In this project, which will result in a monograph due to appear with Cambridge University Press in 2025, Matthijs den Dulk develops a series of case studies that analyze different ways in which ethnic stereotypes were used or exerted influence on Pauline writings. Informed by recent empirical research on the impact of stereotypes, Den Dulk shows that paying attention to ancient stereotypes about Galatians, Corinthians, Scythians, Cretans and other groups sheds significant new light on the context, composition and content of Paul’s letters.
Den Dulk’s exegetical argument integrates analyses of the history of interpretation, which demonstrate that Paul’s letters were used to support modern conceptions of ethnic difference, including racist theories. This study thus raises important and timely questions about the content of Paul’s letters as well as their influence on subsequent ideas about race and ethnicity.