A thorough and complete exegetical and theological examination of the one of today's most pressing questions: What does it mean to be in 'union with Christ'?
Paul and Union with Christ is a theological interdisciplinary work that encompasses hermeneutics, historical theology, exegesis, and constructive/systematic theology. Part 1 provides a methodological review that sets the stage for the work Campbell will do.
Part 2 recapitulates the views of leading biblical scholars and/or theologians on 'union with Christ' starting in the late 19th Century with the work of Adolf Deissman (1892) and covering the major treatments of the issue up to Michael Gorman (2009). From this historical-theological analysis, Campbell frames the conceptual issues in play and prepares the reader for engagement with the biblical text.
The exegetical section, part 3, of Paul and Union with Christ is the heart of the book and contains 5 chapters. Here Campbell examines lexical data and literary structure as well as Paul's use of metaphor in reference to 'union with Christ'. Many of these chapters are highly technical and restricted to only discussion and examination of Greek phrases, but they also provide the necessary in-depth analytical study to adequately elucidate Paul's understanding of 'union'.
The final section of the book articulates a constructive theology of 'union with Christ'. This topic is examined in its relationship to the work of Christ--with which Campbell believes 'union' to be inextricably linked--as well as the trinity, the Christian life, justification, and a host of other topics.
Readers of Paul and Union with Christ will need to have at least one strong year of Greek, and preferably two. That is not to say that non-Greek readers cannot benefit, but the degree of benefit absent knowledge of Greek will be minimal.
