When in Romans: An Invitation to Linger with the Gospel According to Paul

When reading the book of Romans, we often focus on the quotable passages, making brief stopovers and not staying long enough to grasp some of the big ideas it contains. Instead of raiding Paul's most famous letter for a passage here or a theme there, leading New Testament scholar Beverly Roberts Gaventa's When in Romans is a tour de force that invites us to linger in the apostle's letter to the Roman church. She asks that we stay with the letter long enough to see how Romans reframes our tidy categories and dramatically enlarges our sense of the gospel.

Containing profound insights written in accessible prose and illuminating references to contemporary culture—from Terrence Malick's film Tree of Life to songs by Bruce Springsteen—this engaging book explores the cosmic dimensions of the gospel that we read about in Paul's letter. Gaventa is eager that we see all of life through Paul's eyes, particularly on those overriding issues of salvation, identity, ethics, and community. As she guides scholars and laypersons alike through the book of Romans, Gaventa demonstrates that the gospel is far larger, wilder, and more unsettling than we generally imagine it to be.