There is now a second edition of the T&T Clark handbook on Paul in the Greco-Roman World. All of the essays from the previous edition have been revised, and some have been added, thus expanding this volume. It’s a large two-volume set. I asked for a review copy and they only sent me volume 1, so I emailed to ask if they could send the second volume as well, but with no reply, so I can’t provide a proper review of half of a handbook (hence, “New Book,” not “Review”).
Volume 1 contains no parts, just a bunch of essays. It’s lacking an introduction, which is interesting for a volume such as this. A general orientation to the history of Pauline scholarship with special reference to his proposed background (Hellenistic? Mystery Religions? Pharisaic Judaism? Something else?) would have been useful (no fear, you can find such a history in brief in Ridderbos’s theology). In any case, depending on your interests, these essays will be more or less helpful for you. The topics addressed are, e.g., Paul and… associations, boasting, circumcision, commendation, rhetoric, Greco-Roman education, family life, friendship, and more.
The table of contents for volume two can be found here. It’s actually even more unfortunate that I didn’t get this second volume to review because it has several essays I would have enjoyed interacting with, including honor and shame, literacy, marriage and divorce, slavery, social memory, virtue, and others.
The essays themselves have more or less documentation, depending on the authors, and easy essays will only be an entry-way into studying that topic. This handbook will therefore be a reference work to consult on topics that interest you, but not one to read cover-to-cover.
Check out both volumes here.
