Der Romerbrief als Gratwanderung: Eine Untersuchung Zur Abfassungsproblematik‪.‬

Der Romerbrief als Gratwanderung: Eine Untersuchung zur Abfassungsproblematik, by Angelika Reichert. FRLANT 194. Gottingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 2001. Pp. 366. 64 [euro] (hardcover). ISBN 3525538782. This study was originally submitted as a Habilitationsschrift for the Protestant Theological Faculty of the University of Munster (Germany) in 2000. It deals with one of the most difficult introductory issues concerning Paul's letter to the Romans, namely, the problem of its purpose (cf. K. P. Donfried, "False Presuppositions in the Study of Romans," in The Romans Debate [rev. and expanded ed.; ed. K. P. Donfried; Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1995], 102: "Current research concerning the purpose of Romans is in a state of confusion"). Reichert finds the diverse previous solutions unsatisfying, because, on the one hand, they do not account for the unity of the letter and, on the other, they do not consider the connection between the initial communication by letter and its possible future continuation face to face (see pp. 32-33).