Reformation Readings of Romans

Without a doubt, Paul's Epistle to the Romans was a fundamental text for Martin Luther and the Reformers. Many of them, consciously or unconsciously, employed the epistle as an entrance into the scriptures. It is also during the Reformation that the foundational moves were made to allow New Testament scholarship to take on its modern form. The impact of the Reformation upon our understanding of Romans, Paul, and Christianity continues its wide-ranging influence upon biblical scholars, theologians, and beyond. This volume of essays provides presentations and analyses of several Reformation theologians' interpretations of Romans as a whole or in part. Some of the contributors focus on one particular interpreter, such as Erasmus, Luther, Calvin, Bullinger, and Bucer; others compare and contrast two or more of the major interpreters whether in relation to a particular section or the entire letter. The commonalities and divergences in the readings are analyzed in relation to and as a reflection of the various social, political, and personal circumstances of the Reformers. This collection serves as an important contribution to the fields of theology, Reformation studies, Church history, and the history of biblical interpretation. Book jacket.