The episode at Lystra (Acts of the Apostles 14,7-20a) forms part of Paul's first missionary journey in Asia Minor. In this text, Luke relates the story of Paul's first evangelization of the pagans. The vivid description of this short episode offers an example of methods in words and deeds used to preach the Gospel in the pagan world. Mostly historical and redactional studies have been done on this text. The aim of this thesis is to study the text from an ahistorical or synchronic point of view, following the newer literary methods of rhetorical criticism and semiotics. These methods, each with its particular emphases, point to different aspects of the text. A comparative study of Paul's speech at Lystra with Paul's speech at Antioch shows how new meaning emerges when the text is studied in its context. Questions concerning the origin and function of miracles in Acts as well as their relationship to the word are posed. Chapter one presents the state of the research on the episode at Lystra. Several theological and literary problems are addressed. Textual observations are made on the text. The text is delimited and a literal translation is given alongside the literary translation of the New Revised Standard Version. Chapter two presents a rhetorical analysis of the text based on the literary principles advanced by Albert Vanhoye, Marc Girard and Roland Meynet. The formal analysis follows the methodology developed by Meynet. The analysis addresses the coherence of the literary unit and leads to a first theological interpretation of the meaning of the text. Chapter three presents a semiotic analysis which follows the well-known method of Algirdas J. Greimas as outlined by the Cadir of Lyons, France. Its purpose is to investigate the operations and relationships present in the narrative and to discover the organization of its content. A discursive analysis is followed by a narrative analysis. The two analyses are then integrated and an attempt is made to interpret the results of this study. Chapter four presents a comparison of the two methods of semiotics and rhetorical analysis and discusses their merits and usefulness. The complementarity of the methods is highlighted as certain theological questions and themes are dealt with. This focuses the attention on the main message delivered in this episode. In light of the differences, new insights on the literary and theological questions of the text begin to emerge. Finally, the question of the limitations of the two methods is discussed. Chapter five addresses the significance of the episode at Lystra in the context of the book of Acts, first, in the immediate context of Paul's speech to the Jews at Antioch in chapter thirteen (vv. 16-41); a brief analysis of Paul's speech is done following the rules of ancient rhetoric. Then, the episode is analyzed in its wider context, that is, in reference to the general goal and structure of Acts. Some of the more important literary and theological questions brought to the fore touch the literary unity of the text, the function of the speech (vv. 15-17) and the nature of faith and its relationship to healing/salvation, the manner and outcome of the evangelization done at Lystra.

This dissertation is an edition of the psalms, together with their partial interlinear Old English gloss and Latin commentary, contained in folios 4r--95v of the British Museum Manuscript, Additional 37517, known as the Bosworth Psalter. The psalter in full (psalms 1--151) and the Latin commentary (titular, interlinear and marginal commentaries on psalms 1--39. 1--7; titular commentary on psalms 40--50; titular, interlinear and marginal commentaries on psalms 71--83: 1--3) are being edited here for the first time. The only material previously edited appearing here is the twenty-nine psalms with their interlinear Old English gloss (40: 5, 50: 6--21, 53, 63, 66, 68--70, 85, 101, 118--133, 139: 2, 9, 140: 1--4, 142), edited by Uno Lindelof, in 1909; these are being included in this edition, as it aims at providing a complete text of the psalms. This edition was prepared from microfilm and photostatic copies of the manuscript, and checked, letter by letter, against the original. The text is presented unemended, even the obvious scribal errors being retained but recorded and corrected in the notes. The text is arranged in three separate parts and is preceded by an Introduction. The Introduction deals with the description of the manuscript, its contents, its date and provenance, its general characteristics, and its particular features as a Benedictine Prayer Book. It discusses, very briefly, the history of the Roman and Gallican versions of the psalms, the tradition of Old English gloss in the psalters, and the evolution of exegetical commentary on the psalms. Under these headings, the main features of the psalms, gloss, and commentary in the Bosworth Psalter are examined. The Introduction also explains the textual procedure adopted in this edition. The first part (pages 1--238) contains the psalms and the interlinear Old English gloss. The version of the psalms in the Bosworth Psalter is Roman, but altered in some places, to fit the commentary, which is based on a Gallican version. As the text of the Bosworth Psalter is that of the Roman version, every effort has been made in this edition to perceive and render the original Roman version of the manuscript. Notes to the first part are strictly textual, recording the alterations from the Roman to the Gallican, as well as other alterations, scribal errors, erasures, deletions, illegibility, and manuscript damage affecting the text. Lindelof's readings are noted, wherever this edition differs with his. A collation of the significant variant readings of the Latin text in the six extant Old English psalters and in the Benedictine critical edition of the roman Psalter is also given. The second and third parts (pages 239--630, and 631--923) contain the Latin commentary on psalms 1--50, and 71--83, respectively. To facilitate the reading of the commentary, the text of these psalms is repeated. Every attempt has been made to match each section of the commentary with its appropriate lemma and verse. In addition to textual notes, the second and third parts have referential notes. The Latin commentary is rich in biblical quotations, allusions, and echoes, most of which have been identified and recorded. Sources acknowledged by the commentator are traced from available editions. This dissertation has aimed at making an accurate text readily accessible, so that textual, linguistic, and source studies may be more easily pursued.

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