I have long been wondering about the word "Radical" in the label that refers to the group of scholars who do not allow Paul to be read outside Judaism, i.e., the so-called Radical New Perspective on Paul (or the Paul-within-Judaism Perspective). I think that the term "Radical" is a red herring because placing Paul back … Continue reading Paul: Far Too Radical an Apostle
Jewish Pride?
Recently I came across an interesting sermon by rabbi Angela W. Buchdahl at the Central Synagogue in New York city, titled “Jewish Pride: Live Up to Your Name” (preached on September 26, 2022). You can watch it below, or you can read the entire transcript here. https://youtu.be/wUGIztK1A_w The thesis of her sermon is this: Stop … Continue reading Jewish Pride?
E. P. Sanders (1937-2022)
E. P. Sanders, one of the most influential New Testament scholars of this century, passed away on November 21, 2022, at the age of 85. Although I am highly critical of his view on Paul and Judaism, I cannot overemphasize the impact he brought about through his magnum opus Paul and Palestinian Judaism: A Comparison … Continue reading E. P. Sanders (1937-2022)
Paul the Innovative Letter-Writer
In my previous post, I promised to write more about the innovative nature of Paul's letters. No one denies that Paul lived in the Greco-Roman world as a devout Jew. But it is one thing to know that fact but is another to claim that Paul was nothing but an ordinary Jew living in the … Continue reading Paul the Innovative Letter-Writer
The Holocaust
Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849) is my (and I'm sure countless others') favorite Polish musician of the Romantic era. Nocturne No. 20 in C# Minor is special because this was the piece that Władysław Szpilman (1911-2000), the famed Polish pianist of Jewish descent, was playing during the live broadcast of a radio station right at the moment … Continue reading The Holocaust