Solidarity and Difference: A Contemporary Reading of Paul's Ethics
'David Horrell's nuanced study significantly advances the conversation about Pauline ethics. Engaging in patient and respectful dialogue with a variety of scholarly viewpoints, Horrell depicts a Paul whose deepest moral commitments focus on community solidarity and other-regard, as defined by the pattern of Christ's self-giving death. His judicious exegesis shows that Paul's ethics cannot be boxed in to either a "communitarian" or a "liberal" perspective; thus, Horrell's reading of Paul offers a mediating voice that suggests a way beyond certain impasses in contemporary ethical debate. At the same time, the book shows how social-scientific analysis of Paul's letters can be brought into fruitful engagement with theological exegesis. Anyone who reads Horrell's richly synthetic work, therefore, will be challenged to think more precisely about matters of central importance.' Richard B. Hays, George Washington Ivey Professor of New Testament, The Divinity School, Duke University, USA.'Horrell's two-way conversation between contemporary ethics and Paul fills a gaping hole; and fills it beautifully. For those who take their lives seriously in our complex global society, this book is too important to be missed.' Ann Jervis, Associate Professor of New Testament, Wycliffe College, Toronto.'David Horrell has put us all in his debt with this careful, but penetrating study. Ethics is too often a neglected element in the study of Paul, but Horrell shows how these key issues of solidarity and other-regard for difference lie at the heart of Paul's theology and his entire mission. Furthermore, in relating them to the current debate about liberals and communitarians, Horrell has produced a thorough-going account which is as relevant for today as it is exciting to read. Not only will this book be essential reading for both ethicists and New Testament scholars, I hope it will also provoke greater debate and dialogue between the disciplines.' The Reverend Dr Richard A Burridge, Dean of King's College London, UK.'D.G.Horell discovers in his new book three basic values underlying the moral world of Paul: corporate solidarity, difference to other people and other-regard. His results are an important contribution to our understanding of Paul's ethics. He succeeds in locating them in the contemporary ethical debate between liberals and communitarians, i.e. between our search for universal norms and our commitment to the 'local' traditions of our concrete communities. There is much exegetical and moral wisdom in this lucidly written book, a wisdom which avoids simplifications and the peril of modernizing Paul. The Paul we encounter in this book is no eccentric, but a serious moral thinker of Early Christianity wrestling with problems which are not out of date, but which recur again and again in our life.' Gerd Theissen, Professor for New Testament, University of Heidelberg, Germany.'This book is a real gem! Horrell provides a thoroughly readable, but deeply scholarly, study of Pauline ethics. Particularly valuable are insights provided from the social sciences, together with the way in which Horrell relates Paul's ethics with modern ethical theories. This will be essentialreading for all students of Paul as well as for any wishing to relate the NT to contemporary ethical discussions.' Professor Christopher Tuckett, Pembroke College, Oxford University, UK.