Transformation in love in Paul s letter to the Galatians
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Date
2014
Authors
De Villiers, Pieter G. R.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Faculty of Theology, University of the Free State
Abstract
English: Paul’s Letter to the Galatians is known as a bitter defence of his “true” gospel of
faith against opponents who wish to impose their “false” gospel of works on the faith
community. This focus on the faith-works controversy has not been conducive to
attempts to read it in terms of the notion of love. This article seeks to reconsider this
position and to spell out the special role of love in the letter and its transformative
nature. In a first section, the approach to the theme is explained. After a discussion
of the polemical nature of the letter, the article analyses Paul’s presentation of
divine love in the letter as the origin of God’s salvific and transformative action
and of love as a divine characteristic, and how divine love marks the identity of the
believing community. The significance of love in the ethos and ethics of the faith
community is spelled out.
Description
Keywords
Transformation, Love, Paul's Letter to the Galatians, Controversy
Citation
De Villiers, P. G. (2014). Transformation in love in Paul s letter to the Galatians. Acta Theologica, 34, 143-163.