The Shape of the Gospel: New Testament Essays

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“Most of the following essays reveal my interest in the significance of literary forms--both the short literary forms in the Gospels, such as pronouncement stories, and an entire Gospel as a formed narrative. I am interested in the significance of these forms, not just in literary classification systems . . . . I am interested in literary form as a clue to how the text may engage hearers and readers--impact their thought and life--if they are sensitive respondents. The Gospel stories have been shaped in ways that give them particular potentials for significant engagement. Study of literary form can help us recognize these potentials."
--from the Introduction

Contents

Part I: Gospel Sayings and Stories
1 Tension in Synoptic Sayings and Stories
2 The Pronouncement Story and Its Types
3 Varieties of Synoptic Pronouncement Stories
4 Types and Functions of Apophthegms in the Synoptic Gospels
5 The Gospels and Narrative Literature
6 “You Shall Be Complete"--If Your Love Includes All

Part II: The Gospel of Mark
7 The Disciples in Mark: The Function of a Narrative Role
8 The Gospel of Mark as Narrative Christology
9 Reading It Whole: The Function of Mark 8:34-35 in Mark's Story

Part III: Paul's Gospel
10 Paul as Liberator and Oppressor: Evaluating Diverse Views of 1 Corinthians
11 Participation in Christ: A Central Theme in Pauline Soteriology

“For anyone who thinks that the study of literary forms is equivalent to Formgeschichte and hence obsolete for interpreting the Gospels, Tannehill’s The Shape of the Gospel should cause reconsideration. . . . Any appropriation of the Gospels for ethical reflection should be informed by the rhetorical and literary issues addressed by Tannehill in these essays.”
—Review of Biblical Literature

Robert C. Tannehill is Professor Emeritus of New Testament at Methodist Theological School in Ohio. He is also the author of 'The Shape of Luke's Story,' 'The Sword of His Mouth,' 'Dying and Rising with Christ,' and 'The Narrative Unity of Luke-Acts.'