Conversion in Luke and Paul: An Exegetical and Theological Exploration

This study explores the conversion theologies of Luke and Paul. For Luke and Paul conversion played an important role in the early Christian experience and Morlan offers a fresh look into how they interpreted this phenomenon. Morlan traverses representative texts in the Lukan and Pauline corpus equipped with three theological questions. What is the change involved in this conversion? Why is conversion necessary? Who is responsible for conversion?

Morlan presents theological and exegetical analysis of Luke 15, Acts 2, Acts 17.16-34, Romans 2 and Romans 9-11 and answers these questions, and, in turn, builds theological profiles for both Luke and Paul. These profiles provide fresh insight into the theological relationship between Luke and Paul, showing significant similarities as well as sharp contrasts between them. Similarities surface between Luke and Paul concerning the centrality of Christology in their conversion theologies. While showing a complex relationship between human and divine agency in conversion, both Luke and Paul understand successful conversion to be impossible without the intervention of an agency outside of the pre-convert.

Autorentext

Dr David S. Morlan is a Pastor at Fellowship Denver, USA.

Inhalt

Chapter 1: Setting the Questions
Chapter 2: Contours of Conversion in Pauline and Lukan Scholarship
PART I
Chapter 3: Luke, Repentance and the Parable of Conversion
Chapter 4: Acts 17.16-34 and Gentile Conversion
Chapter 5: Acts 2 and Jewish Conversion
Chapter 6: Conclusions to Part I
PART II
Chapter 7: The Power of Sin over Repentance: Understanding Paul's Radical Theology of Conversion
Chapter 8: Paul's Theology of Conversion: Romans 9-11
Chapter 9: Conclusion to Part II
Chapter 10: Paul and Luke: Comparisons and Conclusions
Bibliography