New Testament catena manuscripts contain both the biblical text and a form of commentary which is a compilation of extracts from the Church Fathers. The oldest and most important catena on the Pauline Epistles is the Pseudo-Oecumenian catena. The fullest previous study of this, by Karl Staab in 1926, grouped manuscripts of this catena into five types. The present study examines a wider range of manuscripts than Staab in order to reach a new understanding of the Pseudo-Oecumenian tradition. Subgroupings within the main types, and connections between exemplars and copies, are identified using palaeography and both classical and digital philology. The first-ever critical edition of a secondary type of Pseudo-Oecumenian catena on Galatians is presented, along with two previously-unknown extracts which could be part of the Scholia Photiana. Most significantly, the thesis shows that by removing two later sets of additions, the Scholia Photiana and the Corpus Extravagantium, a single original form of the catena on can be established. Supplemented with the first stage of the Corpus Extravagantium and dating from the eighth century onwards, this form also underlies the Typus Vaticanus catena, and is preserved in two surviving manuscripts (GA 075 and GA 1980).

Accounts of miracles are found in the four Gospels, elsewhere in the New and Old Testaments, and at other times down to the present. Responses to the figure of Jesus among his Gospel miracles differ with the different judgements that are made about the possibility of there being miracles at all. As a matter of fact, our tradition of inquiry contains diverging, even opposing conclusions on this point, and this has a definite impact on the study of the Gospels and their central character. This thesis constitutes a comprehensive response to the issue of miracle as it affects the interpretation of the Gospels, and hence, what we are able to believe about Jesus and the extent of his miraculous activity. Having outlined the divided response to miracle (Chapter One), the thesis is built up by studies of six principal respondents to the issue of miracle. On the one hand, we have chosen St. Thomas Aquinas, Cardinal Newman and C. S. Lewis to represent the 'maximal' depiction of belief in miracle. These three studies exhibit the interpretations of the Gospels that accompany, and in part depend on, the non-problematical acceptance of miracle. On the other hand, we have chosen David Hume, D. F. Strauss and Rudolf Bultmann to represent the 'minimalistic' position on miracle. While Hume does not formally discuss the Gospel miracles, his conclusions are plainly relevant, and in the two latter studies, close attention is paid to the actual interpretation of Gospel miracle stories. In all the studies, wherever possible, I have tried to concentrate on what in particular they believed about Jesus in his miracles. In effect, this has meant pursuing a miracle-structure from conception through to Ascension. In discovering what has been believed about Jesus in his miracles, we have often placed the emphasis on the interpreters' response to a Gospel or Gospel passage. In the concluding chapter, I direct my own attention to St. Mark's Gospel and, in the light of earlier chapters, put my own questions to it. While interesting results emerge from the studies of the six interpreters, my principal conclusion is that there are good reasons not to identify the Jesus of the Gospel miracles with Jesus in his pragmatic existence. While it remains coherent to develop an apology or world-view in which literal miracles on the greatest scale have a place in nature and history, it is their very magnitude that raises the decisive objections to locating them as events in Jesus' mundane existence, prior to the Resurrection.

The seminal question at the forefront of Masoretic (MT)-150 Psalter research is a question of the literary arrangement of the 150 psalms. An overarching compositional logic of the MT-150, if any, is in the sequence design of the psalms. Unfortunately, macrostructural studies of the entire Psalter are few, with no major consensus to understanding its structuring techniques, shape and logic. From my consolidation of at least 30 different tacit and formal macrostructuring techniques that can be detected in the MT-150, important macrostructuring techniques include the use of superscriptions; the programmatic nature of Pss 1–2; placement of acrostic/alphabetical compositions; numerical devices and the five Davidic Collections. A previously unknown scribal technique that places certain lexemes sequentially and exhaustively across the Psalter to express a message is also uncovered. Based on these organizational principles, the Psalter can be read palindromically, linearly, intertextually and even numerically. The MT-150 is structured into three major Sections (Books I, II–III, IV–V), each further divided into four Groups, and characterized by four recurring Central Motifs: (a) YHWH’s kingship; (b) Davidic kingship; (c) Zion-temple and (d) Supplication of a Davidic figure. The logic of the MT-150 is a reception of the Davidic covenant. Book I traces the establishments of both the Davidic kingship and Zion. Books II–III, however, depict their fall and brokenness. Books IV–V highlight the re-establishments of an ideal Davidic kingship and ideal Zion. As a whole, the MT-150 has a messianic thrust with an exhortation for its readers to persevere in prayer and hope in view of YHWH’s covenantal promises. Striking correspondences between techniques, form, content and logic help to validate the proposed design of the MT-150. This thesis will contribute significantly to the understanding of the arrangement of the Hebrew Psalter.

In the first chapter of this work, I provide an introduction to the current discussion of scribal habits. In Chapter Two, I discuss Abschriften-or manuscripts with extant known exemplars-, their history in textual criticism, and how they can be used to elucidate the discussion of scribal habits. I also present a methodology for determining if a manuscript is an Abschrift. In Chapter Three, I analyze P127, which is not an Abschrift, in order that we may become familiar with determining scribal habits by singular readings. Chapters Four through Six present the scribal habits of selected proposed manuscript pairs: 0319 and 0320 as direct copies of 06 (with their Latin counterparts VL 76 and VL83 as direct copies of VL 75), 205 as a direct copy of 2886, and 821 as a direct copy of 0141. I discuss in Chapter Four the need to better understand the scribal habits of manuscripts written by scribes who wrote in their non-native language. Additionally, I conclude that 205 and 2886 are, in fact, not copies of one another. In the conclusion, I argue that there is no common scribal habit shared by all scribes except that this study has not found a scribe who adds more words than they lose. Additionally, textual critics should place greater emphasis on the roles played by patrons and readers of the text rather than on scribes alone.

Thesis (M.A.)--Abilene Christian University, 2003. / Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 203-222).

Thesis (Th. M.)--Talbot School of Theology, Biola University, 1988. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 102-110).

This dissertation explores the use of Old Testament lament language in Paul's Letter to the Romans. The overarching thesis is that Paul employs Old Testament Language in order to express the depth of creation's suffering as well as the power of the gospel he preaches. Suffering stems from four sources--namely divine wrath, sin's use of the law, distress caused by association with Christ, and Israel's unbelief. These sources of distress are especially evident in Romans 3:10-18; 7:7-25; 8:18-39; 9-11. Moreover, in these passages, Paul uses a great amount of lament language, especially from the Psalms of Lament. The use of this language indicates the profundity of creation's suffering and the promise of the gospel of God that answers all cries of distress. Chapter 1 introduces the history of interpretation on lament language in Paul's writings and the overarching thesis of the work. Chapter 2 analyzes lament language in various genres of the Old Testament. Chapter 3 looks at suffering caused by God's wrath and the lament language employed in Romans 3:10-18. Chapter 4 explores the lament language taken up by the "I" in Romans 7:7-25. Chapter 5 addresses suffering caused by association with Christ and the lament language used to express it in Romans 8:18-39. Chapter 6 looks at the interpretation of Romans 9-11 in light of Paul's lament over Israel's unbelief and the suffering it causes him. Finally, Chapter 7 brings the weight of the study's findings to bear on the interpetive approaches of two New Perspective proponents--N.T. Wright and Krister Stendahl. / This item is under embargo until 2012-05-15

Thesis (Th. M.)--Western Seminary, Portland, OR, 2001. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 104-108).

Thesis (M.A.)--Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, South Hamilton, Mass., 2002. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves [139-141]).

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Murdoch University, 2009. / Thesis submitted to the Faculty of Arts and Education. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 331-345)