Paulus bis zum Apostelkonzil

Based on an exact explanation of the first two chapters of Galatians, Ruth Schäfer attempts a new reconstruction of Paul's early period. In doing so, she acknowledges the value of Acts as an historical source. In reconstructing the conditions under which Paul wrote the Epistle to the Galatians, she also describes the historical context of the first formulation of the Pauline proclamation of justification and characterizes this as a late form of Pauline Christology, favoring the position of the pagan disciples of Christ in the communities. It is here that Paul speaks as a Jewish theologian. In her study, the author emphasizes the pragmatic and social integrative components in the Pauline justification message more strongly than was customary in German-language literature up to now and supports a new Pauline chronology, thus providing a significant German contribution to the discussion on the »New Perspective on Paul«.