Reading Romans in light of social identity theory

This essay provides an extended review on William Campbell's new commentary on the Epistle to the Romans in the T & T Clark Social Identity Commentaries on the New Testament series published in 2023. It evaluates the methodology used in this commentary and highlights some of the fresh insights Campbell's commentary offers and how social identity theory could be profitably used in understanding the inter-group hostility existing among the various groups addressed in the letter. This essay also considers how Campbell employs social identity theory in resolving the difficulty in reading Romans 9-11 on the question of the status of Israel. Implications of reading Romans through the lenses of social identity theory are also offered.