Published in 1993, the Dictionary of Paul and His Letters (DPL1) has become an indispensable resource for all things Pauline. It appeared during the peak of the so-called “New Perspective of Paul” debate, a debate inaugurated by E.P. Sanders’ Paul and Palestinian Judaism, now a landmark study on first-century Judaism. It is no exaggeration to posit that Sanders, along with James Dunn and N.T. Wright initiated a major shift in Christian theology and its relationship with second temple Judaism. The contributors to DPL1 stood “in the shadow of this major new appraisal of Paul’s attitude to the Law, the covenant and the people of Israel, and reflect their reaction, whether positive or cautious, to the ‘new look’ on Paul’s gospel of righteousness by faith and the elements of continuity with the ancestral faith” (DPL1, ix.). The positive reception of DPL1 is clearly noted by its numerous awards and accolades, along with its translation into five languages. It goes without saying that IVP’s compendium of scholarship on Paul has had a lasting impact on the academy and the church.
However, the Pauline landscape has changed in the thirty years since the first edition of the Dictionary of Paul and His Letters first appeared. The once active volcano that was the New Perspective on Paul has grown all but dormant. In its place are newly formed theological fault lines ready to send ripples through the academy and church. These new approaches to Paul and his letters are ripe with fresh theological insights, ready to challenge anew long held beliefs about the apostle and his much beloved writings.
Enter the second edition of the Dictionary of Paul and His Letters (DPL2). Instead of a minor revision or the addition of supplementing articles to fill in the missing gaps, DPL2 is a thoroughly new dictionary. The editors of the new edition could have easily opted for minor revisions to key articles or chosen to refresh and update bibliographies to account for thirty years of research on Paul and his letters. However, only 15 articles from DPL1 were carried over into DPL2, albeit with some revisions as needed. The remaining 194 articles were completely rewritten specifically for this new edition. Rewriting articles from scratch allowed previous authors an opportunity to revisit their original articles with fresh eyes and thirty years of new Pauline scholarship. Furthermore, it also provided the editors an opportunity to replace authors from DPL1 with new ones, thus providing a new voice for a given topic.
Noted New Testament scholars Scot McKnight, Lynn Cohick, and Nijay Gupta were tasked to spearhead the DPL2. McKnight himself is no stranger to the IVP dictionary series—he served as one of the editors for the first edition of the Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels. Cohick and Gupta are both noted Pauline scholars, with several commentaries, monographs, and articles on Paul and his theology to their credit. There is no doubt that in their capable hands the second edition of the Dictionary of Paul and His Letters should be on par with the first edition and serve as a suitable replacement for DPL1. However, the proof is in the pudding. And while fresh editors and numerous awards can generate excitement for a new edition of a decorated dictionary, what stands the test of time is the collected scholarship that fills up the pages of DPL2.
While it is impossible to review all 209 articles in a single review, my desire is to offer a general survey of the differences between both editions. Thus, I leave detailed reviews for others to pursue. Beginning with a bird’s eye view, the reader will notice that there is much similarity between both editions with respect to the articles that make up DPL2. Below highlight what has changed from DPL1 and DPL2, as well as what articles are new to DPL2.
Articles in DPL1 that are missing in DPL2
| Afflictions, Trials, Hardships | Enemy, Enmity, Hatred | Mysticism |
| Angels | Exaltation and Enthronement | New and Old Nature |
| Apollos | Expiation, Propitiation, Mercy Seat | Olive Tree |
| Athens | First Fruits, Down Payment | Paul and His Interpreters |
| Authority | Futility | Paul in Acts and Letters |
| Barnabas | Head, Christ As | Paul in Early Church Tradition |
| Benediction | Heaven. Heavenlies, Paradise | Perfect, Mature |
| Caesar’s Household, Imperial Household | Holy Days | Pre-existence |
| Center of Paul’s Theology | Immortality | Redemption |
| Civil Authority | Intercession | Restoration of Israel |
| Conscience | Intermediate State | Revolutionary Movements |
| Creed | Itineraries, Travel Plans, Journeys, Apostolic Parousia | Rewards |
| Crucifixion | Jealousy, Zeal | Rhetoric |
| Diaspora | Jew, Paul The | Riches and Poverty |
| Diatribe | Lawsuit | Social Setting of Mission Churches |
| Dying and Rising with Christ | Life and Death | Virtues and Vices |
| Early Catholicism | Liturgical Elements | Weakness |
| Elements/Elemental Spirits of the World | Love Feast | World, Cosmology |
| Emperors, Roman | Moses |
At first glance the list of missing articles from DPL1 may seem disconcerting to owners of the first edition. However, a number of these have been subsumed under another heading. For example, the article for “Diaspora” in DPL1 is now found covered in articles on “Hellenism, Roman” or “Israel” in DPL2. The exclusion of “Moses” from DPL2 is another example of an article being incorporated into a different article for the second edition. In the DPL2 Moses is discussed under the headings “Covenant”; “Law”; and “Old Testament in Paul.” A full article on the historical person of Moses is out of place in a New Testament dictionary on Paul, but a more focused discussion on Moses and the Law or his mediation of the covenant is a much better fit for a dictionary like this. Being more intentional about which topics require an article and which ones serve as a cross reference makes the user experience that much better, especially if that user is using a print edition of DPL2. For users with a digital copy, this is not as much an issue, as one can quickly navigate DPL2 with a click of the mouse.
As noted above, several fresh approaches to the study of the New Testament—and Paul in particular—have risen to prominence since the first edition of the Dictionary of Paul and His Letters was published. Whereas DPL1 was very “Old and New Perspective” heavy, DPL2 promises to be broader in its focus, with the edition of more voices outside of the western world. This is clearly reflected in articles like “Interpretation: African American,” “Interpretation: Asian and Asian American,” “Interpretation: Jewish,” “Interpretation: Postcolonial,” and “Interpretation: Latinamente.” The inclusion of articles on the cultural interpretation of Paul from voices around the world is both a welcomed and needed addition. With the rise of the internet the world is more connected now than it was in 1993. And this connectedness has allowed voices that were perhaps once a mere whisper in the west to now be heard louder than ever.
A further noticeable and certainly welcomed difference between the dictionaries is the increase in female voices. The first edition of DPL contained just nine female writers out of the 108 total contributors. In DPL2, that number increased to 28 out of a total of 141 contributors. Much like the inclusion of articles on Pauline interpretation from outside the western world, the inclusion of more female scholars adds a much needed and valuable contribution to any discussion on Paul, his letters, and the ancient world in which he ministered.
The question now remains, Do I need a copy of DPL2? Yes, you do! As noted above, this is not a revision of articles or a padding of content. This is a new dictionary for a new generation of Pauline scholars, students, or serious layperson. The entirety of DPL2 was built from the ground up. New specialists have been tasked to contribute fresh scholarship on their respective topics, thus bringing this second edition of the Dictionary of Paul and His Letters to a new audience. Further, the new edition does not make the first edition obsolete in any way whatsoever. DPL1 is still to be consulted for its valuable scholarship. Many of the articles in the first edition have become must reads in the field of Pauline studies, and having both available will only serve the reader even more.
Finally, on a less serious note there is one minor issue with DPL2, perhaps inconsequential in nature—though some bibliophiles may disagree with me here! With the new edition also comes a brand-new cover design. And if you are OCD about matching covers for books from the same series you may find this change triggering. But fret not! You have two options. You could either repurchase all the redesigned dictionaries in the series, or you could just swap covers with the first edition, assuming you have one on your shelf already.
*A copy of the Dictionary of Paul and His Letters was provided by IVP Academic for review*