Luke's Legato Historiography: Remembering the Continuity of Salvation History through Rhetorical Transitions

by David Lee Brack

Overview

As the first century came to a close, the church struggled with its identity due to its memories of a disconnected past. As the church reflected on recent history, it remembered the origins of Christianity as full of gaps and discontinuities, leaving it to question the validity of this new Jesus movement. How did Jesus' ministry relate to ancient Judaism? What was the relationship between John the Baptist and Jesus? What kind of transition occurred between Jesus and his followers? How did the Holy Spirit relate to Jesus? How could the controversial figure Paul have such an integral role in nascent Christianity? How could a heavily Gentile church preach about the Messiah of Israel? Using a musical metaphor, this book demonstrates how Luke replies to these staccato narratives of the first-century church with his own legato version of history. Luke accomplishes this bridging of past events primarily through the ancient practice of rhetorical transitions, and in the process reassures his audiences of the continuity of salvation history throughout the various stages of early Christianity.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781498299114
Publisher:	Wipf & Stock Publishers
Publication date:	10/24/2017
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	156
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

David Brack is an adjunct professor at Asbury Theological Seminary. He lives in Cincinnati, Ohio with his wife and four children.

Table of Contents

List of Tables vii

Acknowledgments ix

Abbreviations xi

Introduction xiii

Chapter 1 Methodology 1

Social Memory Theory 2

Ancient Rhetorical Arrangement 8

Lukan Rhetorical Transitions 14

Chapter 2 The Socio-Historical Context of Luke-Acts 22

Authorship of Luke-Acts 22

Genre of Luke-Acts 24

Audience(s) of Luke-Acts 26

Luke's Purpose Revisited through New Socio-Rhetorical Lenses 33

Chapter 3 The Transition from John the Baptist to Jesus (Luke 1-4) 42

John the Baptist Remembered in Tradition 43

Lukan Remembrances of John the Baptist and Jesus 49

Chapter 4 The Transition from Jesus to His Disciples (Luke 5-18) 63

Jesus' Disciples Remembered in Tradition 64

Lukan Remembrances of Jesus and His Disciples 66

Chapter 5 The Transition from Jesus to the Holy Spirit (Luke 24-Acts 2) 85

The Holy Spirit Remembered in Tradition 85

Lukan Remembrances of Jesus and the Holy Spirit 89

Chapter 6 The Transition from Peter to Paul (Acts 8-15) 102

Paul Remembered in Tradition 102

Lukan Remembrances of Peter and Paul 106

Conclusion 121

Bibliography 127

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“Brack’s engaging work draws on both ancient rhetoric and contemporary social memory studies to show that Luke’s portrayal of Jesus and the church was designed to produce a connected narrative that would shape the identity and purpose of the early church. Brack’s attention to detail and method is coupled with salvation history in a thought-provoking manner that contributes to scholarship on Luke-Acts and memory and identity in the New Testament.”


—Ruth Anne Reese, Professor of New Testament, Asbury Theological Seminary





“In a well-organized case, Brack models interdisciplinary competence by drawing insightfully on ancient practices to explain Luke’s use of narrative/rhetorical transitions, and on social memory theory to offer an explanation as to why this matters. This is a brilliant work deserving careful attention by scholars working in Luke-Acts.”


—Craig S. Keener, F. M. and Ada Thompson Professor of Biblical Studies, Asbury Theological Seminary

Editorial Reviews

Brack’s engaging work draws on both ancient rhetoric and contemporary social memory studies to show that Luke’s portrayal of Jesus and the church was designed to produce a connected narrative that would shape the identity and purpose of the early church. Brack’s attention to detail and method is coupled with salvation history in a thought-provoking manner that contributes to scholarship on Luke-Acts and memory and identity in the New Testament.”


—Ruth Anne Reese, Professor of New Testament, Asbury Theological Seminary





“In a well-organized case, Brack models interdisciplinary competence by drawing insightfully on ancient practices to explain Luke’s use of narrative/rhetorical transitions, and on social memory theory to offer an explanation as to why this matters. This is a brilliant work deserving careful attention by scholars working in Luke-Acts.”


—Craig S. Keener, F. M. and Ada Thompson Professor of Biblical Studies, Asbury Theological Seminary

From the Publisher