Reading 1 Peter After Supersessionism

""In this rich and engaging book, the product of many years of research and reflection, Kelly Liebengood argues that 1 Peter can and should be read in a non-supersessionist way, despite centuries of interpretation to the contrary. Combining detailed exegesis and scholarly engagement with a critical awareness of what is at stake theologically, Liebengood argues that the author of 1 Peter does not depict a new people--the church--replacing Israel as God's people, but rather invites gentiles to appropriate 'Israelhood, ' extending the people of the God of Israel to include gentiles as gentiles. Anyone interested in this fascinating letter, and the wider issues at stake, should grapple with this valuable study."" --David G. Horrell, professor of New Testament studies, University of Exeter ""In Reading 1 Peter after Supersessionism, Liebengood provides the most complete and thorough post-supersessionist reading of 1 Peter to date. Moving beyond the recognition that this letter is silent on the status of Jews in God's new salvific plan in Christ, Liebengood demonstrates that instead of replacing Israel with the church, this letter emplaces its gentile recipients in an Israelhood composed of both Jew and gentile. This book makes a significant contribution to the conversation of how to read 1 Peter in new ways that foster Jewish- Christian relations."" --Troy W. Martin, department of religious studies, Saint Xavier University ""Liebengood skillfully and sensitively navigates the intricacies of 1 Peter on his way to problematizing the traditional supersessionist interpretation of the letter. Interacting with the latest developments in the field and introducing creative solutions to questions that have long puzzled interpreters, he offers an informed and informative reading of the epistle, one that includes an innovative perspective on the 'Israelhood' that 1 Peter calls the gentiles to embrace. Petrine scholarship will long be indebted to this trailblazing work."" --Travis B. Williams, professor of religion, Tusculum University ""Kelly Liebengood gives us a comprehensive, compelling, and at times even gripping scholarly argument against supersessionist readings of 1 Peter. The addressees of the letter are gentile believers in Jesus the Davidic shepherd, who need reassurance amidst suffering that they are indeed the people of the God of Israel, that in Messiah they share a form of 'Israelhood' without replacing Israel. This book commands the attention of all future interpreters of 1 Peter."" --Douglas Harink, emeritus professor of theology, The King's University, Edmonton ""What does a New Testament letter that nowhere explicitly mentions Israel or the Jewish people offer for a post-supersessionist reading? First Peter is that letter, and Kelly Liebengood promotes a way of reading it that avoids marginalizing Jewish identity and interests. He suggests that 1 Peter participates in a Jewish restoration theology rather than a replacement theology. This is an important topic to grapple with, and I highly recommend this thoughtful book."" --Jeannine K. Brown, The David Price Professor of Biblical and Theological Foundations, Bethel Seminary, St. Paul, Minnesota