Genre and Narrative Coherence in the Acts of the Apostles
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Overview
Focusing specifically on the issue of genre methodology in Acts, Bale’s work will have clear ramifications for the study of biblical texts in general. The first part of the work surveys the state of genre theory in Acts scholarship and demonstrates its inadequacy for both classifying and interpreting Acts. Bale constructs a new genre model rooted in contemporary genre theory, tackling the problematic issue in biblical scholarship of the relationship between history and fiction in literature. From this theoretical analysis, Bale presents a new, pragmatic model for genre, which is non-exclusive and heavily intertextual.
In part two, Bale utilises the model in three original readings, which draw heavily upon parallels from ancient literature. The first reading shows how a specific device at the beginning of Acts dictates interpretation. The second looks at the problem of Paul’s status as apostle in Acts from a narrative rather than a propositional perspective. The final reading explores several passages in Acts, which may instructively be read as incorporating themes and techniques from ancient comedy and related genres.
Key Features
- Argues for a new, creative perspective on genre for interpreting ancient texts
- Suggests that intertextuality may be more important to ancient genre than previously thought
- Detailed literarture survey contextualizes Bale's argument
Contents
- Part One
- Genre and Narrative
- A Survey of Genre Proposals
- The Theory of Genre
- History and Action
- Part Two
- Configuring the Narrative of Acts
- The Ambiguous Oracle
- The Configuration of Paul's Apostolic Status
- An Introduction to Comedy and Characterization in Acts
- Summary and Conclusions
- Title: Genre and Narrative Coherence in the Acts of the Apostles
- Author: Alan J. Bale
- Series: Library of New Testament Studies
- Volume: 514
- Publisher: Bloomsbury
- Print Publication Date: 2015
- Logos Release Date: 2017
- Pages: 240
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
- Subjects: Bible. N.T. Acts › Criticism, interpretation, etc; Literary form; Bible. N.T. Acts › Criticism, Narrative
- ISBNs: 9780567655936, 9780567655929, 9780567672025, 0567655938, 056765592X, 0567672026
- Resource ID: LLS:GNRNRRTVCTPSTLS
- Resource Type: Monograph
- Metadata Last Updated: 2022-09-30T00:17:46Z
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Sample Pages from the Print Edition
Reviews
1 rating
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Rev. Elton Wilson
11/3/2022
Tim Kuhn
9/11/2022
“Luke created a narrative that makes serious truth claims while taking advantage of many of the privileges of fiction, resulting in an entertaining and exciting text that maintains a rhetoric of veracity throughout.” It's either the word of God or it's not. If the text is fiction, then our hope in Christ is foolishness.
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