Reviewed by:

• The Letter to the Romans: Paul among the Ecologists by S. K. Tonstad
• Jean-Claude Loba Mkole

Tonstad’s Earth Bible Commentary on Romans contends that Paul’s “Faith alone” theology “risks becoming a disembodied concept” unless it retains its connection with God’s faithfulness and its “incalculable ecological implications” (ix). The author uses a “widescreen reading” to argue that Paul’s theology is genuinely an eco-theology in that his appeal to the Romans by the mercies of God (Rom 12:2) is echoed by the cry for mercy from non-humans and the earth in the twenty-first century. According to Tonstand, God’s adjudication between “the weak” and “the strong” points to the problem in the Roman house churches (xii).

The commentary is subdivided in seventeen chapters. The first chapter places Paul among the ecologists in line with the patriarchs, priests and prophets (17–20). However, Tonstad argues that “Paul’s ecological credentials and aspirations cannot be measured by what he, Paul, is up to,” but by “what Jesus Christ, the one whose slave Paul professes to be, is up to,” which involves “compassion, awareness of the world, and sensitivity to the plight of others” (22).

In the second chapter the most famous readers of Romans are revisited: Origen (185–254), Augustine (354–430), Martin Luther (1483– 1546), John Wesley (1703–1791) and Karl Barth (1886–1968, p. 23). Among these, John Wesley has made a more significant contribution to ecological hermeneutics through his affirmation of the immateriality of the human soul (40). Tonstad reminds the reader that “non-human creatures are meant to be recipients of God’s mercy” through human action (41, 47).

The third chapter explores the addressees of Romans as part of the “human ecology of Romans” because “ecology has been described as ‘the science of relationship’” (49). On the one hand, the Roman population, which is estimated at 50 000 (50), is “distinctive . . . for bringing to light an extensive web of relationships exceeding what we found in other [End Page 418] letters” (67). On the other hand, Romans 1:2–7 has “anchored ‘the Gospel of God’ to the promises given beforehand ‘through his prophets in the holy scriptures’” (67). Owing to God’s faithfulness to the totality of his creation, these promises have been fulfilled in Jesus (Rom 1:1–4) and they provide hope to the whole creation (67, 68).

The fourth chapter deals with three main reasons for writing Romans: (1) preparation for soliciting support for the Spanish mission, (2) mediation between the “weak” and the “strong” and (3) a defence for the message of God’s faithfulness against the divisive counter-missionaries (98). In addition, it affirms “the Old Testament conviction that God will not—and has not—put the believer to shame” (74). Tonstad views the counter-missionaries in Rome as the “troublemakers in ecological terms” to whom Paul opposes his apocalyptic, inclusive and exquisitely world-aware vision (8:18–30; 86).

The fifth chapter exposes the first of seven questions in Romans (2:1–29): “Do you imagine. O ‘virtuous’ person (ὦ ἄνθρωπε) that when you judge those who do such things and yet do them yourself, you will escape the judgement of God?” (2:3). Tonstad argues that “Rom. 1.18–32 represents the views and diction of well-spoken troublemakers” while “Rom. 2.1–3 represents Paul’s determination to take them to task” (102), “denying the necessity of Gentiles’ circumcision (2.26)” (107). The ecological perspective of this section pertains to the fact that that which can be known about God has equally been made plain to the gentiles through creation, but they served creatures instead of the creator (1:18–32; 107, 114).

The sixth chapter provides details about the sinful condition of both Jews and gentiles in Rome (3:9; cf. Gal 3:22). For Tonstad, Rom 3:10–18 categorises the sin of the addressees in three types: “false thinking about God,” “debasement of language” and “resort to violence” (118). The propagandists of...

审核人：

• 致罗马人的信：保罗·托恩斯塔德（SK Tonstad）的生态学家中的保罗
• 让-克洛德·洛巴·麦考勒（Jean-Claude Loba Mkole）

汤斯达德的《地球圣经》对罗马人的评论认为，除非保罗的“仅信仰”神学“有可能成为无形的概念”，除非它与上帝的忠诚及其“不可估量的生态含义”保持联系（ix）。作者使用“宽屏阅读”来论证保罗的神学是真正的生态神学，因为保罗通过神的怜悯向罗马人发出的呼吁（罗马书12：2）被非人类和人类的怜悯之声所呼应。在二十一世纪的地球。根据托纳德（Tonstand）的说法，上帝对“弱者”和“强者”的审判指出了罗马家庭教会（xii）的问题。

注释共分为十七章。第一章将保罗置于与祖先，祭司和先知相一致的生态学家之中（17-20）。但是，汤斯塔德认为，“保罗的生态能力和抱负无法通过他的所作所为来衡量”，而只能通过“奴隶保罗自称是的耶稣基督所能做到的”来衡量，其中涉及到“同情心”。 ，对世界的了解以及对他人困境的敏感度”（22）。

在第二章中，对罗马人最着名的读者进行了回顾：奥里根（185-254），奥古斯丁（354-430），马丁·路德（1483-1546），约翰·卫斯理（1703-1791）和卡尔·巴特（1886-1968），第23页）。其中，约翰·卫斯理（John Wesley）肯定了人类灵魂的非物质性，从而为生态解释学做出了更大的贡献（40）。汤斯塔德提醒读者，“非人类的生物应该通过人类的行动来接受上帝的怜悯”（41、47）。

第三章探讨了罗马人的收件人，将其作为“罗马人的人类生态学”的一部分，因为“生态学被描述为'关系科学'”（49）。一方面，罗马人口估计为50 000（50），“与众不同。。。揭露了广泛的关系网，这超出了我们在其他[第418页]信件中发现的范围”（67）。另一方面，罗马书1：2-7则“将'上帝的福音'锚定在'通过他在圣经中的先知预先给出的应许'”（67）。由于上帝对整个造物的忠诚，这些应许在耶稣中得以实现（罗1：1-4），并为整个造物提供了希望（67、68）。

第四章论述了写罗马书的三个主要原因：（1）准备征求对西班牙宣教的支持；（2）在“弱者”与“强者”之间进行调解；（3）捍卫上帝忠实信息的辩护反对分裂的宣教士（98）。此外，它申明“旧约的信念是上帝不会-也不会-使信徒感到羞耻”（74）。汤斯塔德（Tonstad）将罗马的反传教士视为“生态问题上的麻烦制造者”，保罗反对他的世界末日，包容和精致的世界意识愿景（8：18-30; 86）。

第五章以罗马书（2：1-29）揭露了七个问题中的第一个：“你想像吗？一个“善良”的人（ὦνθρωπε），当您审判那些做这些事情但自己做的人时，您将逃避上帝的审判吗？” （2：3）。汤斯塔德认为，“罗马。1.18–32代表“口才很好的麻烦制造者”的观点和判断。2.1–3代表了保罗决心让他们去执行任务”（102），“否认了外邦人的割礼的必要性（2.26）”（107）。这部分的生态学观点与这样一个事实有关，即关于神的知识已经通过创造被平等地平分给了外邦人，但是他们服务于生物而不是创造者（1：18–32； 107、114）。

第六章详细介绍了罗马的犹太人和外邦人的犯罪状况（3：9；参加3:22）。对于通斯塔德（Tonstad），罗3：10–18将收件人的罪归为三种类型：“对上帝的错误思考”，“语言的贬低”和“诉诸暴力”（118）。的宣传...