In this dissertation I study the composition and reception of the Acts of Paul. Scholars often work on the assumption that the Acts of Paul was composed as a whole in the mid- to late second century, and on the basis of this assumption, a diverse group of manuscripts and traditions has been attributed to the Acts of Paul and its hypothetical reconstruction. To critique this practice, I study the traditions attributed to the Acts of Paul, using comparative and historical-critical arguments to identify and evaluate its discreet units. I argue that the manuscripts attributed to the Acts of Paul, rather than providing partial attestation to an early whole, may be better explained as evidence that various compositions and collections occurred under the title "Acts of Paul." / The argument has two parts. In the first part, I analyze traditions that circulated both independently and in at least one of the manuscripts with the title "Acts of Paul," considering each tradition separately: the Martyrdom of Paul in chapter 1, 3 Corinthians in chapter 2, and the Acts of Paul and Thekla in chapter 3. Among other methods, I use comparison with different genres to highlight each text's particularities. The function of these chapters is to exhibit the diverse and composite character of Acts of Paul. / The second part discusses attestation to the Acts of Paul. Chapter 4 discusses the earliest manuscripts that use the title " Acts of Paul," introducing additional acts and reconsidering the texts from chapters 1-3. Then chapter 5 asks how the earliest references to the Acts of Paul relate to what may otherwise be inferred from the extant manuscripts. I conclude that at least three distinct narrative sequences used the title "Acts of Paul" and that collections of "Acts of Paul" varied geographically and chronologically.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:CHENGCHI/U0003415370 |
| Creators | Snyder, Glenn Evan. |
| Publisher | Harvard University. |
| Source Sets | National Chengchi University Libraries |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Rights | Copyright © nccu library on behalf of the copyright holders |
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