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Jana Riess: Paul’s letter to the Romans, says Bible scholar, is a must-read in Trump era — backward

Paul’s letter to the Romans is the pinnacle of the apostle’s theology — a dense, rich text that biblical studies experts have been poring over for centuries.

But I’m willing to bet that few of those scholars tried reading Romans from the end to the beginning, which is what evangelical scholar and popular author Scot McKnight does in his new book, “Reading Romans Backwards: A Gospel of Peace in the Midst of Empire.”

“Backmasking” Romans (the term refers to recording backward for effect, as the Beatles did on their song “I’m Only Sleeping”) gives us a totally different perspective, McKnight says.