THE BIBLIOGRAPHY ON ROMANS, as one might imagine, is immense. I list below only the most important commentaries and a few key monographs. The reader will notice that I have written another commentary on Romans, in the New International Commentary series. This commentary is much longer and more detailed, and has considerable more interaction with scholarly sources. Though I do not refer explicitly to that commentary often, the reader is invited to consult it for elaboration of points I make here.
One other note: Quotations from the Bible, unless otherwise noted, are from the NIV. Translations from the Apocrypha are from the NRSV. Quotations from the Pseudepigrapha are from The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha, ed. James H. Charlesworth (2 vols.; New York: Doubleday, 1983, 1985). Quotations of the works of Philo and Josephus are from the Loeb Classical Library series.
Technical Commentaries on the Greek Text
Cranfield, C. E. B. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans. ICC, new series. 2 vols. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1975, 1979. Intensive interaction with the Greek text, with careful grammatical analysis. Barthian in its theological stance and written before the “new perspective.”
Dunn, James D. G. Romans 1–8; Romans 9–16. WBC. Waco, Tex.: Word, 1988. Especially strong on Jewish backgrounds, with constant interaction with other scholarly viewpoints. The best representative of the “new perspective” on Paul in Romans.
Fitzmyer, Joseph. Romans. AB. New York: Doubleday, 1993. Good on introductory issues, the history of scholarship, and bibliography. Roman Catholic in theology, but not aggressively so.
Godet, Frederic Louis. Commentary on Romans. 1879. Reprint. Grand Rapids: Kregel, 1977. An excellent representative of the older tradition of careful exegetical and logical analysis. Especially important for its Arminian perspective.
Käsemann, Ernst. Commentary on Romans. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1980. A translation of a German classic, representing the post-Bultmannian perspective. Difficult to work through, but with many insightful hints at meaning and application.
Sanday, William, and Arthur C. Headlam. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans. ICC, old series. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1902. Good representative of the older critical approach, with brief exegetical and textual comments but with little theology or logical analysis.
Schreiner, Thomas. Romans. BECNT. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1998. A fine, balanced treatment, combining exegesis with solid theological insight. An important response to the “new perspective” approach to Romans.
Expositions
Barrett, C. K. A Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans. HNTC. San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1957. Frustratingly brief, but direct, exposition from a noted British scholar.
Bruce, F. F. The Letter of Paul to the Romans. TNTC. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1985. General treatment by the prince of evangelical Pauline scholars.
Calvin, John. Commentaries on the Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Romans. 1540. Reprint. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1947. Brief exposition from one of the chief Reformers, focusing on the essence of the gospel.
Lloyd-Jones, D. Martyn. Romans: An Exposition of Chapter 5: Assurance; Romans: An Exposition of Chapter 6: The New Man; Romans: An Exposition of Chapters 7:1–8:4: The Law: Its Functions and Limits; Romans: An Exposition of Chapter 8:5–17: The Sons of God. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1975. Insightful, theologically oriented exposition.
Moo, Douglas J. The Epistle to the Romans. NICNT. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1996.
Morris, Leon. The Epistle to the Romans. PNTC. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1988. Clear exposition from a broad evangelical viewpoint.
Murray, John. The Epistle to the Romans. 2 vols. NICNT. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1959, 1965. Steady, theologically oriented exposition from a Reformed perspective.
Nygren, Anders. Commentary on Romans. 1944. Reprint. Philadelphia: Fortress, 1949. Excellent example of a Lutheran theological approach to the letter, incorporating insightful ideas from the modern “salvation-historical” school.
Stott, John. Romans: God’s Good News for the World. Downers Grove, Ill.; InterVarsity, 1994. Clear exposition with application.
Stuhlmacher, Peter. Paul’s Letter to the Romans. Louisville: Westminster/John Knox, 1994. Translation of a brief exposition by a key German contemporary Pauline scholar.
Some Significant Monographs
Deidun, T. J. New Covenant Morality in Paul. Rome: Pontifical Biblical Institute, 1981. Stimulating theological study of the basic structures of Paul’s moral teaching.
Donfried, Karl, ed. The Romans Debate. 2d ed. Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson, 1991. Valuable collection of essays on the purpose and nature of Romans.
Fee, Gordon D. God’s Empowering Presence: The Holy Spirit in the Letters of Paul. Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson, 1994. Comprehensive and stimulating analysis of Paul’s teaching about the Holy Spirit and the life of the Christian.
Hays, Richard B. Echoes of Scripture in the Letters of Paul. New Haven, Conn.: Yale Univ. Press, 1989. Important and insightful approach to a key component of the argument of Romans.
Hultgren, A. J. Paul’s Gospel and Mission: The Outlook from His Letter to the Romans. Philadelphia: Fortress, 1985. Valuable, though universalist-tending, study of the gospel in Romans.
Laato, Timo. Paul and Judaism: An Anthropological Approach. Atlanta: Scholars, 1995. Very helpful response to basic issues raised by the “new perspective” approach to Paul, focusing on the critical issue of anthropology.
Munck, Johannes. Paul and the Salvation of Mankind. 1954. London: SCM, 1959. Ground-breaking study of Paul’s theological significance within a salvation-historical approach.
Piper, John. The Justification of God: An Exegetical and Theological Study of Romans 9:1–23. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1983. Excellent exegetical-theological study from a Calvinistic perspective.
Ridderbos, Herman N. Paul: An Outline of His Theology. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1974. The best treatment of Paul’s theology from the “salvation-historical” perspective adopted in this commentary.
Watson, Francis. Paul, Judaism, and the Gentiles: A Sociological Approach. SNTSMS 56. Cambridge: Cambridge Univ. Press, 1986. Interesting attempt to explain Paul’s argument in Romans against the background of social issues in the church.
Westerholm, Stephen. Israel’s Law and the Church’s Faith. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1988. Excellent survey of the “new perspective” on this key theological point with a reasoned defense of a more traditional approach.
———. Preface to the Study of Paul. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1997. A helpful teaching aid, applying the insights of Romans to contemporary postmodern thinking.