Irony of Galatians: Paul's Letter in First-Century Context, The

Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, Mar 2003 by Johnson, Richard W

The Irony of Galatians: Paul's Letter in First-Century Context. By Mark D. Nanos. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2002, XIV 876 pp., 826.00.

As improbable as it may seem, in The Irony of Galatians Mark Nanos proposes an apparently novel background for Paul's Epistle to the Galatians. Approaching this target cautiously, Nanos presents his methodology clearly, assesses the alternatives fairly, and presents his own conclusions reasonably. The thesis is announced in the prologue: Paul's conflict is with a group Nanos labels the "influencers . . . members of the larger Jewish communities of Galatia entrusted with the responsibility of conducting Gentiles wishing more than guest status within the communities through the ritual process of proselyte conversion by which this is accomplished. . . . They probably understand themselves to be helping the addressees negotiate the uncertainty and marginalization resulting from their present identity as pagan guests, which is magnified by the present nontraditional expectations of the addressees within their subgroups" (p. 6).

This reconstruction of the context of Galatians begins with a careful examination of the character of the only primary source material (i.e. the epistle itself). Aware of the perils of circularity, Nanos focuses on the rhetorical character of the letter "rather than imposing some other larger construction" (p. 23). Based on examples of ancient rhetorical and epistolary conventions, Galatians is determined to be an example of a letter of ironic rebuke (pp. 60-61). Examining Paul's argument further, Nanos distinguishes between the situational content (written directly to the addressees), the narrative content (drawing on other events for supporting material), and the transitional seams. In his dissection of Galatians, Nanos places most emphasis on the situational discourse "to derive details of the exigence in Galatia that has provoked the letter, as Paul sees it anyway" (p. 62). The meticulous analysis defies summary, but is presented clearly and convincingly. Nanos takes seriously the Pauline emphasis on the dawning of the new age in Christ (p. 85); indeed, the disagreement between Paul and the synagogue on this point is at the heart of the crisis experienced directly by Paul's Christ-believing Gentile addressees and indirectly by the apostle himself.

According to Nanos, Paul's addressees discover themselves to be liminal individuals, marginalized with respect to their Gentile communities of origin and with respect to the community of those living in covenant with the God of Israel (p. 94). Whereas the influencers offer to resolve this marginalization by guiding the addressees through the final stages of proselyte conversion, Paul insists that the addressees are living already in covenant with God (a consequence of the dawning of the new age) and must not view themselves as liminals or as prospective proselytes (p. 96). The boundary between Jew and Gentile has not been obliterated, but the Gentiles have become "fellow heirs of Abraham while remaining members of the nations" (p. 99).

After a lengthy engagement with prevailing interpretations, Nanos provides a coherent argument supporting the details of his thesis and considering the implications of the proposal. Finally, a brief conclusion summarizes Nanos's findings (pp. 317-21). Throughout Nanos presents his argument clearly and reasonably, and he is to be commended for the quality of his work. His careful attention to the rhetorical character of Galatians and to the sociological issues involved in the Pauline mission are likewise praiseworthy.

Nanos has offered an interpretation of Galatians that solves some of the problems troubling NT scholars. Most significantly, an understanding of Paul and of Galatians is advanced that helps "interpreters escape the seemingly ineluctable conclusion that Paul denigrated Jewish identity and behavior" (p. 282). Nanos may have a personal interest in this problem, for in the prologue he confesses: "I am a product of many factors, not least the long shadow of the Holocaust, which claimed so many Jewish people, my people" (p. 4). Again, Nanos's work is significant and worthwhile, though here the resolution of one problem exposes another conundrum. To Paul is attributed the understanding that "Israel and the nations would together worship the One God, the Creator of all, together as one, although remaining Israel and the nations" (p. 100). Many evangelicals will find this two-covenant solution problematic.

Beyond this fundamental question other challenges can be mounted to elements of the reconstruction. Throughout his argument, Nanos suggests that the influencers may have been unfamiliar with (or even unaware of) Paul's message and mission. Is this suggestion plausible, particularly given Paul's experience with Galatian synagogues (Acts 13-14)? Perhaps Nanos would claim a North Galatian destination resolves this problem (Nanos is explicitly silent on the geographical destination; pp. 21-22, n. 7), but given Paul's routine of beginning with the Jewish population at the commencement of his work in a city, a change of venue would not seem to eliminate this question.