Paul and the Faithfulness of God . By

Wright. Christian Origins and the Question of God. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2013. Pp. xxvii + 1660. $89.00. The fourth, two-volume work in Wright's series, Christian Origtns and the Question of God, is his much-anticipated, full-length study of Paul. Wright begins with a detailed review of Paul's world. Four preliminary chapters on his Jewish, Roman, Greek, and popular religious milieu set Paul in context. There follows an exposition of Paul's worldview, presented through Wright's signature foci: Story, Symbol, Praxis, and Ouestion. The heart of the book is an explication of Paul's thought through the lenses of monotheism, elec.tion, and eschatology. His aim is "to re-think from the ground up all kinds of previously held views about Paul." Some may still question Wright's assertions, such as the strong challenge to the Roman Empire within Paul's writings, or continuing exile, or the authorship and provenance of Ephesians. Others will continue to disagree with his interpretation of specific passages, such as 2 Cor 5:21. But none can doubt that this is a landmark treatment of Paul, the standard against which other studies will be measured and from which fresh presentations of Paul will be generated for years