Products by Steve Runge
Papers by Steve Runge
A Discourse-Functional Description of Participant Reference in Biblical Hebrew Narrative
This paper contains the introductory chapter outlining my theoretical frame of reference for my approach to grammar; i.e. how does what I am doing reconcile with broader field of linguistics. It provides a quick introduction to a number of concepts that my other papers assume.
Pragmatic Effects of Semantically Redundant Anchoring Expressions In BH Narrative
Conference paper applying some of the claims from my dissertation to the narrative of Genesis 27. While the introduction is rather precise, the application of the principles will demonstrate how attention to pragmatics can positively inform exegesis.
The Exegetical Significance of Cataphoric Pronouns in Luke’s Gospel
This is an intentionally non-technical paper that provides a functional description of the use of pronouns to refer to propositions that have yet to be introduced into the discourse. All the examples are taken from the gospel of Luke, though the same device is regularly observed in other Greek texts.
Relative Saliency and Information Structure in Mark’s Account of the Parable of the Sower
This is a rather technical conference paper which looks at the use of word order and other prominence-marking devices to indicate the most salient parts of a discourse. The analysis if focused on Mark's version of the parable of the Sower, but also references the other synoptic accounts.
Teaching Them What NOT to Do: The Nuances of Negation in the Greek New Testament
The purpose of this paper is to describe and illustrate the basic patterns observed in the Greek New Testament. Based on this description, representative examples will be presented that demonstrate the exegetical payoff of careful attention to negation.
Joel 2:28-32a in Acts 2:17-21 - The Discourse and Text-Critical Implications of Variation from the LXX
The text of Acts 2:17-21 is generally regarded a quotation from the Septuagint (LXX). However, the number and nature of the departures from the LXX reading have led many to conclude that more is going on here than simple quotation. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the practical impact that these changes and variations have on the quotation’s meaning in the textual context of Acts 2.
Articles by Steve Runge
Review of Ivan Shing Chung Kwong, The Word Order of the Gospel of Luke: Its Foregrounded Messages
This work studies the word order of the Gospel of Luke and some of its prominent messages with consideration of systemic functional linguistic theories. The first part of the work focuses on the relative positions of four constituents (subject, predicate, complement and circumstantial adjunct) of different types of Lukan clauses (independent, dependent, infinitival, participial and embedded clause). The result gives some unmarked (typical or common) word order patterns and some marked word order patterns of all Lukan clauses. The second part traces the foregrounded messages of the Gospel based on their related marked word order patterns incorporated with functional linguistic phenomena. The result highlights the messages of Jesus' disciples and his parents' failure in understanding him, Pilate's crime of handing over Jesus and Jesus' predictions of his future sufferings and Peter's future failure.
Relative Saliency and Information Structure in Mark's Parable of the Sower
Levinsohn claims that the near and far demonstratives (οὗτος and ἐκεῖνος respectively) can be used non-deictically to encode relative thematic saliency of discourse referents, with οὗτος being used to mark the more salient constituent. In applying this concept to the Markan explanation of the Parable of the Sower, Levinsohn’s claim would indicate that the descriptions of the three unfruitful scatterings of seed are more salient to the writer than the productive scattering that bears fruit. The other synoptic accounts do not seem to make such a distinction in salience, using the near demonstrative οὗτος for both the unfruitful and fruitful plantings alike. Are there other means of analysis to either corroborate or overturn the view that the unfruitful plantings are more thematically salient in Mark’s account?
This study applies the cognitive model of Chafe and Givón, and the information- structure model of Lambrecht as applied by Levinsohn to the Markan explanation of the Parable of the Sower (4:14-20). The primary objective is to identify and analyze other linguistic devices, besides demonstratives, which might clarify the apparent prominence given to the unfruitful scatterings in Mark’s account. This study provides the necessary framework for comparing Mark’s pragmatic weighting of salience to that found in the other synoptic accounts in order to determine whether Mark’s version is consistent or divergent with the other traditions.
Blog Posts by Steve Runge
Who Cares About Participles? I Do!
This introductory post presents Dr. Steve Runge, who is a scholar-in-residence here at Logos Bible Software. The blog describes his project to annotate discourse function in the Greek New Testament and Hebrew Bible. It presents to us a really smart guy with a passion for explaining the exegetical significance and importance of discourse functions in language that non-academics can understand—so that sermons and lessons can take such things into account, resulting in better preaching and teaching.
Making of the Lexham High Definition New Testament
In this follow-up to the post entitled “Who Cares About Participles?I Do", Steve, inspired by a reader's question, discusses the grammatical principles used—and most importantly—the grammatical background necessary, to do the analysis without mis-applying the principle of 'backgrounding.'
Stylistic Variation or Intentional Shaping? A Look at Characterization in John 11
In this post, Steve wonders about the changes in names, or the orders of names, seen in the New Testament. A common answer to this kind of question has been that the changes represent “stylistic variation” by the writers, and are not very significant. Depending on your view of inspiration, you might not be satisfied with such an answer.
Study the NT Like Never Before!
This post speaks of the countless hours Steve has spent studying the devices that speakers and writers of all languages use to communicate, and tagging those devices in every book of the New Testament. Most of us use many of these devices in our everyday communication, but figuring out what they are, what they signify, and how to identify them in the Bible is something that the vast majority of people are not equipped to do.
Waiting for the Next Shoe to Drop, Part 1
Here Steve brings to light the literary devices use do create expectations in the minds of readers. These tools make for powerful communication and are quite useful for putting information into the reader's consciousness for later recollection or shading of text as it is being read.
Waiting for the Next Shoe to Drop, Part 2
This post is a follow up to tell you about another strategy that the New Testament writers used to create point-counterpoint sets. This device allows the writer to highlight important connections that they did not want us to miss.
Talking about What I Am Talking About
This post is about the fact that we do not often take much time to think about how and why we say things the way we do. We tend to just do ‘what seems right’ in the context. Studying how and why we use language has helped not only be a better English speaker, but has opened doors into studying the Bible in ways that were never thought possible.
Paying Attention to ‘This’ and ‘That’
In this post, Steve reflects upon Grover the blue monster of Sesame Street fame, and his treatment of "near vs. far"—heady stuff indeed. Steve assures us that, believe it or not, this information can really help our Bible study, especially in John’s writings.
Help from ‘Left Field’
Here Steve discusses looking at the parables that occur in more than one gospel and taking note of how they are used in each. He writes of having come across differences in wording which beg the question: ‘So what?’
Attention-Getters
In this post, Steve introduces one of the remaining concepts that is annotated in the Lexham High Definition New Testament and the Lexham Discourse Greek New Testament. The literary device is the repetition of information: key words to emphasize their importance, or known information to slow the pace of a story.
What's with All Those Extra Words?
This post is about adding extra words at different points to add more drama or flair, this being another one of the discourse devices found in the Lexham High Definition New Testament and the Lexham Discourse Greek New Testament. |