DID YOU KNOW?
The answer
E.P. Sanders. Paul and Palestinian Judaism (1977) surveyed early Jewish sources and argued they show "covenantal nomism" — in by God's covenant grace, obedience as response — rather than a religion of earning salvation. Paul's target then needed re-describing, and the argument hasn't stopped.
Why it’s interesting
The label came later: James D.G. Dunn coined "the New Perspective on Paul" in a 1982 lecture. Few monographs on ancient religion set off arguments that reach pulpits; this one did, with N.T. Wright carrying versions of it to general readers.
Scholarly consensus
You can know the Bible.
Not just the stories, but the history, authorship, and scholarship behind it.