Galatians (Brazos Theological Commentary on the Bible | BTC)

Kathryn Greene-McCreight offers a fresh reading of Galatians. Her engagement with a broad range of theological interpretation, both ancient and modern, is impressive. Here is a rich compendium of resources for the theological interpretation of Paul's provocative letter.

—Susan Eastman, associate research professor of New Testament, Duke Divinity School

Greene-McCreight adds a rich and important contribution to the Brazos series. The approach is linguistically careful, responsibly resourced by a range of Christian and Jewish scholarship, and steeped in the (especially patristic) tradition of the church. The result is pointed and provocative in fundamental ways. The volume reads Galatians not in the context of post-Reformation debates over justification but as a decidedly Pauline proclamation of Christ-centered promise that can speak especially into a present time of conflict and confusion over bodies and gender. Moving verse by verse, and occasionally expanding into small essays of detailed and luminescent analysis, the commentary scintillates with a liberative freshness.

—Ephraim Radner, professor of historical theology, Wycliffe College, University of Toronto

This commentary makes it clear that Galatians is a pastoral letter primarily about an issue of fact, one which had implications for belief: the enforcement of circumcision on Gentile Christians. Greene-McCreight's work is informed by recent biblical scholarship, not least by firsthand appreciation of J. Louis Martyn and his insights. The specificity of the issue Paul dealt with problematizes the drive to universalizability and inclusivity; his message of liberation might have to be received in a register different from what we are used to these days. Accordingly, the exegesis is detailed, and close reading prevails over grand theorizing. It is also nicely informed by the wisdom of the interpretation of the Christian tradition.

—Mark W. Elliot, professor of biblical and historical theology, University of the Highlands and Islands; professorial fellow, Wycliffe College, Toronto