Episode 84: Nijay Gupta and Melissa Barciela Mandala

Joel spoke with repeat guest Nijay Gupta and first-time guest Melissa Barciela Mandala about Paul's notion of "love." They discuss the impulse to find a "theological center" to Paul's New Testament writings, the success of Nijay's attempt to locate the love of God as this "center," and of course, what we are all currently reading and enjoying.

Nijay K. Gupta is Julius R. Mantey Professor of New Testament at Northern Seminary. He is co-editor of the Dictionary of Paul and His Letters (2nd ed.), The State of New Testament Studies, The State of Pauline Studies, and serves as a senior translator for the New Living Translation. His publications include Paul and the Language of Faith, A Beginner’s Guide to New Testament Studies, Strange Religion, and commentaries on Galatians, Philippians, Colossians, and 1–2 Thessalonians, as well as his brand-new publication from Eerdmans The Affections of Christ Jesus, which will be the focus of our conversation today.

Melissa J. Barciela Mandala is Assistant Professor of New Testament at Palm Beach Atlantic University and works primarily in Pauline studies. A revised version of her doctoral dissertation entitled The Suffering Body as a Site of Virtue Formation in Philippians is forthcoming with Mohr Siebeck. Her research focused on the apostle Paul’s view of the body and suffering within his ancient philosophical context. The subjects of current and past work include various approaches to Paul’s Letter to the Romans, virtue ethics in relation to Paul, and explorations of comparative methodology in biblical studies more broadly.

 Books Mentioned in this Episode:

If you’d like to order any of the following books, we encourage you to do so from Hearts and Minds Books(An independent bookstore in Dallastown, PA, run by Byron and Beth Borger) 

• The Affections of Christ Jesus: Love at the Heart of Paul's Theology by Nijay Gupta
• The Suffering Body as a Site of Virtue Formation in Philippians by Melissa Barciela Mandala (forthcoming)
• 1 Corinthians: A Theological, Pastoral and Missional Commentary by Michael Gorman
• Colossians and Philemon (Word and Spirit Commentary on the New Testament) by Holly Beers
• The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van Der Kolk
• Remembering Paul: Ancient and Modern Contests over the Image of the Apostle by Benjamin White
• The Sermon on the Mount and Human Flourishing: A Theological Commentary by Jonathan Pennington
• Life on the Silent Planet: Essays on Christian Living from C.S. Lewis' Ransom Trilogy ed. by Rhys Laverty
• Out of the Silent Planet by C.S. Lewis