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{{Short description|American New Testament scholar}}
'''John Martyn Gurney Barclay''' (born 1958) is a British [[Biblical scholar]], [[History of early Christianity|historian of early Christianity]], and academic. He is the current holder of the [[Lightfoot Professor of Divinity]] at [[Durham University]] in [[Durham, England]] and is largely considered one of today's most influential New Testament scholars.<ref>https://www.dur.ac.uk/theology.religion/staff/profile/?id=2008</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.eerdmans.com/Products/6889/paul-and-the-gift.aspx|title=Paul and the Gift - John M. G. Barclay : Eerdmans|website=www.eerdmans.com|access-date=2016-08-24}}</ref>
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox academic
| honorific_prefix = <!-- see [[MOS:CREDENTIAL]] and [[MOS:HONORIFIC]] -->
| name = J. M. G. Barclay
| honorific_suffix = {{Post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|FBA}}
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| birth_name = John Martyn Gurney Barclay
| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1958}} <!-- {{birth date and age|YYYY|MM|DD}} -->
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| death_date = <!-- {{death date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD}} (death date then birth date) -->
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| nationality = British
| citizenship = <!-- use only when necessary per [[WP:INFONAT]] -->
| other_names =
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| known_for =
| title = [[Lightfoot Professor of Divinity]]
| boards = <!--board or similar positions extraneous to main occupation-->
| spouse =
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| parents =
| relatives = [[Oliver Barclay]] (father)
| awards = <!--notable national-level awards only-->
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| alma_mater = [[Queens' College, Cambridge]]
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| discipline = [[Biblical studies]]
| sub_discipline = {{hlist|[[New Testament]]|[[Paul the Apostle]]|[[history of early Christianity]]|[[Hellenistic Judaism]]|[[history of the Jews in the Roman Empire]]}}
| workplaces = [[University of Glasgow]] <br/> [[University of Durham]]
| doctoral_students = <!--only those with WP articles-->
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'''John Martyn Gurney Barclay''', {{Post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|FBA}} (born 1958) is a British [[biblical scholar]], [[History of early Christianity|historian of early Christianity]], and academic. He is the current [[Lightfoot Professor of Divinity]] at [[Durham University]] in [[Durham, England]] and focuses on the New Testament.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.eerdmans.com/Products/6889/paul-and-the-gift.aspx|title=Paul and the Gift - John M. G. Barclay : Eerdmans|website=www.eerdmans.com|access-date=2016-08-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160829034205/http://www.eerdmans.com/Products/6889/paul-and-the-gift.aspx|archive-date=2016-08-29|url-status=dead}}</ref>


==Early life and education==
==Early life and education==
Barclay was born on 31 July 1958 to Oliver and Dorothy Barclay.<ref name="WW 2017">'BARCLAY, Prof. John Martyn Gurney', ''[[Who's Who 2017]]'', A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 2017; online edn, Oxford University Press, 2016; online edn, Nov 2016 [http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/article/oupww/whoswho/U246136 accessed 16 Sept 2017]</ref> He is the son of [[Oliver Barclay]], who served as the General Secretary of the Inter-Varsity Fellowship (later the [[Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship]]) from 1964 to 1980.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/oliver-barclay-leading-light-of-the-inter-varsity-fellowship-8902460.html|title=Oliver Barclay: Leading light of the Inter-Varsity Fellowship|date=2013-10-24|language=en-GB|access-date=2016-08-24}}</ref> He studied classics and theology at [[Queens' College, Cambridge]], graduating with a [[Bachelor of Arts]] (BA) degree in 1981.<ref name="WW 2017" /><ref name="bio Dept">{{cite web|title=Professor John Barclay|url=https://www.dur.ac.uk/theology.religion/staff/profile/?id=2008|website=Department of Theology and Religion|publisher=Durham University|accessdate=16 September 2017}}</ref> He then undertook a Ph.D. in Theology (the latter focusing on Galatians). His doctoral thesis was supervised by [[Morna Hooker]].
Barclay was born on 31 July 1958 to Oliver and Dorothy Barclay.<ref name="WW 2017">'BARCLAY, Prof. John Martyn Gurney', ''[[Who's Who 2017]]'', A&C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing, 2017; online ed, Oxford University Press, 2016; online ed, Nov 2016 [http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/article/oupww/whoswho/U246136 accessed 16 Sept 2017]</ref> He is the son of [[Oliver Barclay]], who served as the General Secretary of the Inter-Varsity Fellowship (later the [[Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship]]) from 1964 to 1980.<ref>{{Cite web|url= https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/oliver-barclay-leading-light-of-the-inter-varsity-fellowship-8902460.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220613/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/oliver-barclay-leading-light-of-the-inter-varsity-fellowship-8902460.html |archive-date=13 June 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title= Oliver Barclay: Leading light of the Inter-Varsity Fellowship|website= [[Independent.co.uk]]|date=2013-10-24|language= en-GB |access-date= 2016-08-24}}</ref> He studied classics and theology at [[Queens' College, Cambridge]], graduating with a [[Bachelor of Arts]] (BA) degree in 1981.<ref name="WW 2017" /><ref name="bio Dept">{{cite web |title=Professor John Barclay|url= https://www.dur.ac.uk/theology.religion/staff/profile/?id=2008|website=Department of Theology and Religion|publisher=Durham University|access-date=16 September 2017}}</ref> He then undertook [[postgraduate research]] in theology and completed a [[Doctor of Philosophy]] (PhD) degree in 1986.<ref name="WW 2017" /> His [[doctoral thesis]] was titled "Obeying the truth: a study of Paul's exhortation in Galatians 5–6".<ref>{{cite thesis|last1=Barclay|first1=J. M. G.|title=Obeying the truth: a study of Paul's exhortation in Galatians 5–6 |url=http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.355877|website=E-Thesis Online Service|publisher=The British Library Board|access-date=16 September 2017|date= 1985|type=Ph.D }}</ref>


==Academic career==
==Academic career==
Barclay taught at the [[University of Glasgow]] from 1984 to 2003. In 2003, he was named the successor to [[James Dunn (theologian)|James D.G. Dunn]] as the Lightfoot Professor of Divinity at Durham University.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dur.ac.uk/theology.religion/staff/profile/?id=2008|title=Professor JMG Barclay - Durham University|website=www.dur.ac.uk|access-date=2016-08-24}}</ref>
Barclay's early career was spent at the [[University of Glasgow]], where he was a [[lecturer]] from 1984 to 1996, [[senior lecturer]] from 1996 to 2000, and [[Professor (highest academic rank)|professor]] from 2000 to 2003.<ref name="WW 2017" /> In 2003, he was named the successor to [[James Dunn (theologian)|James D.G. Dunn]] as the [[Lightfoot Professor of Divinity]] at [[Durham University]].<ref name="dur.ac.uk">{{Cite web|url=https://www.dur.ac.uk/theology.religion/staff/profile/?id=2008|title=Professor JMG Barclay - Durham University|website=www.dur.ac.uk|access-date=2016-08-24}}</ref>


He is the current chair of the British New Testament Society<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bnts.org.uk/society|title=About the Society {{!}} British New Testament Society|website=www.bnts.org.uk|access-date=2016-08-24}}</ref> and the former editor of the internationally recognized journal [[New Testament Studies]] (Cambridge University Press).<ref>{{Cite journal|date=2010-01-01|title=NTS volume 56 issue 1 Cover and Front matter|url=http://journals.cambridge.org/article_S0028688509990233|journal=New Testament Studies|volume=56|issue=01|pages=f1–f2|doi=10.1017/S0028688509990233|issn=1469-8145}}</ref>
Barclay has been the President of the [[British New Testament Society]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bnts.org.uk/society|title=About the Society {{!}} British New Testament Society|website=www.bnts.org.uk|access-date=2016-08-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161021190357/http://bnts.org.uk/society|archive-date=2016-10-21|url-status=dead}}</ref> He is the former editor of the academic journal ''[[New Testament Studies]]'' (Cambridge University Press).<ref>{{Cite journal|date=2010-01-01|title=NTS volume 56 issue 1 Cover and Front matter|journal=New Testament Studies|volume=56|issue=1|pages=f1–f2|doi=10.1017/S0028688509990233|issn=1469-8145|doi-access=free}}</ref>


===''Paul and the Gift''===
===''Paul and the Gift''===
One of Barclay's most recent works, ''Paul and the Gift'' (Eerdmans, 2015), has drawn considerable praise from scholars around the world. It has been hailed by [[Markus Bockmuehl]] and Tim Foster as the most significant book on Paul since [[E. P. Sanders|E.P. Sanders]]'s Paul and Palestinian Judaism (1977).<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Bockmuehl|first=Markus|date=August 2016|title=Paul and the Gift|url=|journal=Theology|volume=119|pages=382-284|via=}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.patheos.com/blogs/euangelion/2017/03/book-review-john-barclay-paul-gift/|title=|last=|first=|date=|website=|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=}}</ref> [[Douglas J. Moo|Douglas Moo]] has said it is "one of the best books on Paul’s theology in the last twenty years."<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://themelios.thegospelcoalition.org/article/john-barclays-paul-and-the-gift-and-the-new-perspective-on-paul|title=John Barclay’s Paul and the Gift and the New Perspective on Paul|website=Themelios from The Gospel Coalition|access-date=2016-08-24}}</ref> Paul Foster likewise proclaims, "This book will be not only much-discussed in Pauline scholarship, it will be much-prized for the genuine advances it offers in understanding Paul’s thought."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://cruxsolablog.com/2016/04/08/fosters-high-praise-for-barclays-paul-and-the-gift-gupta/|title=Foster’s High Praise for Barclay’s Paul and the Gift (Gupta)|last=Gupta|first=Nijay|date=2016-04-08|website=Crux Sola|access-date=2016-08-24}}</ref> ''Paul and the Gift'' was also reviewed by scholars in popular publications such as [[Christianity Today#Books .26 Culture|Books & Culture]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.booksandculture.com/articles/2016/janfeb/grace-redefined.html|title=Grace Redefined|access-date=2016-08-24}}</ref> and [[First Things]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.firstthings.com/blogs/leithart/2015/09/perfecting-grace|title=Perfecting Grace {{!}} Peter J. Leithart|access-date=2016-08-24}}</ref>
One of Barclay's most recent works, ''Paul and the Gift'' (Eerdmans, 2015), has drawn considerable praise from scholars around the world. It has been hailed by [[Markus Bockmuehl]] and Tim Foster as the most significant book on Paul since [[E. P. Sanders|E.P. Sanders]]'s ''Paul and Palestinian Judaism'' (1977).<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Bockmuehl|first=Markus|date=August 2016|title=Paul and the Gift|journal=Theology|volume=119|pages=382–284|doi=10.1177/0040571X16647869r|s2cid=171430282|url=https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:95e9392b-80dc-4b72-801f-6ab7dd9d42a5}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.patheos.com/blogs/euangelion/2017/03/book-review-john-barclay-paul-gift/|title=Book Review: John Barclay on Paul and the Gift |date=25 March 2017 }}</ref> [[Douglas J. Moo|Douglas Moo]] has said it is "one of the best books on Pauline theology in the last twenty years."<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://themelios.thegospelcoalition.org/article/john-barclays-paul-and-the-gift-and-the-new-perspective-on-paul|title=John Barclay's Paul and the Gift and the New Perspective on Paul|website=Themelios from The Gospel Coalition|access-date=2016-08-24}}</ref> Paul Foster likewise proclaims, "This book will be not only much-discussed in Pauline scholarship, it will be much-prized for the genuine advances it offers in understanding Paul's thought."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://cruxsolablog.com/2016/04/08/fosters-high-praise-for-barclays-paul-and-the-gift-gupta/|title=Foster's High Praise for Barclay's Paul and the Gift (Gupta)|last=Gupta|first=Nijay|date=2016-04-08|website=Crux Sola|access-date=2016-08-24}}</ref> ''Paul and the Gift'' was also reviewed by scholars in popular publications such as [[Christianity Today#Books .26 Culture|Books & Culture]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.booksandculture.com/articles/2016/janfeb/grace-redefined.html|title=Grace Redefined|access-date=2016-08-24}}</ref> and [[First Things]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.firstthings.com/blogs/leithart/2015/09/perfecting-grace|title=Perfecting Grace {{!}} Peter J. Leithart|date=14 September 2015 |access-date=2016-08-24}}</ref>


One of the insights from ''Paul and the Gift'' which has led to its very positive reception is the manner in which Barclay develops Paul's theology of grace. By setting this concept in the context of ancient notions of gift, Barclay discerns six key ways in which gift, and thus grace, can be conveyed in Paul. These are: superabundance, singularity, priority, incongruity, efficacy, and non-circularity.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Paul and the Gift|last=Barclay|first=John M.G.|publisher=Eerdmans|year=2015|isbn=|location=|pages=70–75|via=}}</ref>
One of the insights from ''Paul and the Gift'' that led to its very positive reception is the manner in which Barclay develops Paul's theology of grace. By setting this concept in the context of ancient notions of gift, Barclay discerns six key ways in which gift, and thus grace, can be conveyed in Paul: superabundance, singularity, priority, incongruity, efficacy, and non-circularity.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Paul and the Gift|last=Barclay|first=John M.G.|publisher=Eerdmans|year=2015|pages=70–75}}</ref>


In an interview with [[Christianity Today]], Barclay explains, "So while I disagree with the New Perspective in its sidelining grace within Paul’s thought, I agree with its emphasis that Paul was fundamentally concerned with creating new communities that crossed ethnic and social boundaries."<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2016/january-february/whats-so-dangerous-about-grace.html?start=3|title=What’s So Dangerous About Grace?|access-date=2016-08-24}}</ref>
In an interview with [[Christianity Today]], Barclay explains, "So while I disagree with the New Perspective in its sidelining grace within Paul's thought, I agree with its emphasis that Paul was fundamentally concerned with creating new communities that crossed ethnic and social boundaries."<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2016/january-february/whats-so-dangerous-about-grace.html?start=3|title=What's So Dangerous About Grace?|access-date=2016-08-24}}</ref>


===Criticism of N.T. Wright===
===Criticism of N.T. Wright===
Although they maintain a warm relationship, Barclay has been an outspoken critic of [[N. T. Wright|N.T. Wright]]'s work on Paul. This has led to several high-profile debates between the two, most recently at New College, [[University of Edinburgh|Edinburgh University]] on June 15, 2016 concerning each author's most recent books.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://larryhurtado.wordpress.com/2016/06/16/the-paul-dialogue-barclay-wright/|title="The Paul Dialogue": Barclay & Wright|date=2016-06-16|website=Larry Hurtado's Blog|access-date=2016-08-24}}</ref> They also debated Paul's relationship to the Roman Empire (the 'Paul and Empire' conversation) at the 2007 [[Society of Biblical Literature]] Annual Meeting in San Diego.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://cruxsolablog.com/2007/11/22/sbl-san-diego-review-part-1-sessions/|title=SBL San Diego: Review Part 1: Sessions|last=Gupta|first=Nijay|date=2007-11-22|website=Crux Sola|access-date=2016-08-24}}</ref> Barclay's plenary speech from this session is now published as a chapter in his most recent work ''Pauline Churches and Diaspora Jews'' (Eerdmans, 2016).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dur.ac.uk/theology.religion/staff/profile/?id=2008|title=Professor JMG Barclay - Durham University|website=www.dur.ac.uk|access-date=2016-08-24}}</ref>
Although they maintain a warm relationship, Barclay has been an outspoken critic of [[N. T. Wright|N.T. Wright]]'s work on Paul. This has led to several high-profile debates between the two, on 15 June 2016 at New College, [[University of Edinburgh|Edinburgh University]] concerning each author's most recent books.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://larryhurtado.wordpress.com/2016/06/16/the-paul-dialogue-barclay-wright/|title="The Paul Dialogue": Barclay & Wright|date=2016-06-16|website=Larry Hurtado's Blog|access-date=2016-08-24}}</ref> They also debated Paul's relationship to the Roman Empire (the 'Paul and Empire' conversation) at the 2007 [[Society of Biblical Literature]] Annual Meeting in San Diego.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://cruxsolablog.com/2007/11/22/sbl-san-diego-review-part-1-sessions/|title=SBL San Diego: Review Part 1: Sessions|last=Gupta|first=Nijay|date=2007-11-22|website=Crux Sola|access-date=2016-08-24}}</ref> Barclay's plenary speech from this session is now published as a chapter in his book: ''Pauline Churches and Diaspora Jews'' (Eerdmans, 2016).<ref name="dur.ac.uk"/>


==Selected works==
== Bibliography ==
* ''Paul and the Power of Grace''. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2020.

==Monographs==
* ''Jews in the Mediterranean Diaspora: From Alexander to Trajan (323 BCE to 117 CE)''. 2nd ed. Cornerstones. London: T&T Clark, 2018.
* ''Jews in the Mediterranean Diaspora: From Alexander to Trajan (323 BCE to 117 CE)''. 2nd ed. Cornerstones. London: T&T Clark, 2018.
* ''Paul and the Gift''. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2015.
* ''Paul and the Gift''. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2015.
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* ''Against Apion''. Flavius Josephus: Translation and Commentary 10. Leiden: Brill, 2006.
* ''Against Apion''. Flavius Josephus: Translation and Commentary 10. Leiden: Brill, 2006.
* ''Divine and Human Agency in Paul and His Cultural Environment''. Edited with [[Simon J. Gathercole|Simon Gathercole]]. LNTS 335. London: T&T Clark, 2006.
* ''Divine and Human Agency in Paul and His Cultural Environment''. Edited with [[Simon J. Gathercole|Simon Gathercole]]. LNTS 335. London: T&T Clark, 2006.
* (Ed.) ''Negotiating Diaspora: Jewish Strategies in the ROman Empire''. LSTS 45. London: T&T Clark, 2004.
* (Ed.) ''Negotiating Diaspora: Jewish Strategies in the Roman Empire''. LSTS 45. London: T&T Clark, 2004.
* ''Diaspora''. Translated by Paolo Bernardini. Introduzione allo studio della Bibbia 17. Brescia: Paideia, 2004.
* ''Diaspora''. Translated by Paolo Bernardini. Introduzione allo studio della Bibbia 17. Brescia: Paideia, 2004.
* ''Colossians and Philemon''. Sheffield Guides. Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 1997. Reprinted, T&T Clark Studies Guides. London: T&T Clark, 2004.
* ''Colossians and Philemon''. Sheffield Guides. Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 1997. Reprinted, T&T Clark Studies Guides. London: T&T Clark, 2004.
* ''Early Christian Thought in Jewish Conext''. Edited with John Philip McMurdo Sweet. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996.
* ''Early Christian Thought in its Jewish Context''. Edited with John Philip McMurdo Sweet. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996.
* ''Jews in the Mediterranean Diaspora: From Alexander to Trajan (323 BCE-117 CE)''. Berkley: University of California Press, 1996.
* ''Jews in the Mediterranean Diaspora: From Alexander to Trajan (323 BCE-117 CE)''. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1996.
* ''Obeying the Truth: A Study of Paul's Ethics in Galatians''. London: T&T Clark, 1988.
* ''Obeying the Truth: A Study of Paul's Ethics in Galatians''. London: T&T Clark, 1988.
==Articles==
* "The Gift and Its Perfections: A Response to Joel Marcus and Margaret Mitchell". ''Journal for the Study of the New Testament'' 39.3(2017): 331-344.
* "Interpretation, not Repetition: Reflections on Bultmann as a Theological Reader of Paul". ''Journal of Theological Interpretation'' 9.2 (2015): 201-209.
* "Pure Grace? Paul's Distinctive Jewish Theology of Gift". ''Studia Theologica'' 68.1 (2014): 4-20.
* "Faith and Self-Detachment from Cultural Norms: A Study in Romans 14-15". ''Zeitschrift für die neutestamentliche Wissenschaft und die Kunde der älteren Kirche'' 104.2 (2013): 192-208.
* "Under Grace: The Christ-Gift and the Construction of a Christian Habitus." In ''Apocalyptic Paul: Cosmos and Anthropos in Romans 5-8''. Edited by Beverly Roberts Gaventa. 59-76. Waco: Baylor University Press, 2013.
* "Pushing Back: Some Questions for Discussion". ''Journal for the Study of the New Testament'' 33.3 (2011): 321-326.
* "Meat, a Damaging Extravagance: A Response to Grumett and -Gorringe". ''Expository Times'' 123.2 (2011): 70-73.
* "Believers and the ′Last Judgement′ in Paul: Rethinking Grace and Recompense." In ''Eschatologie - Eschatology: The Sixth Durham-Tübingen Research Symposium''. Edited by Hans-Joachim Eckstein, Christof Landmesser, and Hermann Lichtenberger. 195-208. WUNT 272. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2011.
* "′I Will Have Mercy on Whom I Have Mercy′: The Golden Calf and Divine Mercy in Romans 9-11 and Second Temple Judaism". ''Early Christianity'' 1.1 (2010): 82-106.
* "Unnerving Grace: Approaching Romans 9-11 from the Wisdom of Solomon." In ''Between Gospel and Election: Explorations in the Interpretation of Romans 9-11''. Edited byFlorian Eilk and J. Ross Wagner. 91-109. WUNT 1.257. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2010.
* "Food, Christian Identity and Global Warming: A Pauline Call for a Christian Food Taboo". ''Expository Times'' 121.12 (2010): 585-593.
* "Paul and the Philosophers: Alain Badiou and the Event". ''New Blackfriars'' 91.1032 (2010): 171-184.
* "Paul, the Gift and the Battle Over Gentile Circumcision: Revisiting the Logic of Galatians". ''Australian Biblical Review'' 58 (2010): 36-56.
* "Manna and the Circulation of Grace: A Study of 2 Corinthians 8:1-15." In ''The Word Leaps the Gap: Essays on Scripture and Theology in Honor of Richard B. Hays''. Edited by J. Ross Wagner, C. Kavin Rowe, and A. Katherine Grieb. 409-426. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2008.
* "Is It Good News That God Is Impartial: A Response to Robert Jewett, ''Romans: A Commentary''". ''Journal for the Study of the New Testament'' 31.1 (2008): 89-111.
* "Security and Self-Sufficiency: A Comparison of Paul and Epictetus". ''Ex Auditu'' 24 (2008): 60-72.
* "′Am I Not a Man and a Brother?′ The Bible and the British Anti-Slavery Campaign". ''Expository Times'' 119.1 (2007): 3-14.
* "There Is Neither Old nor Young? Early Christianity and Ancient Ideologies of Age". ''New Testament Studies'' 53.2 (2007): 225-241.
* "Memory Politics: Josephus on Jews in the Memory of Greeks." In ''Memory in the Bible and Antiquity: The Fifth Durham-Tübingen Research Symposium''. Edited by Stephen Barton, Loren T. Stuckenbruck, and Benjamin G. Wold. 129-141. WUNT 1.212. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2007.
* "Constructing Judean Identity After 70 CE: A Study of Josephus's Against Apion." In ''Identity and Interaction in the Ancient Mediterranean: Jews, Christians and Others: Essays in Honour of Stephen G. Wilson''. Edited by Zeba A. Crook and Philip A. Harland. 99-112. New Testament Monographs 18. Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 2007.
* "′Offensive and Uncanny′: Jesus and Paul on the Caustic Grace of God." In ''Jesus and Paul Reconnected: Fresh Pathways into an Old Perspective''. Edited by Todd D. Still. 1-17. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2007.
* "Snarling Sweetly: Josephus on Images and Idolatry." In ''Idolatry: False Worship in the Bible, Early Judaism, and Christianity''. Edited by Stephen Barton. 73-87. T&T Clark Theology. London: T&T Clark, 2007.
* "Money and Meetings: Group Formation among Diaspora Jews and Early Christians." In ''Vereine, Synagogen und Gemeinden im kaiserzeitlichen Kleinasien''. Edited by Andreas Gutsfeld and Dietrich-Alex Koch. 113-127. STAC 25. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2006.
* "′By the Grace of God I am What I Am′: Grace and Agency in Paul and Philo." In ''Divine and Human Agency in Paul and His Cultural Environment''. Edited by John M.G. Barclay and Simon Gathercole. 140-157. LNTS 335. London: T&T Clark, 2006.
* "Poverty in Pauline Studies: A Response to Steven Friesen". ''Journal for the Study of the New Testament'' 26.3 (2004): 363-366.
* "′Neither Jew nor Gentile′: Multiculturalism and the New Perspective on Paul." In ''Ethnicity and the Bible''. Edited by Mark G. Brett. 197-214. Biblical Interpretation Series 19. Leiden: Brill, 1996.
* "′Do We Undermine the Law?′ A Study of Romans 14:1-15:6." In ''Paul and the Mosaic Law: The Third Durham-Tübingen Research Symposium''. Edited by James D.G. Dunn. 287-308. WUNT 1.89. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 1996.
* "The Jews of the Diaspora." In ''Early Christian Thought in Its Jewish Context''. Edited by John M.G. Barclay and John Philip McMurdo Sweet. 27-40. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996.
* "Paul among Diaspora Jews: Anomaly or Apostate?". ''Journal for the Study of the New Testament'' 60 (1995): 89-120.
* "Conflict in Thessalonica". ''Catholic Bible Quarterly'' 55.3 (1993): 512-530.
* "Thessalonica and Corinth: Social Contrasts in Pauline Christianity". ''Journal for the Study of the New Testament'' 47 (1992): 49-74.
* "Manipulating Moses: Exodus 2.10-15 in Egyptian Judaism and the New Testament." In ''Text as Pretext: Essays in Honour of Robert Davidson''. Edited by Robert P. Carroll. 28-46. Sheffield: JSOT Press, 1992.
* "Paul, Philemon and the Dilemma of Christian Slave-Ownership". ''New Testament Studies'' 37.2 (1991): 161-186.
* "Mirror-Reading a Polemical Letter: Galatians as a Test Case". ''Journal for the Study of the New Testament'' 31 (1987): 73-93
* "Paul and the Law: Observations on Some Recent Debates". ''Themelios'' 12.1 (1986): 5-15.


== References ==
== References ==
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Latest revision as of 10:50, 9 September 2024

J. M. G. Barclay
FBA
Born
John Martyn Gurney Barclay

1958 (age 66–67)
NationalityBritish
TitleLightfoot Professor of Divinity
RelativesOliver Barclay (father)
Academic background
Alma materQueens' College, Cambridge
Academic work
DisciplineBiblical studies
Sub-discipline
InstitutionsUniversity of Glasgow
University of Durham

John Martyn Gurney Barclay, FBA (born 1958) is a British biblical scholar, historian of early Christianity, and academic. He is the current Lightfoot Professor of Divinity at Durham University in Durham, England and focuses on the New Testament.[1]

Early life and education

[edit]

Barclay was born on 31 July 1958 to Oliver and Dorothy Barclay.[2] He is the son of Oliver Barclay, who served as the General Secretary of the Inter-Varsity Fellowship (later the Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship) from 1964 to 1980.[3] He studied classics and theology at Queens' College, Cambridge, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in 1981.[2][4] He then undertook postgraduate research in theology and completed a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in 1986.[2] His doctoral thesis was titled "Obeying the truth: a study of Paul's exhortation in Galatians 5–6".[5]

Academic career

[edit]

Barclay's early career was spent at the University of Glasgow, where he was a lecturer from 1984 to 1996, senior lecturer from 1996 to 2000, and professor from 2000 to 2003.[2] In 2003, he was named the successor to James D.G. Dunn as the Lightfoot Professor of Divinity at Durham University.[6]

Barclay has been the President of the British New Testament Society.[7] He is the former editor of the academic journal New Testament Studies (Cambridge University Press).[8]

Paul and the Gift

[edit]

One of Barclay's most recent works, Paul and the Gift (Eerdmans, 2015), has drawn considerable praise from scholars around the world. It has been hailed by Markus Bockmuehl and Tim Foster as the most significant book on Paul since E.P. Sanders's Paul and Palestinian Judaism (1977).[9][10] Douglas Moo has said it is "one of the best books on Pauline theology in the last twenty years."[11] Paul Foster likewise proclaims, "This book will be not only much-discussed in Pauline scholarship, it will be much-prized for the genuine advances it offers in understanding Paul's thought."[12] Paul and the Gift was also reviewed by scholars in popular publications such as Books & Culture[13] and First Things.[14]

One of the insights from Paul and the Gift that led to its very positive reception is the manner in which Barclay develops Paul's theology of grace. By setting this concept in the context of ancient notions of gift, Barclay discerns six key ways in which gift, and thus grace, can be conveyed in Paul: superabundance, singularity, priority, incongruity, efficacy, and non-circularity.[15]

In an interview with Christianity Today, Barclay explains, "So while I disagree with the New Perspective in its sidelining grace within Paul's thought, I agree with its emphasis that Paul was fundamentally concerned with creating new communities that crossed ethnic and social boundaries."[16]

Criticism of N.T. Wright

[edit]

Although they maintain a warm relationship, Barclay has been an outspoken critic of N.T. Wright's work on Paul. This has led to several high-profile debates between the two, on 15 June 2016 at New College, Edinburgh University concerning each author's most recent books.[17] They also debated Paul's relationship to the Roman Empire (the 'Paul and Empire' conversation) at the 2007 Society of Biblical Literature Annual Meeting in San Diego.[18] Barclay's plenary speech from this session is now published as a chapter in his book: Pauline Churches and Diaspora Jews (Eerdmans, 2016).[6]

Selected works

[edit]
  • Paul and the Power of Grace. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2020.
  • Jews in the Mediterranean Diaspora: From Alexander to Trajan (323 BCE to 117 CE). 2nd ed. Cornerstones. London: T&T Clark, 2018.
  • Paul and the Gift. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2015.
  • The Last Years of Paul: Essays from the Tarragona Conference. Edited with Puig i Tàrrech and Jörg Frey. WUNT 352. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2015.
  • Pauline Churches and Diaspora Jews. WUNT 275. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2011. Reprinted, Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2016.
  • Against Apion. Flavius Josephus: Translation and Commentary 10. Leiden: Brill, 2006.
  • Divine and Human Agency in Paul and His Cultural Environment. Edited with Simon Gathercole. LNTS 335. London: T&T Clark, 2006.
  • (Ed.) Negotiating Diaspora: Jewish Strategies in the Roman Empire. LSTS 45. London: T&T Clark, 2004.
  • Diaspora. Translated by Paolo Bernardini. Introduzione allo studio della Bibbia 17. Brescia: Paideia, 2004.
  • Colossians and Philemon. Sheffield Guides. Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 1997. Reprinted, T&T Clark Studies Guides. London: T&T Clark, 2004.
  • Early Christian Thought in its Jewish Context. Edited with John Philip McMurdo Sweet. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996.
  • Jews in the Mediterranean Diaspora: From Alexander to Trajan (323 BCE-117 CE). Berkeley: University of California Press, 1996.
  • Obeying the Truth: A Study of Paul's Ethics in Galatians. London: T&T Clark, 1988.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Paul and the Gift - John M. G. Barclay : Eerdmans". www.eerdmans.com. Archived from the original on 29 August 2016. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
  2. ^ a b c d 'BARCLAY, Prof. John Martyn Gurney', Who's Who 2017, A&C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing, 2017; online ed, Oxford University Press, 2016; online ed, Nov 2016 accessed 16 Sept 2017
  3. ^ "Oliver Barclay: Leading light of the Inter-Varsity Fellowship". Independent.co.uk. 24 October 2013. Archived from the original on 13 June 2022. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
  4. ^ "Professor John Barclay". Department of Theology and Religion. Durham University. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  5. ^ Barclay, J. M. G. (1985). Obeying the truth: a study of Paul's exhortation in Galatians 5–6. E-Thesis Online Service (Ph.D). The British Library Board. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  6. ^ a b "Professor JMG Barclay - Durham University". www.dur.ac.uk. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
  7. ^ "About the Society | British New Testament Society". www.bnts.org.uk. Archived from the original on 21 October 2016. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
  8. ^ "NTS volume 56 issue 1 Cover and Front matter". New Testament Studies. 56 (1): f1 – f2. 1 January 2010. doi:10.1017/S0028688509990233. ISSN 1469-8145.
  9. ^ Bockmuehl, Markus (August 2016). "Paul and the Gift". Theology. 119: 382–284. doi:10.1177/0040571X16647869r. S2CID 171430282.
  10. ^ "Book Review: John Barclay on Paul and the Gift". 25 March 2017.
  11. ^ "John Barclay's Paul and the Gift and the New Perspective on Paul". Themelios from The Gospel Coalition. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
  12. ^ Gupta, Nijay (8 April 2016). "Foster's High Praise for Barclay's Paul and the Gift (Gupta)". Crux Sola. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
  13. ^ "Grace Redefined". Retrieved 24 August 2016.
  14. ^ "Perfecting Grace | Peter J. Leithart". 14 September 2015. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
  15. ^ Barclay, John M.G. (2015). Paul and the Gift. Eerdmans. pp. 70–75.
  16. ^ "What's So Dangerous About Grace?". Retrieved 24 August 2016.
  17. ^ ""The Paul Dialogue": Barclay & Wright". Larry Hurtado's Blog. 16 June 2016. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
  18. ^ Gupta, Nijay (22 November 2007). "SBL San Diego: Review Part 1: Sessions". Crux Sola. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
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