Full Description
This book proposes a fresh understanding of the literary composition of Luke-Acts. Picking up on the ancient practice of literary mimesis, the author argues that Luke's two-part narrative is subtly but significantly modeled on the two-part narrative found in the books of Samuel-Kings and Chronicles. Specifically, Luke's gospel presents Jesus as the promised, ultimate Davidide, while the Book of Acts presents the disciples of Jesus as the heirs of the kingdom of David. In addition to the proposal concerning the composition of Luke-Acts, the book offers compelling insights on the genre of Luke-Acts and the purpose of Acts.
Contents
Acknowledgements
List of Figures and Tables
Abbreviations
1 Introduction
1 Rationale for the Study
2 History of Research
3 The Samuel-Kings Narrative Arc
4 Methodology: Narrative Criticism
5 Methodology: Philosophy and Argumentation Theory
6 Plan of the Study
7 Assumptions and Clarifications
8 Conclusion
2 Luke's Literary Environment: Second Temple Judaism
1 Luke's Text of Samuel-Kings and Chronicles
2 Samuel-Kings: Contents, Structure, Themes
3 Chronicles: Contents, Structure, Themes
4 The SKNA, Revisited
5 Samuel-Kings and Chronicles in Second Temple Jewish Literature
6 Summary and Conclusion
3 Luke's Greco-Roman Literary Environment
1 Genre and Text
2 Mimesis in the Greco-Roman Literary World
3 Luke and Mimesis
4 Summary and Conclusion
4 Luke the Chronicler: Fixed Points
1 Luke's Knowledge of Samuel-Kings and Chronicles
2 Core SKNA Themes in Luke-Acts
3 The Infancy Narrative
4 Summary and Conclusion
5 The Disciples: Heirs of the Davidic Kingdom
1 Heirs of the Davidic Kingdom
2 Royal Characterization throughout Luke-Acts
3 Additional Observations and Considerations
4 Synthesis: Royal Figures in SKNA 2 and Luke-Acts
5 Summary and Conclusion
6 Luke the Chronicler: Structural Features
1 Luke's Theological Geography and the SKNA
2 The Sequence of Major Characters in Acts
3 Speeches, Prayers, and Summaries in Acts
4 Luke's Approach to Historiography
5 Summary and Conclusion
7 Luke the Chronicler: Beginnings and Endings
1 The Beginning of Luke: Luke's Preface
2 The Ending of Luke: Preparing for Kingdom and Temple
3 The Beginning of Acts: The New Temple
4 The Ending of Acts: A King at the End of the Earth
5 Summary and Conclusion
8 Conclusion
1 Summary
2 The SKNA in Luke-Acts: Collected Parallels
3 The Samuel-Kings Narrative Arc
4 Hermeneutical Implications
5 Theological Implications
6 For Further Study
7 Conclusion: Luke the Chronicler and the Purpose of Acts
Appendix: Bayes' Theorem
Bibliography
