Gospels or Biographies? The Gospels as Folk Literature

Download or read book Gospels or Biographies? The Gospels as Folk Literature written by Ryder Wishart and published by BRILL. This book was released on 2024-03-11 with total page 306 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Challenging the widely accepted classification of the canonical gospels as biographies or historiographies, the author argues that they should be classified as collections of folk literature from early Christianity. Drawing on comparative register analysis and re-introducing literary and sociolinguistic insights from the twentieth-century form critics, this insightful study challenges readers to rethink the significance of gospels for understanding Jesus’s historical context and relevance for modern readers. The gospels are not merely designed to inform readers about the life of Jesus but also to push readers into accepting or rejecting his teaching. It is a must-read for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the gospel genre and the intentions of the evangelists who compiled them.