Does Luke's Preface Resemble a Greek Decree? Comparing the Epigraphical and Papyrological Evidence of Greek Decrees with Ancient Preface Formulae
This article challenges the argument of John Moles that Luke's preface (1.1-4) resembles a Greek decree more than any other type of writing. Although Moles is not the first to recognise the supposed decree-like features in Luke's preface, he goes further by arguing that the preface is inte...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | |
| Interlibrary Loan: | Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany) |
| Published: |
[2019]
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| In: |
New Testament studies
Year: 2019, Volume: 65, Issue: 4, Pages: 552-571 |
| Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains: | B
Bible. Lukasevangelium 1,1-4
/ Foreword
/ Greek language
/ Decree
/ Epigraphy
/ Papyrology
/ Moles, John L. 1949-2015
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| IxTheo Classification: | HC New Testament |
| Further subjects: | B
Epigraphy
B Papyrology B Greek decrees B Luke 1.1-4 B preface writing B John Moles B Luke's Preface |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | This article challenges the argument of John Moles that Luke's preface (1.1-4) resembles a Greek decree more than any other type of writing. Although Moles is not the first to recognise the supposed decree-like features in Luke's preface, he goes further by arguing that the preface is intentionally structured like a decree for the author's rhetorical aim. In this article, I demonstrate that Moles' argument goes too far and that Luke's preface simply displays features conventional to prefaces of historiographical writing - despite common structural patterns of preface writing and decree formulae - and is not layered with additional rhetorical meaning. |
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| ISSN: | 1469-8145 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: New Testament studies
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1017/S002868851900016X |