Overview

As Paul’s Epistle to the Romans comes to an end in Chapters 12-16, we are offered fascinating insights into the everyday life of the church to whom Paul writes, and essential contextual details which shed light on the rest of the epistle. But the rest of the letter is so notoriously dense that these vital details are often missed, and the earlier chapters are read is if they were merely written for theology lecturers to expound rather than for the local church to ingest.  In Reading Romans Backwards, renowned New Testament scholar Scot McKnight demonstrates that fresh light can be thrown on Chapters 1-11 by first taking a deep look at Chapters 12-16.  Reading the letter in this new way, McKnight explores how Romans offers a message of deep reconciliation and living in fellowship as siblings – a message of vital relevance to today’s church.

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Reviews

""Anyone who begins reading Romans at chapter 1 verse 1 may be forgiven for allowing their attention to slip by the time they have reached chapter 16. In this important reading of Romans Scott McKnight offers a different way of looking at the letter - starting at the end, with the lived experience of those to whom Paul writes, and working backwards. It is a fascinating exploration of this most important letter and brings it to life in new ways. Highly recommended!"" -- Paula Gooder “Two things stand out from this fresh, creative reading of Paul’s greatest letter. Scot McKnight is a historian who grounds his exposition in messy, on-the-ground, first-century reality; and he loves the church and longs to see it attending not just to abstract theories about salvation but to the practical questions of how to embody the gospel in actual communities. Thus, whether or not you agree with all his interpretations, this book will compel all of us to think afresh about how Paul’s vivid theology challenges our often sleepy discipleship.” -- NT Wright ""When you are axle-deep in mud, backward is the only way forward. McKnight lifts, spins, and energetically pushes in a new direction. Hang on tight. The church and academy are careening down an adventurous new path."" -- Matthew W. Bates ""To read Romans backwards with Scot McKnight is to experience the epistle as a pastoral intervention directed toward believing communities under stress. Read backwards, Paul’s great insights concerning justification, grace, and faithfulness reveal themselves not as doctrines received from the sky but as Paul’s active work as a missionary theologian. Accessible to students and pastors, this book will provoke scholars to examine our assumptions about Romans as well."" -- Greg Carey

Anyone who begins reading Romans at chapter 1 verse 1 may be forgiven for allowing their attention to slip by the time they have reached chapter 16. In this important reading of Romans Scott McKnight offers a different way of looking at the letter - starting at the end, with the lived experience of those to whom Paul writes, and working backwards. It is a fascinating exploration of this most important letter and brings it to life in new ways/ Highly recommended! -- Paula Gooder When you are axle-deep in mud, backward is the only way forward. McKnight lifts, spins, and energetically pushes in a new direction. Hang on tight. The church and academy are careening down an adventurous new path. -- Matthew W. Bates To read Romans backwards with Scot McKnight is to experience the epistle as a pastoral intervention directed toward believing communities under stress. Read backwards, Paul's great insights concerning justification, grace, and faithfulness reveal themselves not as doctrines received from the sky but as Paul's active work as a missionary theologian. Accessible to students and pastors, this book will provoke scholars to examine our assumptions about Romans as well. -- Greg Carey

Author Information

Dr Scot McKnight is the Julius R. Mantey Chair of New Testament at Northern Seminary, Illinois. A globally renowned authority on the historical Jesus, early Christianity, and the New Testament, he is the author of numerous books including The Blue Parakeet: Rethinking How You Read the Bible, and The Letter to the Colossians in the New International Commentary on the New Testament series.

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