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Cambridge is proud of its long-standing arrangement with the Society for New Testament Studies to publish its monograph series. The first title was published in 1965; there are now well over one hundred and fifty. Books in the series present specialised research into all aspects of New Testament textual and historical culture, taking a range of approaches. This is widely recognised as the most authoritative and prestigious forum for serious scholarly publication in the area, and series books are highly regarded by biblical scholars the world over.

  • General Editors: Catrin Williams, University of Wales, Trinity Saint David
  • Associate Editors: Brittany Wilson, Duke University, North Carolina, Matthew Thiessen, McMaster University, Ontario

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149 results in Society for New Testament Studies Monograph Series

Page 4 of 8

The New Testament Concept of Witness
  • Alison A. Trites
  • Published online:
    18 December 2009
    Print publication:
    17 March 1977
  • Terms like 'witness' and 'testimony' occur frequently in religious contexts and have special significance there, culminating in the development of the Greek martus (witness) into the English 'martyr'. They also have a legal context, and Professor Trites examines their use in the New Testament in the light of ancient legal practice. The author argues that the idea of witness is a live metaphor in the New Testament, to be understood in terms of the Old Testament legal assembly, though the Greek lawcourts are also relevant. The witness theme is developed in a sustained way in John, Acts and Revelation, and is also used in the Synoptic Gospels, the Pastoral and General Epistles, and Hebrews. In contexts of persecution and suffering the forensic metaphors tend to be identified with military ones, but in principle they are quite distinct. Professor Trites contends that the idea of witness in relation to Christ and his gospel plays an essential part in the New Testament and in Christian faith and life generally.

Righteousness in Matthew and his World of Thought
  • Benno Przybylski
  • Published online:
    18 December 2009
    Print publication:
    29 January 1981
  • While New Testament scholars generally agree that the concept of righteousness occupies an important place in the Gospel of Matthew, there is no scholarly consensus as to the meaning and function of this concept. The author of this study contends that this lack of agreement is largely due to the fact that the wrong background literature (i.e. the Old Testament and the letters of Paul) has been posited as governing Matthaean usage. It is only when Matthaean usage is viewed in terms of the world of thought reflected in the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Tannaitic literature that it becomes intelligible. This monograph makes a twofold scholarly contribution. Professor Przybylski's exhaustive analysis of the righteousness terminology in the background literature provides a foundation for research in various areas of early Christianity and Judaism. In addition, his study contributes to a better understanding of the Matthaean view of salvation. This latest title in a distinguished series will arouse interest not only among New Testament specialists but also among those concerned with Judaic studies of the period.

The Paradox of Salvation
  • Luke's Theology of the Cross
  • Peter Doble
  • Published online:
    15 December 2009
    Print publication:
    21 March 1996
  • This study refutes the allegation that the author of Luke–Acts showed no systematic thought about the significance of Jesus's death, that is, he has no theologia crucis. Peter Doble focuses sharply on the Gospel's death scene and explores those features which appear in Luke alone, then extends the results into the longer account of Jesus's final days in Jerusalem. In the final section Doble demonstrates how specific words and patterns from Wisdom shape and fill Luke's retelling of the story of Jesus's entrapment, trials and death. Luke wanted his readers to understand that what had happened to Jesus was not a humiliating rejection but in accord with scripture's presentation of God's plan for salvation, and he modelled traditional material about Jesus's road to the crucifixion around an explanatory model which he drew from Wisdom.

Luke's Portrait of Paul
  • John Clayton Lentz, Jr
  • Published online:
    10 December 2009
    Print publication:
    04 March 1993
  • The purpose of this book is to seek a fuller understanding of how the characterisation of Paul in Acts would have been perceived by those who first read or heard the Lucan narrative. As the author makes clear, the careful reader of Acts should be amazed at the way St Paul is portrayed therein. Dr Lentz demonstrates, through a careful examination of particular texts, the great improbability that a Jew of strict Pharisaic background would have held, let alone been proud of, Roman citizenship and citizenship of the city of Tarsus. By investigating the social and legal expectations of the first century, the author shows that Paul is seen to be deferred to in matters of legal minutiae by those in positions of authority. He is given high social status and abundant moral virtue in order to attract to Christianity the high-ranking citizen who would recognise in Paul the classical cardinal virtues.

The Concept of Purity at Qumran and in the Letters of Paul
  • Michael Newton
  • Published online:
    10 December 2009
    Print publication:
    16 May 1985
  • This examination of the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Letters of Paul finds that, in both these bodies of literature, religious self-understanding is expressed in terms of the concept of purity so important to primitive religion and earlier Judaism. Dr Newton contradicts the view held by most scholars that the traditional Jewish attitude to purity had no place in Christianity. By using the concept of purity not unlike that at Qumran or of Pharisaic and Rabbinic Judaism, Paul could elucidate his views on, among other things, the nature of the Church, the divine presence, the basis of ethical behaviour and the significance of the death of Jesus.

Geography in Early Judaism and Christianity
  • The Book of Jubilees
  • James M. Scott
  • Published online:
    10 December 2009
    Print publication:
    18 July 2002
  • In this 2002 book, James M. Scott focuses on a particular Old Testament pseudepigraphon - the Book of Jubilees, the revelation of an angel to Moses announcing the expectation of a messiah from Judah. He traces the appropriation of the Book of Jubilees in early Christian sources from the New Testament to Hippolytus and beyond, and more specifically focuses on the reception of Jubilees 8–9, an expansion of the so-called Table of Nations in Genesis 10 (1 Chronicles 1). The book takes an interdisciplinary approach based on detailed analysis of primary sources, much of which is seldom considered by New Testament scholars, and explores the neglected topic of ancient geographical conceptions. By studying geographical aspects of the work, Dr Scott is able to relate Jubilees to both Old and New Testament traditions, bringing important new insights into Christian concepts of annunciation.

The Pauline Churches
  • A Socio-Historical Study of Institutionalization in the Pauline and Deutrero-Pauline Writings
  • Margaret Y. MacDonald
  • Published online:
    10 December 2009
    Print publication:
    29 July 1988
  • The author studies the Pauline corpus in order to trace the process of institutionalisation in the Pauline communities. She claims that development can be traced since we have not only letters from Paul himself, but also the Pastoral epistles from the beginning of the second century, as well as Ephesians and Colossians, writings which are characteristic of the ambiguous period following the disappearance of the earliest authorities. This is the first substantial examination of the Pauline corpus from this angle; it also incorporates effectively insights from the social sciences.

Redactional Style in the Marcan Gospel
  • E. J. Pryke
  • Published online:
    10 December 2009
    Print publication:
    20 April 1978
  • St Mark's Gospel was put together from oral and perhaps written source material, which the redactor-editor edited and linked together by `seams' or joining phrases. The evangelist is thus regarded as a translator/editor of sources, and also as a creative artist in his shaping of the material and in his editorial writing which moulds the disparate sources into an integrated narrative. Dr Pryke tests some eighteen syntactically unusual features of 'Markan usage' statistically to see if they are mainly source material (S) or redactional (R). Objective criteria are provided for distinguishing redactional passages, and the linguistic method is used to see if residual S passages might be converted to R. Appendixes analyse the vocabulary for a list of the most frequently used words in R passages, annotate unusual syntax and special vocabulary of R verses, and provide a complete redactional Greek text. Dr Pryke's methods and conclusions will be of great value to those concerned with the analysis of St Mark's Gospel, and of interest to all concerned with linguistic studies of New Testament texts.

New Creation in Paul's Letters and Thought
  • Moyer V. Hubbard
  • Published online:
    02 December 2009
    Print publication:
    11 July 2002
  • As a biblical motif, 'new creation' resonates throughout the pages of the Jewish and Christian scriptures, and occupies a central place in the apostle Paul's vision of the Christian life. Yet the biblical and extra-biblical occurrences of this theme vary widely in meaning, referring to either a new cosmos, a new community, or a new individual. Beginning with the Old Testament and working through the important texts of Second Temple Judaism, Moyer V. Hubbard focuses on how the motif functions in the argument, strategy, and literary structure of these documents, highlighting its role as the solution to the perceived plight. He then explores in detail which senses of the term Paul intends in Galatians 6.15 and 2 Corinthians 5.17, concluding that 'new creation' in Paul's letters describes the Spirit-wrought newness of the person in Christ, and is fundamentally anthropological in orientation.

The Myth of a Gentile Galilee
  • Mark A. Chancey
  • Published online:
    24 November 2009
    Print publication:
    23 May 2002
  • The Myth of a Gentile Galilee is the most thorough synthesis to date of archaeological and literary evidence relating to the population of Galilee in the first-century CE. The book demonstrates that, contrary to the perceptions of many New Testament scholars, the overwhelming majority of first-century Galileans were Jews. Utilizing the gospels, the writings of Josephus, and published archaeological excavation reports, Mark A. Chancey traces the historical development of the region's population and examines in detail specific cities and villages, finding ample indications of Jewish inhabitants and virtually none for gentiles. He argues that any New Testament scholarship that attempts to contextualize the Historical Jesus or the Jesus movement in Galilee must acknowledge and pay due attention to the region's predominantly Jewish milieu. This accessible book will be of interest to New Testament scholars as well as scholars of Judaica, Syro-Palestinian archaeology, and the Roman Near East.

Luke and the Law
  • S. G. Wilson
  • Published online:
    23 November 2009
    Print publication:
    17 November 1983
  • The theme of law in Luke's Gospel has rarely been discussed, and then only tangentially in studies concerned with recovering Jesus' view of the law. The evidence of Acts has received considerably more attention, but almost always in the context of a comparison with Paul's view of the law or a reconstruction of the historical events which lie behind the narrative of Acts. A notable exception is J. Jervell's essay on 'The Law in Luke - Acts' in which he argues that Luke presents a consistent and conservative view of the law, viz. that the Church, as the renewed Israel, is committed to the law, Jewish-Christians being obliged to keep the whole of it and Gentile Christians those parts relevant to them. He thus disagrees with Conzelmann, who argues that the apostolic decree freed the Church once and for all from its previous obligation to the law.

Paul, the Stoics, and the Body of Christ
  • Michelle V. Lee
  • Published online:
    23 November 2009
    Print publication:
    20 July 2006
  • At first glance, Paul's words to the Corinthians about being the body of Christ seem simple and straightforward. He compares them with a human body so that they may be encouraged to work together, each member contributing to the good of the whole according to his or her special gift. However, the passage raises several critical questions which point to its deeper implications. Does Paul mean that the community is 'like' a body or is he saying that they are in some sense a real body? What is the significance of being specifically the body of Christ? Is the primary purpose of the passage to instruct on the correct use of spiritual gifts or is Paul making a statement about the identity of the Christian community? Michelle Lee examines Paul's instructions in 1 Corinthians 12-14 against the backdrop of Hellenistic moral philosophy, and especially Stoicism.

The Epistle to the Hebrews
  • Its Background of Thought
  • L. D. Hurst
  • Published online:
    20 November 2009
    Print publication:
    01 November 1990
  • This work is a comprehensive treatment of one of the most intriguing questions of modern New Testament study: what kind of person could have produced the mysterious document known today as the Epistle to the Hebrews? While other studies of Hebrews have tended to focus either on the question of the identity of the writer and of the letter's recipients, or on individual issues such as the writer's view of priesthood, religious pilgrimage or christology, Dr Hurst provides the first work to explore in a comprehensive way the important question of what specifically identifiable milieus might have produced a document which for many people seems something of an alien presence within the New Testament. The book is organised around the widely differing backgrounds of thought which have to be considered - such as Platonism, the beliefs of the Dead Sea Sect and of the early gnostics (as well as those of St Stephen and St Paul) - and it explores in depth the major theological and philosophical problems faced by first-century Christians.

Ancient Rhetoric and Paul's Apology
  • The Compositional Unity of 2 Corinthians
  • Fredrick J. Long
  • Published online:
    12 November 2009
    Print publication:
    14 October 2004
  • Second Corinthians is Paul's apology to the Corinthians for failing to visit them, using rhetorical persuasion in his letters, and appearing unapproved for the collection. The scholarly consensus maintains that 2 Corinthians is a conglomeration of letters due to its literary and logistical inconsistencies. Consequently, most interpretations of 2 Corinthians treat only parts of it. However, a different consensus is emerging. Fredrick Long situates the text within Classical literary and rhetorical conventions and argues for its unity based upon numerous parallels with ancient apology in the tradition of Andocides, Socrates, Isocrates and Demosthenes. He provides a comprehensive survey and rigorous genre analysis of ancient forensic discourse in support of his claims, and shows how the unified message of Paul's letter can be recovered. His study will be of relevance to Classicists and New Testament scholars alike.

Paul, Judaism, and the Gentiles
  • A Sociological Approach
  • Francis Watson
  • Published online:
    11 November 2009
    Print publication:
    04 September 1986
  • This book is novel in its questioning of the adequacy of interpreting Paul from the perspective of the Reformation and in its application of sociological methods to the New Testament.

Endurance in Suffering
  • Hebrews 12:1-13 in its Rhetorical, Religious, and Philosophical Context
  • N. Clayton Croy
  • Published online:
    10 November 2009
    Print publication:
    26 February 1998
  • Hebrews 12: 1-13 portrays the suffering of the community to which it is addressed by means of two images: an athletic contest, and God's fatherly discipline. In this 1998 book, N. Clayton Croy provides a thorough exploration of the theme of suffering in the Jewish and Graeco-Roman traditions, and surveys the different interpretations of this passage which have been offered by Christian writers over the centuries. He argues that the concept of 'training' unites the passage, which presents Jesus as the supreme athlete, an agonistic exemplar for those running the race. These verses also support a non-punitive understanding of discipline, in which God's children undergo a positive process of education. The educative notion of paideia combines with images of athletic training to establish a call to faithful endurance rather than repentance.

On the Independence of Matthew and Mark
  • John M. Rist
  • Published online:
    10 November 2009
    Print publication:
    31 May 1978
  • It has for long been generally assumed that the relationship between our canonical texts of the Gospels of Mark and Matthew is to be explained in terms of direct literary dependence, either of Matthew on Mark, or of Mark on Matthew. Professor Rist questions this assumption vigourously, and argues that it leads to contradictory and paradoxical conclusions. He replaces the theory of literary dependence with the thesis that Matthew and Mark grew up independently on the basis of a common oral tradition, and supports his view by detailed examination of a large number of parallel passages. The clarity and cogency of the author's argument is in the best tradition of this important series of monographs. In the context of the current resurgence of interest in the Synoptic problem, it will be welcomed by all concerned with the study of the New Testament.

Kerygma and Didache
  • The Articulation and Structure of the Earliest Christian Message
  • James I. H. McDonald
  • Published online:
    06 November 2009
    Print publication:
    27 March 1980
  • Dr McDonald studies the fundamental structures and procedures of Christian communication, identified as propheteia (the prophetic), and paraclesis and homilia (the homiletic), paraenesis and catechesis (the catechetic), and paradosis (the transmission of tradition). He explores what lies behind each of them as well as the way they are used by Jesus and the early Church. Both kerygmatic and didactic features are found in all of these structures. This study is important in providing a corrective to inadequate or one-sided views of kerygma. Like other monographs in this series, it presents through cogent argument and well-organized evidence a thesis which will be of interest to all concerned with New Testament studies and with the transmission of the Christian faith.

The Past of Jesus in the Gospels
  • Eugene E. Lemcio
  • Published online:
    06 November 2009
    Print publication:
    30 May 1991
  • The aim of this study is to show that the Evangelists, to an extent hitherto unrecognized, wrote narratives which set out to distinguish Jesus's time from their own. Such an effort, Professor Lemcio explains, went beyond their merely putting verbs in past tenses and dividing their accounts into pre- and post-resurrection periods. Rather, they took care that terminology appropriate to the Easter appearances did not appear beforehand, and that vocabulary used prior to Easter fell by the wayside afterwards. The author shows that words common to both eras bear a different nuance in each, and that the idiom used is seen to suit the time. These are not routine or incidental expressions, but reveal what Jesus the protaganist and the Evangelists as narrators believed about the Gospel, the Christ, the messianic task, and the nature of salvation. This much becomes apparent from a study of the internal evidence, and by next turning to data outside the Gospels, the author attempts to show how biographical and historical writings of the ancient world may prove useful in separate efforts to reconstruct the course of Jesus's life. Lemcio shows how expectations for idiomatic and linguistic verisimilitude in Graeco-Roman historical and biographical writing were met and often exceeded by the Evangelists. His study thus makes a valuable contribution towards our understanding of the literary art of the Gospel narratives, and highlights a literary sensitivity on their writers' part which has failed to receive the critical attention it deserves.

Apocalyptic Eschatology in the Gospel of Matthew
  • David C. Sim
  • Published online:
    04 November 2009
    Print publication:
    21 March 1996
  • This 1996 study reconstructs the apocalyptic eschatology in Matthew's Gospel so that we may understand his time and concerns. Sociological analysis of apocalypticism in Judaism and early Christianity shows that such a comprehensive world view, which emphasized the final judgement and its aftermath within a dualistic and deterministic framework, was adopted by minority of sectarian groups undergoing a situation of great crisis. The Matthean community, after the first Jewish war against Rome, came into conflict with Judaism, gentiles and the larger Christian movement. Matthew's distinctive and often vengeful vision must be set against both his acute need to enhance his community's sense of itself and his pastoral concern. Dr Sim offers for the first time in English an extended and comprehensive comparison of Matthew's outlook with contemporary eschatological literature.

Page 4 of 8