Justin M. Smith Phd Thesis

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’S COLLEGE Why Bi,oj ?: On the Relationship Between Gospel Genre and Implied Audience A THESIS SUBMITTED BY Justin Marc Smith TO THE FACULTY OF DIVINITY IN CANDIDACY FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY ST ANDREWS , S COTLAND January 31, 2010 Declarations I, Justin Marc Smith, hereby certify that this thesis, which is approximately 80,000 words in length, has been written by me, that it is the record of work carried out by me and that it has not been submitted in any previous application for a higher degree. I was admitted as a research student in September, 2005 and as a candidate for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in April, 2006; the higher study for which this is a record was carried out in the University of St Andrews between 2005 and 2010. Date ___________________ Signature of Candidate____________________________ I hereby certify that the candidate has fulfilled the conditions of the Resolution and Regulations appropriate for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the University of St Andrews and that the candidate is qualified to submit this thesis in application for that degree. Date____________________ Signature of Supervisor___________________________ i Copyright In submitting this thesis to the University of St Andrews we understand that we are giving permission for it to be made available for use in accordance with the regulations of the University Library for the time being in force, subject to any copyright vested in the work not being affected thereby. We also understand that the title and the abstract will be published, and that a copy of the work may be made and supplied to any bona fide library or research worker, that my thesis will be electronically accessible for personal or research use unless exempt by award of an embargo as requested below, and that the library has the right to migrate my thesis into new electronic forms as required to ensure continued access to the thesis. We have obtained any third-party copyright permissions that may be required in order to allow such access and migration, or have requested the appropriate embargo below. The following is an agreed request by candidate and supervisor regarding the electronic publication of this thesis: Access to printed copy and electronic publication of thesis through the University of St Andrews. Date _______________ Signature of Candidate________________________________ Date _______________ Signature of Supervisor_______________________________ ii Abstract This thesis addresses the gap in the scholarly record pertaining to the explicit relationship between gospel genre and implied audience. This thesis challenges the consensus that the canonical gospels were written to/for individual communities/churches and that these documents (gospels) address the specific historical/social circumstances of each community. It is argued in the thesis that the Evangelists chose the genre of biography because it was the genre that was best suited to present the words and deeds of Jesus to the largest possible audience. The central thesis is supported by four lines of evidence: two external and two internal (Chapters 3-6). Furthermore, the thesis is bolstered by a new typology for Greco-Roman biography that arranges the biographical examples within a relational matrix. Chapter 2 is integral to the main thesis of this dissertation in that it proposes nuanced language capable of being applied to specific kinds of biographies with the emphasis on the relationship to implied audience. Chapter 2 sets the boundaries of the discussion of genre as a vital factor in potentially determining audience as well as raising the important consideration that genres are representative of authorial choice and intent. Chapters 3 and 4 take up the discussion of the two lines of external evidence pertinent to placing the Gospels within the relational typology proposed in chapter 2. Chapter 3 supports the main argument of the thesis in that it demonstrates that the earliest Christian interpreters of the Gospels did not understand them to be sectarian documents written specifically to and/or for specific sectarian Christian communities. The second line of external evidence, taken up in chapter 4, deals with the wider context of Jesus literature in the second/third century. We argue that these texts, if any of them are indeed biographies, were part of the wider Christian practice of writing and disseminating literary presentations of Jesus and Jesus traditions. Chapters 5 and 6 address the lines of internal evidence and chapter 5 deals specifically with the difficulty in reconstructing the various gospel communities that might lie behind the gospel texts. It is argued that the genre of biography does not allow us to reconstruct these communities with any detail. Finally, chapter 6 is concerned with the ‘all nations’ motif present in all four of the canonical gospels. The ‘all nations’ and ‘sending’ motifs in the Gospels suggest an evangelistic tone for the Gospels and further suggest an ideal secondary audience beyond those who could be identified as Christian. iii Aknowledgements The process of undertaking the writing of a PhD thesis (dissertation) is always an interesting one. While the end result is often viewed as the work of one person, the reality is that the process is often more collaborative than individual. To pretend that this work was completed purely of my own volition would do injustice to the process as a whole and would certainly ignore the varied and important contributions offered by many throughout the entire process. I was privileged to work directly with a number of gifted and patient supervisors over the course of my study. Richard Bauckham, who originally accepted me as a student and whom I credit with bringing me to St. Andrews, has been instrumental in the crafting and refining of the thesis at every stage. It was after reading his introductory essay in The Gospels for All Christians that I began to entertain the formative thoughts that would become this thesis. It was Professor Bauckham that guided me in the direction of many of the innovations present in this thesis and I am forever indebted to him for his valuable insight and supervision. Upon Richard’s retirement from St. Andrews I was fortunate to have Bruce Longenecker pilot me through a tumultuous and difficult year before turning me over to Kelly Iverson. I am grateful to Bruce for his encouragement and compassion during what was one of the most difficult periods of time. I cannot fully express how grateful I am to Kelly Iverson for his work and continued guidance not only on the thesis itself but through the examination process as well. I am fortunate enough to count Kelly as a trusted colleague and friend. Kelly helped usher me through the writing process and worked diligently and selflessly on the project. I am especially appreciative of the timely manner in which he was able to read and respond to various drafts of various chapters as we approached the deadline for submission. I will be forever beholden to Dr. Iverson. I would also like to thank my examining committee, Dr. Grant Macaskill and Dr. Stephen C. Barton. Their comments and insights have provided the necessary corrective to some of the deficiencies in the thesis. I am appreciative of Grant’s diligence in assuring that things were carried out in a timely way and I am especially grateful for his role as an advocate on my behalf. I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge and thank Dr. Ivor Davidson. Ivor has also been a great advocate for me and this project and has worked tirelessly to insure that the project reached completion. The thesis and subsequent degree would not have been possible if not for his efforts. I would also like to thank my colleagues at St. Mary’s College and in particular my colleagues in the Black Room. I now count them as trusted friends and I am thankful for their support, insight, contributions and diversions during the time we shared an office. Finally and most importantly I would like to thank my family and friends. I am indebted eternally to my wife Jayme who has been a constant support during our time together. She met me at an interesting time in my life and she has been a vital and important part of this process. She is the love of my life and that alone supersedes the scope of this thesis and whatever impact it may have. I would like to thank my parents, Fred and Linda, for their continued emotional and economic support, I love them dearly and I have been blessed with the best parents one could imagine. I would like to thank my brother Jason and his family for their love and support. I would also like to thank my close friend Scott Lambert for his love and support and for his willingness to continue to ask about and prod me on the state of my research. Finally, I am obligated to James Dewitt Yancey as he provided the inspiration for many hard nights and long days of work. iv Table of Contents List of Abbreviations ...................................................................................................... vii Chapter 1.

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