Was Paul Tolerant?

Abstract

Challenging the “particularistic approach” to Paul deployed by William Campbell and J. Brian Tucker (according to which Paul allows Jewish and pagan followers of Christ to live “in Christ” without abandoning their former identities as Jew or Gentile), this article applies the “mutual intergroup differentiation model,” which emphasizes the importance of using vague prototypes to foster acceptance within a group. It further argues that modern interests and theological tendencies should not overly direct historical analysis.