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This book looks at the Acts of the Apostles through two lenses that highlight the two topics of masculinity and politics. Acts is rich in relevant material, whether this be in the range of such characters as the Ethiopian eunuch, Cornelius, Peter and Paul, or in situations such as Timothy''s circumcision and Paul''s encounters with Roman rulers in different cities. Engaging Acts from these two distinct but related perspectives illuminates features of this book which are otherwise easily missed. These approaches provide fresh angles to see how men, masculinity, and imperial loyalty were understood, experienced, and constructed in the ancient world and in earliest Christianity. The essays present a range of topics: some engage with Acts as a whole as in Steve Walton''s chapter on the way Luke-Acts perceives the Roman Empire, while others focus on particular sections, passages, and even certain figures, such as in an Christopher Stroup''s analysis of the circumcision of Timothy. Together, the essays provide a tightly woven and deeply textured analysis of Acts. The dialogue form of essay and response will encourage readers to develop their own critiques of the points raised in the collection as a whole.

This is the second of two volumes that investigate the phenomenon of composite citations. The first collection of essays evaluated the use of composite citations in Early Jewish, Graeco-Roman, and Early Christian authors. This volume builds on the findings of the first and provides a fresh investigation of all the composite citations by New Testament authors. The following topics are covered: (1) the question of whether the quoting author created the composite text or found it already constructed as such; (2) the question of the rhetorical and/or literary impact of the quotation in its present textual location, as opposed to simply unpacking how the author appears to be interpreting the source text; and (3) the question of whether the intended audiences would have recognized and ''reverse engineered'' the composite citation in question and as a result engaged with the original context of each of the component parts.

The interpretation of the phrase ''the testimony of Jesus'' in the Book of Revelation has been the centre of much debate, with no clear consensus regarding its meaning. One of the most important but often neglected issues is whether or not the phrase can be read consistently across each instance of its occurrence. The opening lines of the Apocalypse clearly specify that ''the testimony of Jesus'' is a moniker for the book of Revelation itself, indicating that the phrase is an internal self-reference to the book''s own message. Nevertheless, most interpreters are reluctant to apply this interpretation to the phrase in other parts of the book, leading to varied and inconsistent interpretations of the phrase.Following the intratextual pattern of the apocalyptic books of Daniel and 1 Enoch we can see that it is entirely possible that ''the testimony of Jesus'' is a reference to Revelation''s own message, an interpretation which is then supported by Dixon''s in-depth study of each of the passages in which the phrase occurs. The exploration of the rhetorical impact of interpreting the phrase in this way shows that ''the testimony of Jesus'' is not just another title for John''s writing, but is something that is given to and even characterizes those who hear the message of the Apocalypse.

Analyses the methods used to approach Revelation's relationship with Old Testament texts and shows that, although there is literature on Revelation's imitative and multi-vocal nature, these aspects of the text have not yet been explored in sufficient depth.

Like all skilful authors, the composer of the biblical books of Luke and Acts understood that a good story requires more than a gripping plot - a persuasive narrative also needs well-portrayed, plot-enhancing characters. This book brings together a set of new essays examining characters and characterization in those books from a variety of methodological perspectives. The essays illustrate how narratological, sociolinguistic, reader-response, feminist, redaction, reception historical, and comparative literature approaches can be fruitfully applied to the question of Luke''s techniques of characterization. Theoretical and methodological discussions are complemented with case studies of specific Lukan characters. Together, the essays reflect the understanding that while many of the literary techniques involved in characterization attest a certain universality, each writer also brings his or her own unique perspective and talent to the portrayal and use of characters, with the result that analysis of a writer''s characters and style of characterization can enhance appreciation of that writer''s work.

Sean A. Adams and Seth M. Ehorn have drawn together an exciting range of contributors to evaluate the use of composite citations in Early Jewish, Greco-Roman, and Early Christian authors (up through Justin Martyr). The goal is to identify and describe the existence of this phenomenon in both Greco-Roman and Jewish literature. The introductory essay will help to provide some definitional parameters, although the study as a whole will seek to weigh in on this question. The contributors seek to address specific issues, such as whether the quoting author created the composite text or found it already constructed as such. The essays also cover an exploration of the rhetorical and/or literary impact of the quotation in its present textual location, and the question of whether the intended audiences would have recognised and ''reverse engineered'' the composite citation and as a result engage with the original context of each of the component parts.In addition to the specific studies, Professor Christopher Stanley provides a summary reflection on all of the essays in the volume along with some implications for New Testament studies.

This is the second of two volumes that investigate the phenomenon of composite citations. The first collection of essays evaluated the use of composite citations in Early Jewish, Graeco-Roman, and Early Christian authors. This volume builds on the findings of the first and provides a fresh investigation of all the composite citations by New Testament authors. The following topics are covered: (1) the question of whether the quoting author created the composite text or found it already constructed as such; (2) the question of the rhetorical and/or literary impact of the quotation in its present textual location, as opposed to simply unpacking how the author appears to be interpreting the source text; and (3) the question of whether the intended audiences would have recognized and ''reverse engineered'' the composite citation in question and as a result engaged with the original context of each of the component parts.