal,” the right “mind,” and a consistent “way of life” that will help the community attain their ultimate telos. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Current Trends in Pauline Research: Philippians)
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13 pages, 326 KiB  
Article
Talking about Oneself to Talk about Christ: The Autobiographical Text of Philippians 3:1–4.1 in Light of Ancient Rhetorical Heritage
by Francesco Bianchini
Religions 2024, 15(4), 398; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15040398 - 25 Mar 2024
Viewed by 521
Abstract
In this contribution, we will proceed in three steps. First of all, we will investigate the rhetorical approach for studying the Pauline letters, considering different methodological options. In this context, we will propose the approach of the literary rhetoric as the most valid. [...] Read more.
In this contribution, we will proceed in three steps. First of all, we will investigate the rhetorical approach for studying the Pauline letters, considering different methodological options. In this context, we will propose the approach of the literary rhetoric as the most valid. Secondly, we will analyse the autobiographical text of Philippians 3:1–4:1, starting from its delimitation, textual criticism, and its arrangement, according to oral and discursive models. Then, we will proceed with genre and literary origins; here, we will discover the periautologia as the point of reference of the Pauline autobiography. This eulogy of self is a genre, well known in the rhetorical tradition, to which Plutarch dedicated the treatise On praising oneself. This discovery determines the following exegetical analysis of the text. Thirdly, we will conclude with a reflection about Paul’s way of speaking about himself in this passage. In light of ancient rhetorical heritage, he does not use his autobiography to praise himself but to praise Christ, who completely changed his life. Ultimately, Paul’s talk about himself is a way of talking about Christ for the benefit of the addressees who should creatively imitate the Apostle and his Christian life. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Current Trends in Pauline Research: Philippians)
9 pages, 284 KiB  
Article
Rhetorical Approach to the Periautology of Philippians 3:2–16
by Jean-Noël Aletti
Religions 2024, 15(2), 164; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15020164 - 29 Jan 2024
Viewed by 625
Abstract
This article examines why Paul uses self-praise, or periautology, in Phil 3:2–14 to respond to Christians who boasted of their Jewish origin. It shows the importance and relevance of this type of rhetoric, clarifies its purpose, and examines the way Paul uses it. [...] Read more.
This article examines why Paul uses self-praise, or periautology, in Phil 3:2–14 to respond to Christians who boasted of their Jewish origin. It shows the importance and relevance of this type of rhetoric, clarifies its purpose, and examines the way Paul uses it. Paul does not only use periautology in Phil 3, but it is in this passage that it has the most force and originality. As, until now, very few monographs and articles have shown the existence of periautology in the Pauline letters, this article invites exegetes to be more sensitive to the existence of literary models and their importance for better interpreting the apostle’s thought. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Current Trends in Pauline Research: Philippians)
12 pages, 977 KiB  
Article
Brave Priestesses of Philippi: The Cultic Role of Euodia and Syntyche (Phil 4:2)
by Isaac D. Blois
Religions 2024, 15(1), 127; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15010127 - 18 Jan 2024
Viewed by 802
Abstract
When Paul, in Phil 4:2, “pleads” with Euodia and Syntyche to “agree with one another in the Lord”, he is both commending them for their priestly role as gospel workers among his group of converts and at the same time calling them back [...] Read more.
When Paul, in Phil 4:2, “pleads” with Euodia and Syntyche to “agree with one another in the Lord”, he is both commending them for their priestly role as gospel workers among his group of converts and at the same time calling them back to a single-minded focus on gospel mission. Throughout the letter, the apostle has forged a link between gospel mission and cultic imagery, depicting himself and his gospel co-workers as priestly agents accomplishing sacrificial service. Thus, when he comes to this climactic exhortation at the letter’s close, he deploys this imagery as a way both to commend and correct these female leaders within the Philippian community of Christ-believers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Current Trends in Pauline Research: Philippians)
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