"This book is creative and courageous. From its pages there emerges a passionate biblical theologian who is capable of investing familiar concepts with new meaning in order to illuminate Paul's paradoxical conception of strength and weakness in the life of Christian believers. I do not know of a young New Testament scholar who gives evidence of contributing more to the future of Christian theology. His work has a great future in the academy and the church."Laurence Welborn, emeritus professor of New Testament and early Christianity at Fordham University
"In this model of attentive, theological exegesis, B. G. White opens up the riches of 2 Corinthians. By recovering the historical context of the letter in the pain both of Paul and of the Corinthians, he rediscovers the potential of Paul's 'strength in weakness' paradox to heal the life of the church, both in first-century Corinth and today. This revised, more accessible version of White's fine research is timely and enormously welcome."John M.G. Barclay, Lightfoot Professor of Divinity Emeritus at Durham University
"B. G. White's reworking of his monograph on 2 Corinthians is a rare achievement and a hopeful sign for the future of Pauline scholarship. It combines rigorous, attentive scholarship with a genuinely pastoral sensibility, without diluting either. Asfor academic vibrancy, this book represents one of the most significant recent contributions to the study of 2 Corinthians and, by extension, to Pauline theology more broadly. White effectively recenters the letter's theological and pastoral logic, moving beyond readings that treat it primarily as an exercise in apostolic self-defense. The result is a recalibration of how we read 2 Corinthians as Scripture for the church. But this is also why his project lends itself so well to pastoral adaptation. The natural integration of careful academic argument with reflective, discipleship-oriented reflections is something I hope will become more common in the future. In that sense, this book is also something of a flagship example of the kind of scholarship our churches and seminaries urgently need: intellectually serious, theologically alert, and pastorally wise."Chris Tilling, head of research and senior lecturer in New Testament at St. Mellitus College
“B. G. White’s Pain and Paradox in 2 Corinthians offers much for which to be grateful. On this fresh reading, 2 Corinthians does not pit Paul against the Corinthians or strength against weakness in a zero-sum contest. Instead, Paul and the Corinthians together stand as recipients of grace, through which both strength and weakness persist, mutually transforming one another through the presence of Christ.”Beverly Roberts Gaventa, Helen H.P. Manson Professor Emerita of New Testament at Princeton Theological Seminary
“B. G. White’s deep dive into the central motif in 2 Corinthians juxtaposes the pain of paradox (i.e., the discomfort of being unable to resolve problems that resist logical explanation) and the paradox of pain (i.e., the challenge of understanding how suffering or weakness belong to a world that God rules and loves). In arguing that Paul uses this paradox not simply to defend his apostolic ministry but minister to and transform the Corinthian community, White aids our understanding not only of 2 Corinthians but also of the way Christian pain participates in the strong weakness of the crucified and risen Christ himself.”Kevin J. Vanhoozer, Blanchard Professor of Systematic Theology at the Litfin Divinity School at Wheaton College
“B. G. White’s thoughtful and sophisticated study of 2 Corinthians helps us hear Paul’s pastoral voice again. White argues that Paul does not simply defend his ministry to the Corinthians but actually ministers to them throughout the letter, addressing their lingering pain and sense of weakness. Picking his way through the crowded scholarship on literary integrity and the identity of Paul’s opponents, White offers a reading where Paul’s paradox of ‘power in weakness’ is directly relevant to the Corinthians’ pain. Wrestling with Paul’s paradox of ‘strength in weakness,’ White proposes to see the paradox as a structure where strength and weakness are co-inherent and ultimately transform the believers’ inward-looking pain into outward-focused vulnerability. This is a fitting contribution at a time where power and weakness are construed as polar opposites both outside and inside the church. I am delighted that White’s astute exegetical and theological study is being published in an accessible form, where its pastoral relevance is clearly spelled out.”Dorothea H. Bertschmann, tutor in biblical studies at College of the Resurrection and honorary fellow at the department of theology and religion at Durham University
“This significant study makes a series of contributions to questions about the occasion, integrity, and interpretation of 2 Corinthians by identifying and emphasizing the letter’s pastoral purpose. Scholars, students, and ministers will all benefit from this deep exploration of the paradox and promise of strength in weakness.”Jonathan A. Linebaugh, professor of New Testament and Christian theology at the Beeson Divinity School of Samford University
