The Theology of Paul's Letter to the Romans

Klaus Haackers monograph on th e theology of Romans is the final installment of the New Testament Theology series edited by James D. G. Dunn. Haackers recent preparation for writing this volume includes his 1999 Romans commentary in the Theologischer Handkommentar zum Neuen Testament series and his short, 1997 introduction to the life and thought of Paul, Paulus: Der Werdegang eines Apostels. The purpose of the New Testament Theology series is to provide a lengthier book-by-book engagement with the theology of the New Testament writers than is typically possible given the size constraints of introductions and commentaries. The works in this series each aim to provide a nucleus around which a course could be developed (iii). Haacker begins his study by penning a chapter on introductory questions: Is Romans a letter or a theological treatise? What do we know about Paul, who wrote the letter? What do we know about the Romans to whom Paul addresses his work? What do we know about the circumstances, time, and place of its writing? Haacker argues that Romans is properly understood as a true letter, penned by the Jewish man whose biographical sketch is provided in Acts, addressed to mixed Jewish and Gentile congregations, written in a time of tension in Pauls own ministry with th e aim of addressing real tensions within the Roman churches. [Full Review]