James Dunn (theologian) facts for kids

James Douglas Grant Dunn (born October 21, 1939 – died June 26, 2020), also known as Jimmy Dunn, was a very important British scholar. He studied the New Testament, which is a big part of the Christian Bible. For many years, he was a top professor at the University of Durham in England. He was known for his work on something called the New Perspective on Paul. He was also a member of the Church of Scotland and the Methodist Church of Great Britain.

Life and Education

James Dunn was born in Birmingham, England, on October 21, 1939. He earned several degrees from well-known universities.

• He studied Economics and Statistics at the University of Glasgow in 1961.
• He then earned a degree in Divinity (the study of religion) from the University of Glasgow in 1964.
• He completed his PhD at the University of Cambridge in 1968.
• Later, he received another advanced degree, a Doctor of Divinity, from Cambridge in 1976.

Early Career

After his studies, Dunn became a minister in the Church of Scotland in 1964. From 1968 to 1970, he worked as a chaplain for international students at Edinburgh University.

In 1970, Dunn started teaching at the University of Nottingham. He became a "reader" (a senior academic position) there in 1979. During his time at Nottingham, he also served as a local preacher for the Methodist Church.

Professor at Durham University

In 1982, James Dunn became a professor of divinity at Durham University. In 1990, he was given the special title of Lightfoot Professor of Divinity. This is a very important role in the study of theology. He retired from this position in 2003.

In 2002, Dunn was chosen to be the President of the Studiorum Novi Testamenti Societas. This is an international group for scholars who study the New Testament. Only a few British scholars had received this honor before him. In 2006, he became a Fellow of the British Academy, which is a major recognition for experts in humanities and social sciences.

Honors and Influence

In 2005, a special book called a Festschrift was published in his honor. This book included articles from 27 different New Testament scholars. They wrote about early Christian communities and their beliefs, especially about the Holy Spirit in Christianity.

Another Festschrift was published in 2009 for his 70th birthday. This book featured articles written by 17 of his former students. Many of these students went on to have successful careers in academics and ministry around the world.

New Perspective on Paul

James Dunn is especially known for his work on the New Perspective on Paul. This is a way of understanding the teachings of Paul, a very important figure in early Christianity. He developed this idea along with other scholars like N. T. Wright and E. P. Sanders.

Dunn and Sanders wanted to correct some older Christian ideas about Judaism. They argued that Judaism was not just about following strict rules to earn God's favor. This older idea was sometimes called "works-righteousness" or legalism.

Dunn believed that Paul's teachings were very consistent. He also had different ideas from Sanders about the meaning of "justification". This term refers to how people are made right with God. Dunn thought Sanders focused too much on individuals, rather than the bigger picture of how groups of people relate to God.

Key Works

James Dunn wrote and edited many important books and papers. Here are some of his most well-known works:

• Baptism in the Holy Spirit (1970)
• Jesus and the Spirit (1975)
• The Evidence for Jesus (1985)
• The Theology of Paul the Apostle (1998)
• Christianity in the Making: Vol. 1, Jesus Remembered (2003)
• The New Perspective On Paul (2007)