Legalistic Nomism: A Socio-Rhetorical Reading of Paul's Letter to the Galatians

Overview

This book is an interpretation of Paul's letter to the Galatians using socio-rhetorical criticism to see if Paul argued against any form of legalistic nomism. Legalistic Nomism is used here to mean legalistic obedience of the Law. While Martin Luther accused the Judaism of Paul's time as legalistic religion, E.P. Sanders rescued it and described its obedience of the Law as 'covenantal nomism'. Though scholars such as Stephen Westerholm, Jacob Neusner and D.A. Carson tried to dismantle the new perspective on Paul, Sanders' view survived. Therefore, this book takes on the task of reconsidering the conclusions of Sanders by looking into Pauline arguments against the Judaizers in Galatians to see if the Judaizers' gospel contained any kind of legalistic nomism.