Paul, the Letter Writer

Luther Stirewalts short study of the logistics of Pauls letter s is a helpful introduction to such topics as the nature of Pauls corres pondence, the delivery system for his writings, the function of those writings in the communities that received them, the purpose of co-senders named by Paul in his writings, and the unique classification of Romans among Pauls letters. Stirewalts presentation of these subjects is especially accessible for students, largely because the author works with a narrow focus on Pauls writings themselves rather than theories of ancient letter writing more broadly. Throughout the book Stirewalt demonstrates facility both with primary sources and examples of ancient Greek epistolary conventions, as well as with secondary literature that has sought to interpret and analyze those conventions and their implications for understanding Pauls writings. In the opening chapter Stirewalt presents some of the differences between the logistics of personal letter writing and those of official letter writing. Whereas personal letter writing was susceptible to many uncertainties in the production and delivery of correspondence, Paul took care that his writings were not. Paul wrote from within a community, surrounding himself with co-senders named in the salutation, scribes, greeters from the local congregation, commissioners and visitors from other churches (10). Similarly, his letters envisioned a specific community of reception. [Full Review]

This book is a small volume of 159 pages, including an appendix of translated letters from Welles, Sherk, Josephus, White, POxy 2108, and Demosthenes; a bibliography of 254 entries; and a scripture reference index. Stirewalt has written in his area of expertise, which shows in the primary resources accessed and the breadth of scholarship engaged. His footnotes are extensive and show strong interaction with the literature related to his subject. The bibliography is current. His foundational work is Studies in Ancient Greek Epistolography, a 1993 Society of Biblical Literature publication. In addition, Stirewalt has contributed valuable essays in different volumes on aspects of ancient letter writing. This present work now presents a reasoned thesis maturing from this study about Paul’s letter-writing paradigm. Stirewalt’s style is clear, lucid, and concise. This book easily can be read in an afternoon, but that is not to say the book is lightweight. In chapter 1, “The Logistics of Ancient Letter Writing,” Stirewalt presents his thesis that Paul patterned the preparation, delivery, and reception (the “logistics”) of his letters on the basis of his adaptation of official, administrative correspondence of Hellenistic kings and Roman emperors that suited his purposes more readily than did the actual parameters of personal letters. Official letters were memorialized all over the Greco-Roman world in a multitude of inscriptions and monuments all along Roman roads and within Roman cities. [Full Review]