Michael Adkins

I am a first year PhD student. I have a BA in Biblical Studies and English Literature. I completed my MA in Biblical Exegesis (New Testament and Old Testament). During Undergrad, I read John Barclay's book Paul and the Gift, which for me, like many others, was a eureka moment. I have wrestled with many of Professor Barclay's ideas from different perspectives (literary, sociological, philosophical/theological) ever since. Although Professor Barclay offers a landmark study for Pauline studies, I intend to argue that the lens of "gift" is not the best way to view Pauline grace and ultimately does not contribute to disaggregate grace, which was one of Professor Barclay's chief tasks. My dissertation topic is on χάρις and Divine Grace in Pauline Literature and Greco-Roman philosophers (middle-platonism and stoicism). I contend that if we want to disaggregate grace in Paul and Early Christianity, we ought to place Paul in the context of philosophical discourse. This is especially true since all later formulations of grace (whether in Augustine, Aquinas, or Gregory of Nyssa) utlized philosophy to develop their theology/philosophy of grace. The dissertation then will seek to find a "philosophy of grace" in the Platonic and Stoic philosophers, if such a thing is present. From there, it will compare these philosophies of grace to Paul's understanding of grace.