The Spirit, New Creation, and Christian Identity

Considering the importance of pneumatological themes for interpreting Paul''s argument of Galatians, Grant Buchanan explores how Paul draws from Jewish traditions of creation and the Spirit and presents a fresh cosmogony to the Galatian church. He suggests that Galatians outlines an epistemological shift in how Paul sees past, present, and future reality in light of Christ and the presence of the Spirit in the lives of the believers. The most crucial aspect of this new cosmogony is the centrality of the Spirit in Paul''s argument in Galatians 3:1-6:17, with Buchanan''s exegesis revealing that the Spirit, the Galatians'' identity as children of God and the new creation motif are not merely elements of Paul''s argument but intrinsic to it.Buchanan demonstrates that Paul renders Jewish and Gentile identities no longer valid, instead revealing that God''s favour and election is already with them by stating that those who have the promised Spirit are all children of God. He examines Jewish biblical and Second Temple extra-biblical texts that explicitly connect the Spirit to creation themes, including Genesis, Ezekiel, the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Wisdom of Solomon. Taking Galatians 6:11-17 as the body-closing of the letter, the new creation motif directly implies the activity of the Spirit in the creation of Christian identity. Analysing 6:15 from this pneumatological perspective, Buchanan argues that the new creation motif represents a key aspect of Paul''s generative cosmogony and pneumatology, indicating a far broader socio-cosmic transformation than previously assumed, and it becomes a key to understanding Paul''s argument.>

Préface
This volume explores the significance of Christian identity in Galatians through a pneumatological lens, illustrating how Paul built on his Judaic tradition to demonstrate the transformative Spirit and new creation through Christ.

Auteur
Grant Buchanan is Lecturer in Theology and Master of Arts Programme Director at Alphacrucis College (Melbourne Campus), Australia.

Résumé
Considering the importance of pneumatological themes for interpreting Paul's argument of Galatians, Grant Buchanan explores how Paul draws from Jewish traditions of creation and the Spirit and presents a fresh cosmogony to the Galatian church. He suggests that Galatians outlines an epistemological shift in how Paul sees past, present, and future reality in light of Christ and the presence of the Spirit in the lives of the believers. The most crucial aspect of this new cosmogony is the centrality of the Spirit in Paul's argument in Galatians 3:16:17, with Buchanan's exegesis revealing that the Spirit, the Galatians' identity as children of God and the new creation motif are not merely elements of Paul's argument but intrinsic to it. Buchanan demonstrates that Paul renders Jewish and Gentile identities no longer valid, instead revealing that God's favour and election is already with them by stating that those who have the promised Spirit are all children of God. He examines Jewish biblical and Second Temple extra-biblical texts that explicitly connect the Spirit to creation themes, including Genesis, Ezekiel, the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Wisdom of Solomon. Taking Galatians 6:1117 as the body-closing of the letter, the new creation motif directly implies the activity of the Spirit in the creation of Christian identity. Analysing 6:15 from this pneumatological perspective, Buchanan argues that the new creation motif represents a key aspect of Paul's generative cosmogony and pneumatology, indicating a far broader socio-cosmic transformation than previously assumed, and it becomes a key to understanding Paul's argument.

Contenu
Acknowledgements Abbreviations Introduction Chapter 1: Generative Cosmogonies: Antecedent Interpretations of Creation and Spirit Prior to Paul Chapter 2: Generative Cosmogonies: Antecedent Interpretations of Creation and Spirit Prior to Paul Chapter 3: Galatians 3:15 This One Thing Chapter 4: Galatians 3:64:11 The Blessing of the Promise Chapter 5: Galatians 4:126:10 The Spirit, Freedom, Identity and Praxis Chapter 6: Pneumatological Undertones in Galatians 6:1117 Conclusion Bibliography Index