1 Thessalonians. For Further Reading

[00:00:01] First Thessalonians for further reading By Bart D. Ehrman Read by John Paul Middlesworth. [00:00:08] Here is a list of readings on 1 Thessalonians, most of which are relevant to all the disputed Pauline epistles, with a couple of commentaries specifically on this significant short letter. One benefit of serious commentaries is that they always begin by discussing major critical issues in understanding a book authorship, date, historical context, major themes, disputed issues, and so on. [00:00:33] I devote a fuller discussion of 1 Thessalonians an entire chapter in my textbook. Bart Ehrman and Hugo Mendez, the New A Historical Introduction to the Early Christian Writings, 8th edition, Oxford University Press, 2024. [00:00:48] It's in chapter 30. That's a good place to start for a fuller exposition of what I've given here in my nutshell posts. If you have an earlier edition of the book, it will be pretty much the same except for the expanded bibliography. [00:01:02] David the New Testament in its literary environment, Westminster, 1987. [00:01:08] Includes a superb discussion of the practices of letter writing in Greco Roman antiquity as the social context for Paul's epistles. [00:01:17] J. Christian Becker, Paul the Apostle the Triumph of God in Life and thought, Fortress, 1980. A sophisticated and astute discussion of the apocalyptic character of Paul's theology and its various forms of expression in different situations that the apostle confronted for advanced students. [00:01:35] F.F. bruce, Apostle of the Heart Set Free, A full study of Paul's life and teachings by a major evangelical Christian scholar. [00:01:47] James D. Dunn, the Theology of Paul the Apostle, A clear and full overview of the major theological views of Paul by a leading British New Testament scholar. [00:01:59] Neil Elliot and Mark Documents and Images for the Study of Paul. Fortress Press, 2011. [00:02:07] An extremely useful collection of ancient Greek, Roman, and Jewish sources and photographs of material remains for example, archaeological discoveries that illuminate the teachings of Paul. [00:02:19] Albert Paul the Apostle, His Life and Legacy in Their Roman Context. Cambridge University Press, 2012. [00:02:27] One of the most informed studies of Paul in recent times, this highly informative biography situates the apostle carefully in his own social world. [00:02:37] Gerald Hawthorne and Ralph Martin, Dictionary of Paul and his letters. InterVarsity, 1993. [00:02:44] A Bible dictionary that contains over 200 articles on various topics relating to the life and writings of Paul. Written by prominent evangelical scholars whom on several major issues take a different perspective from the one presented here. For example, the authorship of the Deutero, Pauline and Pastoral epistles. [00:03:03] Morna Dorothy Hooker, A short introduction. One World, 2003. [00:03:09] A very useful introduction to the life and letters of Paul. A good place for students to begin. [00:03:15] Han Joseph Clauck, Ancient Letters and the New Testament Baylor University Press, 2006. [00:03:22] An authoritative account of how letters were composed in the Greco Roman world in general, with numerous examples, and in the New Testament in particular. [00:03:31] Wayne Meek's the First Urban the Social World of the Apostle Paul, second edition. Yale University Press, 2003. [00:03:40] And impressive and highly influential study that explores the Pauline epistles from a socio historical rather than theological perspective for more advanced students. [00:03:51] Wayne Meeks and John Fitzgerald, The Writings of St. Paul Annotated Texts, Reception and Criticism, 2nd Edition. Norton, 2007. [00:04:02] An edition of Paul's writings with useful notes and a collection of important and classical essays written by a range of scholars and intellectuals, from philosophers to playwrights to historians, on the historical and religious significance of Paul. [00:04:18] Calvin, the Letters of Conversations in Context. [00:04:23] Westminster, John Knox, 2015. [00:04:26] Perhaps the best introductory discussion of each of the Pauline Epistles. [00:04:31] N.T. wright, Paul in Fresh Perspective. Fortress Press, 2005. [00:04:37] An Accessible Introduction to Paul from a historical and especially theological perspective by a leading British scholar of the New Testament commentaries. Gordon Fee, 1st and 2nd Thessalonians. Eerdmans, 2009. A fine commentary by a leading evangelical scholar who is remarkably good at detailed interpretation. [00:05:01] Online Resources Hugo Mendez, Exploring the New Testament a 27 lecture course on the New Testament, including multiple lectures on Paul and his letters. [00:05:12] There's a link to it in the online version of this post.