Revisiting Paul’s Hymn to Christ (Phil 2:5-11)

Dear Colleagues,

Aim of Special Issue:

In a seminal collection of essays published in 1998 that focused on the Christology in Philippians 2, Ralph Martin remarked that the text of Paul’s famous “Christ-hymn” in Phil 2:5-11 “has not yet yielded its full secrets.” Martin called attention to “monumental landmarks” in twentieth century interpretations of this fecund passage, noting studies by both Lohmeyer and Käsemann, and then also by N. T. Wright. Recently, we have seen a new ground-breaking study of Phil 2:5-11 appear, with the colossal monograph by Crispin Fletcher-Louis, Divine Heartset (2023). In light of Fletcher-Louis’s unique and provocative claims, the scholarly landscape is due for a fresh assessment of Paul’s hymn from an array of perspectives, including rhetorical, theological, sociological, historical, literary, and grammatical. The purpose of this Special Issue is to gather together specialists from across the field of biblical studies to reevaluate the apostle’s rich and complex ideas as presented in this central portion of the epistle to the Philippian Christ-believers, while also attending to the way this passage is refracted across other parts of the letter. While in no way aiming to exhaust the riches of the hymn, we yet hope to delve further into the “fullness of secrets” that Martin envisioned a quarter century ago.

Scope of Special Issue:

This Special Issue will solicit contributions from major scholars working in the field of the New Testament, especially those focused on Paul’s letter to the Philippians. We will be inviting a number of scholars who are currently engaged writing major commentaries on Philippians (N. T. Wright, E.-M. Becker, Benjamin Schliesser, Matt Novenson, Samuel Vollenweider) or who have recently written commentaries on this epistle (Angela Standhartinger, Michael Gorman). The focus of the Special Issue is broad, as we invite any approaches to this particularly dense Pauline passage at Phil 2:5-11. The hope is that the contributions from these scholars together with the interaction sparked by the conference will allow for new avenues of insight into this unique spot in Paul’s writings.

Expected Impact of Special Issue:

It is hoped that the high caliber of contributors to the volume will draw a wealth of readers who are interested in the latest approaches to this high interest Pauline text. Its impact will be widespread, given the reputable profiles of those who we hope to contribute to the Special Issue.

We request that prior to submitting a manuscript, interested authors initially submit their proposed title and an abstract of 200–300 words summarizing their intended contribution. Please send this to the Guest Editor or the Assistant Editor Chelsey Chen (chelsey.chen@mdpi.com) of Religions. Abstracts will be reviewed by the Guest Editor(s) to ensure that the proposed manuscript properly fits within the scope of the Special Issue. Full manuscripts will undergo a double-blind peer review process.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Isaac Blois
Prof. Dr. Simon Walter Dürr
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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