At a time when increasingly specialized monographs pour off the academic presses, it is good news to be able to welcome an up-to-date (and cheap!) book which does an admirable job surveying a wide field and serving up a range of scholarship in an easily digestible form. Ziesler’s book is written for the Oxford Bible Series, a series of ten volumes designed to give to a ‘general readership’ a broad view of the topics and problems in biblical studies. This ensures that the style is never over-technical and the specialized vocabulary is carefully explained. Its place in the series also determines the character of this book as a survey of the main themes of Pauline theology: questions of introduction and dating are left largely on one side and the bulk of the book is devoted to discussing and clarifying the most important features of Paul’s thought.

Ziesler packs so much into 144 pages of text that it is impossible to do more here than give a few samples of his conclusions. After introductory chapters concerning sources and Paul’s inheritance, Ziesler launches into Paul’s theology via his Christology; although we may not be able to find any one ‘centre’ of Paul’s thought, Christology is the best place to start as it is ‘where Paul himself started’ (p. 27). The study of various Christological titles and roles leads into a discussion of corporate language about Christ (‘in Christ’, ‘the body of Christ’, etc.); the right way to understand this language is in terms of Christ’s ‘sphere of power’ (pp. 60–61). When it comes to salvation, Paul’s soteriology is taken to be based on his acceptance of Christ as ‘solution’: it was only this that enabled Paul to ‘see with new eyes what the problem was’ (p. 24). Indeed, it is better to talk of Paul’s ‘call’ than his ‘conversion’; he did not become a Christian because he was dissatisfied with the Law, for he ‘encountered Christ before he saw anything wrong in contemporary Judaism’ (p. 103). The question of why Paul attacked justification by works of the Law is raised in the light of E. P. Sanders’ insistence that Palestinian Judaism was not self-righteously legalistic. A number of possible explanations are considered though none are judged to be convincing. Justification means ‘the act of restoring people to their proper relationship with God’ (p. 85) and can be distinguished from righteousness, which is ‘how one lives within that restored relationship’ (p. 96; cf. Ziesler’s monograph on The Meaning of Righteousness in Paul, 1972). However, Paul’s ethics are not based on justification but on ‘being under the authority and power of Christ and the Spirit’ (p. 111). At various points throughout these discussions key passages are dealt with in more detail. Finally, a separate chapter deals with the influence of Paul in the New Testament and beyond. Here the disputed letters (Eph., Col., 2 Thes. and the Pastorals) are treated in turn and their distinctive theological perspectives are outlined; in most cases the authorship question receives an open verdict although evidence is marshalled against the Pastorals.

No two students of Paul see exactly eye to eye about how to approach Pauline theology and under what headings to organize its themes. Thus, inevitably, one could take exception to Ziesler’s treatment at a number of points. To my mind it is a pity that the discussion of the Law is not brought into closer relation with Paul’s ministry to Gentiles and his understanding of Christ and Israel. Similarly the discussion of Paul’s eschatology is spread over a number of other topics and thus never seen in its proper role determining all the rest of Paul’s theology and ethics. Moreover, there are obvious drawbacks in discussing any such theological themes in abstraction from their concrete setting in Paul’s varied struggles with his churches.

But these are all minor cavils in comparison with the value of this book as a clear and concise introduction to Pauline theology. I have already made extensive use of it as a textbook for first-year students in an introductory course on Paul and found it most helpful. Certainly it needs to be supplemented if one is to enter into the issues in any depth (it is a shame that the Bibliography is not rather fuller); but as a lucid guide into a fascinating terrain it is to be highly recommended.