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Homebrewed Christianity

Matthew Novenson: Paul and Judaism at the End of History

Homebrewed Christianity

Dr. Tripp Fuller | Theologian, Philosopher, Minister

Religion & Spirituality, Christianity

4.6612 Ratings

🗓️ 31 March 2025

⏱️ 69 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In this episode, Dr. Matthew Novenson returns to the podcast after his move from the University of Edinburgh to Princeton Theological Seminary. We discuss his new book "Paul and Judaism at the End of History," which develops a radical reframing of how we understand the Apostle Paul: not as someone who rejected Judaism for Christianity, but as a Jewish thinker who believed that history had already ended with the resurrection of Jesus. We unpack into Paul's unique eschatological vision, his understanding of the resurrection, and how modern theological traditions often misread Paul by projecting their own frameworks onto his writings. Themes Discussed Paul's Jewish Context: The conversation highlights how Paul remained deeply Jewish throughout his life, challenging the common notion that he rejected Judaism for Christianity. The End of History: Novenson argues that Paul genuinely believed history had ended with Christ's resurrection, making his theology fundamentally eschatological rather than focused on atonement. Resurrection as Present Reality: For Paul, the resurrection wasn't a distant future event but something already beginning through the Spirit's work in baptized believers. Justification Reframed: The discussion reexamines Paul's concept of justification not as merely a way of "getting right with God" but as participation in the new creation. Keeping Paul Weird: Novenson emphasizes the importance of understanding Paul in his historical context rather than forcing him to fit modern theological frameworks. You can WATCH the conversation on YouTube Dr. Matthew Novenson is a distinguished New Testament scholar now teaching at Princeton Theological Seminary. His scholarship focuses on Paul's letters, early Judaism, and early Christianity. His latest book, "Paul and Judaism at the End of History," offers a fresh perspective on understanding Paul's theological vision and his relationship to Judaism. Novenson is known for his nuanced approach to historical interpretation that resists simplified readings of Paul through later Christian theological frameworks. Previous Visits to the Podcast Multiplicity at the Birth of Christianity Messiah, Lord, Logos, & Other Titles His books: Paul and Judaism at the End of History The Grammar of Messianism: An Ancient Jewish Political Idiom and Its Users  Christ Among the Messiahs: Christ Language in Paul and Messiah Language in Ancient Judaism Paul, Then and Now Theology Beer Camp | St. Paul, MN | October 16-18, 2025 3 Days of Craft Nerdiness with 50+ Theologians & God-Pods and 600 new friends. ONLINE CLASS ANNOUNCEMENT: The Many Faces of Christ Today The question Jesus asked his disciples still resonates today: "Who do you say that I am?" Join our transformative 5-week online learning community as we explore a rich tapestry of contemporary Christologies. Experience how diverse theological voices create a compelling vision of Jesus Christ for today's world. Expand your spiritual horizons. Challenge your assumptions. Enrich your faith. As always, the class is donation-based (including 0), so head over to ManyFacesOfChrist.com for more details and to sign up! _____________________ Hang with 40+ Scholars & Podcasts and 600 people at Theology Beer Camp 2025 (Oct. 16-18) in St. Paul, MN. This podcast is a Homebrewed Christianity production. Follow the Homebrewed Christianity, Theology Nerd Throwdown, & The Rise of Bonhoeffer podcasts for more theological goodness for your earbuds. Join over 80,000 other people by joining our Substack - Process This! Get instant access to over 45 classes at www.TheologyClass.com Follow the podcast, drop a review, send feedback/questions or become a member of the HBC Community. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:33.2

What is up theology nerds?

0:35.6

This is Tripp.

0:37.2

And returning to the podcast, my former colleague at the

0:42.3

University of Edinburgh, Matthew Novenson. That's right. He left Edinburgh for Princeton Theological

0:49.5

Seminary. And, you know, I'm just, I'm just here hanging out in North Carolina.

0:55.1

But that doesn't mean we can't be friends.

0:57.5

It doesn't mean we can't talk about his brand new book on Paul and the end of history.

1:03.1

It doesn't mean I can't invite him on here to help me keep Paul Weird A-F, because Paul

1:10.2

is really hard to understand and not just because

1:14.3

we're only getting letters. It's not like you said or not. Let me tell you what I'm thinking.

1:17.6

We also have a hard time understanding him because as Christians in the present, we read him

1:21.7

alongside all of our traditions. It's like that meme where there's like a million set of glasses

1:26.5

and it's like Paul, but then

1:28.3

there's one set, Augustine, then Luther, then Calvin, then maybe Bart or whatever. And you're

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