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.

No description available.

Nesta tese, as parábolas dos Evangelhos são analisadas segundo o método de Yonah Fraenkel desenvolvido para os meshalim rabínicos. Esse método é baseado na teoria de Paul Ricoeur sobre a metáfora viva, que leva a considerar a parábola como uma narrativa metafórica e hermenêutica. Para a análise das quatro parábolas escolhidas, considera-se primeiro o texto aramaico dos evangelhos na Peshitá, a fim de evidenciar o arraigamento da parábola no seu contexto judaico. A análise prossegue com vários passos metodológicos: modelo de base, trama narrativa, relação mashal-nimshal, torsão da realidade, desvelamentos. Esses passos evidenciam a estrutura literária da parábola e a sua função hermenêutica. Ressonâncias com parábolas rabínicas da literatura talmúdica e midráshica são apontadas. Verifica-se assim a aplicabilidade do método de Fraenkel para as parábolas evangélicas. Percebe-se a necessidade de determinar um corpus de narrativas segundo vários critérios tais como relação à Escritura, narratividade, presença de elementos extravagantes. Um ponto principal diferencia o mashal rabínico da parábola evangélica: a possível presença de traços alegóricos nessa última. Esse dado é devido à diferença de contexto sócioreligioso e do processo na transmissão da parábola até ser posta por escrito. As grandes similitudes superam porém essas diferenças. A parábola hermenêutica dos evangelhos é de fato uma parábola rabínica. / The parables of the Gospel are analyzed in this thesis according to Yonáh Fraenkel\'s method developed for rabbinical meshalim. This method is based on Paul Ricoeur\'s theory on the living metaphor, that considers the parable as a metaphorical and hermeneutical narrative. For the analysis of the four chosen parables, we first take into account the aramaic text of the Gospels, the Peshitta text, in order to evidence the rooting of the parable in its jewish context. The analysis continues with several methodological steps: basic model, narrative plot, correspondences between mashal and nimshal, twisting of the reality, unveilings. These steps evidence the literary structure of the parable and its hermeneutical function. Resonances with rabbinical parables of the talmudic and midrashic literature are pointed out. The applicability of Fraenkels method for parables of the Gospels can be so verified. It is needed to fix a corpus of narratives according to several criterions such as: link to the Scripture, narrativity, extravagant elements. A main issue differentiates the rabbinical mashal from the parable of the Gospels: allegorical marks can be found in the late one. This is due to the difference of social and religious context and the transmission process of the parable until it was put into writing. However, the important similarities overcome those diferencies. The hermeneutical parable of the Gospels is actually a rabbinical parabel.

Os Evangelhos canônicos de Mateus, Marcos, Lucas e João constituem o cerne do Novo Testamento bíblico e correspondem aos textos fundadores do mito cristão. Utilizando-se de estratégias de manipulação, convidam o leitor a crer na fé que apresentam, cujo centro de referência é a figura de Jesus. Ao narrarem suas ações e discursos, mobilizam o leitor a acreditar em seu teor e no conjunto de valores por eles transmitidos, os quais são tratados pela semântica discursiva como eufóricos, em detrimento dos valores a que são contrários e, por isto, disfóricos. Dentre estes, estão as estruturas constituídas de poder, tanto o religioso quanto o político, enquanto se constituem meios para tolher a liberdade humana e impedir a convivência pacífica e integral dos seres humanos entre si e com seu Criador. O leitor, uma vez inserido no universo de crenças proposto, é direcionado a realizar um programa narrativo a exemplo do programa realizado nos textos por Jesus: uma série de ações que culminam na conjunção da vida eterna como objeto de valor. A vida eterna é alcançada por Jesus, de acordo com os textos, após oferecer-se em sacrifício pela expiação dos pecados da Humanidade. Da mesma forma, ao leitor é proposto um sacrifício, não idêntico ao de Jesus, mas identificado como o abandono de valores prejudiciais à própria Humanidade, como a injustiça, a soberba e o orgulho. Tendo cumprido esta ação, da mesma forma lhe é dada a ressurreição e, com ela, a vida eterna. A ressurreição e a vida eterna correspondem, por sua vez, à realização, nos textos, em níveis mais profundos, do fazer emissivo e da continuidade da continuidade, equivale à síntese dialética, após a série de transformações por que passa o sujeito. O mito cristão, portanto, constantemente promove a mobilização do sujeito, levando-o a uma constante reavaliação do seu modo de vida e à transformação para que se adéquem aos valores propostos nos Evangelhos. Os cristãos católicos, ortodoxos e anglicanos, por sua vez, bem como alguns outros grupos, podem experimentar a ressurreição no sacramento da Eucaristia, o qual se apresenta como um microcosmo das narrativas dos Evangelhos. Esta vivência sacramental visa, ao lado da leitura das Escrituras, colocar os cristãos em contínua reflexão sobre suas ações para que possam verificar, ainda durante a realização de seu programa narrativo, a sanção que lhes seria dada pelo destinador figurativizado pela divindade. Este trabalho visa, portanto, analisar os textos dos Evangelhos canônicos acerca da paixão, morte e ressurreição de Jesus, conforme a tradução da Bíblia de Jerusalém (2002) numa perspectiva da Teoria Semiótica Greimasiana, como proposta no Dicionário de Semiótica (GREIMAS e COURTÉS, 2008) e seus posteriores desenvolvimentos realizados por Fontanille e Zilberberg (2001), Panier (2010) e Zilberberg (2006a, 2006b, 2011). As reflexões acerca do mito são dadas principalmente por Campbell (2002, 2008b), Eliade (2010) e Lévi-Strauss (1976, 1985). Por sua vez, as reflexões teológicas e exegéticas dos textos tem como base, principalmente, Boff (2012a, 2012b), Grün (2009, 2011a, 2011b, 2012a e 2012b) e Leloup (2000, 2007). / The canon of the New Testament, by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, constitutes the core of the biblical New Testament, and corresponds to the founding texts of the Christian myth. Utilizing manipulation strategies, these texts invite the reader to believe in the faith they present, whose referential center is the figure of Jesus. By narrating their actions and speeches, the texts mobilizes the reader to believe in their contents and in the set of values communicated by them, values that are treated as euphoric by the discursive semantics, to the detriment of opposite values which are, therefore, dysphoric. Among these values, there are the established power structures both religious and political , while they represent means to hamper human freedom and hinder thorough and peaceful coexistence of human beings with each other and their Creator. Once inserted in the presented universe of beliefs, the reader is directed to perform a narrative program, similar to that performed by Jesus in the texts: a series of actions that culminate in the conjunction of eternal life as a valuable object. Eternal life is reached by Jesus, according to the texts, after His self-sacrifice for the absolution of humanitys sins. Equally, a sacrifice is proposed to the reader; this sacrifice is not identical to Jesus, but it is identified as the abandonment of values that are harmful to humanity itself, as injustice, presumption and pride. Having completed this action, in the same form, the reader is given resurrection and, with it, eternal life. In the texts, resurrection and eternal life thus correspond to the accomplishment, in deeper levels, of emissive doing and of continuity of continuity, and equals to dialectic syntax, after a series of transformations which the subject suffers. The Christian myth, therefore, constantly promotes the mobilization of the subject, leading him/her to a constant revaluation of his/her lifestyle and to the transformation to meet the values proposed in the Gospels. The Catholic Christians, both Orthodox and Anglican, as well as some other groups, may experience resurrection in the sacramental rite of Eucharist, which presents itself as a microcosm of Gospels narratives. This sacramental experience, paired with the reading of the Gospels, aims at putting Christians into continuous reflection in order to verify, while still performing their narrative program, the sanction that would be given to them by the destinator represented by the deity. This research therefore aims to analyze the texts of the canonical Gospels on the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus, as the translation of the Jerusalem Bible (2002) perspective Greimasian Semiotics Theory, as proposed in Semiotics Dictionary (Greimas and Courtes, 2008) and its subsequent developments made by Fontanille and Zilberberg (2001), Panier (2010) and Zilberberg (2006a , 2006b, 2011). The reflections on the myth are mainly given by Campbell (2002, 2008b) , Eliade (2010) and Lévi- Strauss (1976, 1985). In turn, the theological and exegetical reflections of texts is based mainly Boff (2012a, 2012b ), Grün (2009, 2011a, 2011b, 2012a and 2012b) and Leloup (2000, 2007).

Os Evangelhos canônicos de Mateus, Marcos, Lucas e João constituem o cerne do Novo Testamento bíblico e correspondem aos textos fundadores do mito cristão. Utilizando-se de estratégias de manipulação, convidam o leitor a crer na fé que apresentam, cujo centro de referência é a figura de Jesus. Ao narrarem suas ações e discursos, mobilizam o leitor a acreditar em seu teor e no conjunto de valores por eles transmitidos, os quais são tratados pela semântica discursiva como eufóricos, em detrimento dos valores a que são contrários e, por isto, disfóricos. Dentre estes, estão as estruturas constituídas de poder, tanto o religioso quanto o político, enquanto se constituem meios para tolher a liberdade humana e impedir a convivência pacífica e integral dos seres humanos entre si e com seu Criador. O leitor, uma vez inserido no universo de crenças proposto, é direcionado a realizar um programa narrativo a exemplo do programa realizado nos textos por Jesus: uma série de ações que culminam na conjunção da vida eterna como objeto de valor. A vida eterna é alcançada por Jesus, de acordo com os textos, após oferecer-se em sacrifício pela expiação dos pecados da Humanidade. Da mesma forma, ao leitor é proposto um sacrifício, não idêntico ao de Jesus, mas identificado como o abandono de valores prejudiciais à própria Humanidade, como a injustiça, a soberba e o orgulho. Tendo cumprido esta ação, da mesma forma lhe é dada a ressurreição e, com ela, a vida eterna. A ressurreição e a vida eterna correspondem, por sua vez, à realização, nos textos, em níveis mais profundos, do fazer emissivo e da continuidade da continuidade, equivale à síntese dialética, após a série de transformações por que passa o sujeito. O mito cristão, portanto, constantemente promove a mobilização do sujeito, levando-o a uma constante reavaliação do seu modo de vida e à transformação para que se adéquem aos valores propostos nos Evangelhos. Os cristãos católicos, ortodoxos e anglicanos, por sua vez, bem como alguns outros grupos, podem experimentar a ressurreição no sacramento da Eucaristia, o qual se apresenta como um microcosmo das narrativas dos Evangelhos. Esta vivência sacramental visa, ao lado da leitura das Escrituras, colocar os cristãos em contínua reflexão sobre suas ações para que possam verificar, ainda durante a realização de seu programa narrativo, a sanção que lhes seria dada pelo destinador figurativizado pela divindade. Este trabalho visa, portanto, analisar os textos dos Evangelhos canônicos acerca da paixão, morte e ressurreição de Jesus, conforme a tradução da Bíblia de Jerusalém (2002) numa perspectiva da Teoria Semiótica Greimasiana, como proposta no Dicionário de Semiótica (GREIMAS e COURTÉS, 2008) e seus posteriores desenvolvimentos realizados por Fontanille e Zilberberg (2001), Panier (2010) e Zilberberg (2006a, 2006b, 2011). As reflexões acerca do mito são dadas principalmente por Campbell (2002, 2008b), Eliade (2010) e Lévi-Strauss (1976, 1985). Por sua vez, as reflexões teológicas e exegéticas dos textos tem como base, principalmente, Boff (2012a, 2012b), Grün (2009, 2011a, 2011b, 2012a e 2012b) e Leloup (2000, 2007). / The canon of the New Testament, by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, constitutes the core of the biblical New Testament, and corresponds to the founding texts of the Christian myth. Utilizing manipulation strategies, these texts invite the reader to believe in the faith they present, whose referential center is the figure of Jesus. By narrating their actions and speeches, the texts mobilizes the reader to believe in their contents and in the set of values communicated by them, values that are treated as euphoric by the discursive semantics, to the detriment of opposite values which are, therefore, dysphoric. Among these values, there are the established power structures both religious and political , while they represent means to hamper human freedom and hinder thorough and peaceful coexistence of human beings with each other and their Creator. Once inserted in the presented universe of beliefs, the reader is directed to perform a narrative program, similar to that performed by Jesus in the texts: a series of actions that culminate in the conjunction of eternal life as a valuable object. Eternal life is reached by Jesus, according to the texts, after His self-sacrifice for the absolution of humanitys sins. Equally, a sacrifice is proposed to the reader; this sacrifice is not identical to Jesus, but it is identified as the abandonment of values that are harmful to humanity itself, as injustice, presumption and pride. Having completed this action, in the same form, the reader is given resurrection and, with it, eternal life. In the texts, resurrection and eternal life thus correspond to the accomplishment, in deeper levels, of emissive doing and of continuity of continuity, and equals to dialectic syntax, after a series of transformations which the subject suffers. The Christian myth, therefore, constantly promotes the mobilization of the subject, leading him/her to a constant revaluation of his/her lifestyle and to the transformation to meet the values proposed in the Gospels. The Catholic Christians, both Orthodox and Anglican, as well as some other groups, may experience resurrection in the sacramental rite of Eucharist, which presents itself as a microcosm of Gospels narratives. This sacramental experience, paired with the reading of the Gospels, aims at putting Christians into continuous reflection in order to verify, while still performing their narrative program, the sanction that would be given to them by the destinator represented by the deity. This research therefore aims to analyze the texts of the canonical Gospels on the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus, as the translation of the Jerusalem Bible (2002) perspective Greimasian Semiotics Theory, as proposed in Semiotics Dictionary (Greimas and Courtes, 2008) and its subsequent developments made by Fontanille and Zilberberg (2001), Panier (2010) and Zilberberg (2006a , 2006b, 2011). The reflections on the myth are mainly given by Campbell (2002, 2008b) , Eliade (2010) and Lévi- Strauss (1976, 1985). In turn, the theological and exegetical reflections of texts is based mainly Boff (2012a, 2012b ), Grün (2009, 2011a, 2011b, 2012a and 2012b) and Leloup (2000, 2007).

No description available.

Thesis (M. Div.)--Emmanuel School of Religion, Johnson City, Tennessee, 2000. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 48-51).

No description available.

The aim of this thesis is to examine and critically evaluate the relationship between John the Baptist and Jesus of Nazareth, with special reference to baptism and to the question of whether Jesus practised a baptising ministry in Galilee. This involves us taking a fresh look at the Gospel texts on John and Jesus and considering the possible relevance of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Part I provides a preliminary examination of our sources. Part II focuses on possible links between John, the Essenes and the early Church. We argue: (i) that after his birth into a priestly family, John was probably brought up by the Essenes at Qumran, whom he later left to conduct an independent prophetic and baptising ministry by the Jordan; (ii) that the Qumran immersions provide the matrix to John's baptismal rite; (iii) that the affinity between the Essenes and the early Church in ideology and praxis may be owing to the influence of the former upon the latter, with John as the mediator between the two. Against this background, John and Jesus are directly related to each other in Part III. We conclude: (i) that after his baptism by John, Jesus remained a follower of John for a time, and practised a baptising ministry concurrent with that of John in Judea (John 3.22-26; 4.1-2); (ii) that Jesus continued this ministry in Galilee; (iii) that the synoptists' silence about Jesus' baptising (e.g. Mk 6.7-13 and par; Matt 10.5-16; Q=Matt 9.37-38//Lk 10.1-12) may indicate that they took it for granted, or that they were embarrassed by it; (iv) that unlike fasting, sabbath observance, tithes and offerings, purity, etc, baptism was not among the contentious issues relating to Jewish law; (v) that the emphasis on baptism in the post-Easter context of the Church was necessitated by its redefinition in the name of Jesus (Acts 2.38; 19.1-7; Rom 6.3; Gal 3.27; cf. the Trinitarian formula in Matt 28.19 [cf. Mk 16.15-16]); and (vi) that perhaps the strongest argument for John as mediator between the Essenes, Jesus and the early Church is precisely the ambivalence of the New Testament writers' attitude toward him.

Thesis (Th. M.)--Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, 1991. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 135-144).