Gregory R. Lanier
Gregory R. Lanier (PhD, University of Cambridge) is professor of New Testament at Reformed Theological Seminary, Orlando and academic dean of RTS Global.
View Author's PageThe first comprehensive analysis of non-canonical influences—Jewish, non-Jewish, and early Christian—on the formation of the New Testament writings.
In Apocryphal Prophets and Athenian Poets: Noncanonical Influences on the New Testament, Gregory R. Lanier presents in one volume an overarching compendium and analysis of over five hundred relevant instances of non-Old-Testament influence on the New Testament across three categories—Jewish, non-Jewish (mostly Greco-Roman), and early Christian (pre-canonical).
The abundance of non-canonical influences on the New Testament testifies to the breadth of apostolic cultural engagement and the scope and pace of information exchange in the early Christian circles. This comprehensive work will allow scholars and students to give closer attention to the sheer complexity of the crisscrossing lines of direct and indirect influences on the New Testament Scriptures.
Preface
Abbreviations
PART I: BACKGROUND
1 Introduction
1.1 Defining the scope
1.2 Methodological considerations
1.3 Organization
1.4 Theses
2 Comparable Patterns of Influence
2.1 Hebrew Bible
2.2 Postbiblical Jewish writings
2.3 Early church fathers
2.4 Summary
PART II: JEWISH INFLUENCES ON THE NEW TESTAMENT
Overview of Part II
3 Jewish Cultural Commonplaces
3.1 Personnel
3.2 Worship
3.3 Supernaturalism
3.4 Jewish (or adjacent) movements
3.5 Messianism
3.6 Summary
4 Jewish Literary Conventions
4.1 Exegetical methods
4.2 Pluriform textual traditions
4.3 Exegetical expansions
4.4 Summary
5 Jewish Concrete Influences
5.1 Gospels
5.2 Pauline Epistles
5.3 Catholic Epistles
5.4 Summary
Recap of Part II
PART III: NON-JEWISH INFLUENCES ON THE NEW TESTAMENT
Overview of Part III
6 Non-Jewish Cultural Commonplaces
6.1 Personnel
6.2 Bureaucracy
6.3 Social conventions
6.4 Philosophical/religious movements
6.5 Summary
7 Non-Jewish Literary Conventions
7.1 Genres/subgenres
7.2 Rhetorical strategies
7.3 Tropes/motifs
7.4 Summary
8 Non-Jewish Concrete Influences
8.1 Acts
8.2 Pauline Epistles
8.3 Summary
Recap of Part III
PART IV: PRECANONICAL EARLY CHRISTIAN INFLUENCES
Overview of Part IV
9 Traditions of Jesus
9.1 Biographical material
9.2 Sayings material in Acts
9.3 Sayings material in the Pauline Epistles
9.4 Sayings material in the Catholic Epistles
9.5 Summary
10 Early Apostolic Traditions
10.1 Confessional material
10.2 Liturgical doxologies
10.3 Sermons and prophecies
10.4 Epistolary traces
10.5 Summary
11 Documentary Reuse
11.1 Gospels
11.2 Acts
11.3 Pauline Epistles
11.4 Catholic Epistles and Revelation
11.5 Summary
Recap of Part IV
PART V: CONCLUSION
12 Synthesis of Findings
12.1 Complexity of formation
12.2 Spectrum of engagement
12.3 Navigation of multiple horizons
12.4 Breadth of information flow
12.5 Difference between influence and authority
13 Appendix
Bibliography
Name and Subject Index
Scripture Index
Ancient Sources Index
The first comprehensive analysis of non-canonical influences—Jewish, non-Jewish, and early Christian—on the formation of the New Testament writings.
In Apocryphal Prophets and Athenian Poets: Noncanonical Influences on the New Testament, Gregory R. Lanier presents in one volume an overarching compendium and analysis of over five hundred relevant instances of non-Old-Testament influence on the New Testament across three categories—Jewish, non-Jewish (mostly Greco-Roman), and early Christian (pre-canonical).
The abundance of non-canonical influences on the New Testament testifies to the breadth of apostolic cultural engagement and the scope and pace of information exchange in the early Christian circles. This comprehensive work will allow scholars and students to give closer attention to the sheer complexity of the crisscrossing lines of direct and indirect influences on the New Testament Scriptures.
Preface
Abbreviations
PART I: BACKGROUND
1 Introduction
1.1 Defining the scope
1.2 Methodological considerations
1.3 Organization
1.4 Theses
2 Comparable Patterns of Influence
2.1 Hebrew Bible
2.2 Postbiblical Jewish writings
2.3 Early church fathers
2.4 Summary
PART II: JEWISH INFLUENCES ON THE NEW TESTAMENT
Overview of Part II
3 Jewish Cultural Commonplaces
3.1 Personnel
3.2 Worship
3.3 Supernaturalism
3.4 Jewish (or adjacent) movements
3.5 Messianism
3.6 Summary
4 Jewish Literary Conventions
4.1 Exegetical methods
4.2 Pluriform textual traditions
4.3 Exegetical expansions
4.4 Summary
5 Jewish Concrete Influences
5.1 Gospels
5.2 Pauline Epistles
5.3 Catholic Epistles
5.4 Summary
Recap of Part II
PART III: NON-JEWISH INFLUENCES ON THE NEW TESTAMENT
Overview of Part III
6 Non-Jewish Cultural Commonplaces
6.1 Personnel
6.2 Bureaucracy
6.3 Social conventions
6.4 Philosophical/religious movements
6.5 Summary
7 Non-Jewish Literary Conventions
7.1 Genres/subgenres
7.2 Rhetorical strategies
7.3 Tropes/motifs
7.4 Summary
8 Non-Jewish Concrete Influences
8.1 Acts
8.2 Pauline Epistles
8.3 Summary
Recap of Part III
PART IV: PRECANONICAL EARLY CHRISTIAN INFLUENCES
Overview of Part IV
9 Traditions of Jesus
9.1 Biographical material
9.2 Sayings material in Acts
9.3 Sayings material in the Pauline Epistles
9.4 Sayings material in the Catholic Epistles
9.5 Summary
10 Early Apostolic Traditions
10.1 Confessional material
10.2 Liturgical doxologies
10.3 Sermons and prophecies
10.4 Epistolary traces
10.5 Summary
11 Documentary Reuse
11.1 Gospels
11.2 Acts
11.3 Pauline Epistles
11.4 Catholic Epistles and Revelation
11.5 Summary
Recap of Part IV
PART V: CONCLUSION
12 Synthesis of Findings
12.1 Complexity of formation
12.2 Spectrum of engagement
12.3 Navigation of multiple horizons
12.4 Breadth of information flow
12.5 Difference between influence and authority
13 Appendix
Bibliography
Name and Subject Index
Scripture Index
Ancient Sources Index