Bøger i Studies of the New Testament and Its World serien

Poetics, the study of the making of literary works, regards the gospels as literature, in contrast to the historical-critical approach. Petri Merenlahti makes the case that poetics offers a vital critical tool to interpreting the gospels. But he argues that poetics must also be ''historical'', as perceptions of literary form and value are not fixed, but evolve and develop from one time and culture to another.Merenlahti provides a comprehensive account of the development and the state of the art of poetics and narrative criticsm. Through scrupulous methodological discussion and detailed analysis of gospel narratives, he also offers a potentially highly productive future programme for historical poetics in gospel studies.

In this ground-breaking study of Paul, Dr Adams focuses on Paul''s understanding and use of cosmological concepts, such as ''world'' and ''creation''.Adams brings to bear the most recently developed disciplines, including ''critical linguistics'', to the interpretation of Pauline texts, showing up, for example, the differing perspectives on the world of 1 Corinthians and Romans.He examines Paul''s historical and social context and illuminates the whole cosmological project of Pauline Christianity.

This is a comprehensive guide to the world of religion in the Graeco-Roman environment of early Christianity. The volume paints a carefully nuanced portrait of the Christians' religious context.