The epistles for all Christians : : epistolary literature, circulation, and the gospels for all Christians / / by David A. Smith.

• Superior document: Biblical interpretation series ; Volume 186
• VerfasserIn: Smith, David A., 1967-
• Place / Publishing House: Leiden, The Netherlands ;, Boston : : Brill,, [2020]; ©2020
• Year of Publication: 2020
• Language: English
• Series: Biblical interpretation series ; Volume 186.
• Physical Description: 1 online resource.

In The Epistles for All Christians, David Smith argues that epistolary literature offers analogous evidence of circulation to the Gospels. Since Richard Bauckham's edited volume The Gospels for All Christians was published in 1998, debate over the validity of the contributors' claims that the Gospels were written for "all Christians" has revolved around interpretation. Smith brings circulation to bear on the conversation. Studying ancient media practices of publication and circulation and using social network theory, Smith makes a compelling case that if the evangelists did not expect their texts to circulate they would be atypical.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements -- List of Figures -- Abbreviations -- Introduction -- 1 Chapter Summaries -- 1 Refocusing the Lenses -- 1 Interpretation vs. Circulation -- 2 What About the Epistles? -- 3 Correcting the Vision -- 2 Expected Circulation of Early Christian Epistolary Literature -- 1 Circulation to Multiple Locales -- 2 Circulation to "All Christians" -- 3 Conclusion -- 3 Actual Practice of Early Christian Circulation -- 1 Transmission -- 2 Catholicizing Tendencies -- 3 Letter Collections -- 4 Manuscripts -- 5 Allusions -- 6 Circulation of Books and the Gospels -- 7 Conclusions and Summary -- 4 Circulation and Social Networks -- 1 Social Networks and Early Christianity -- 2 Social Network Analysis of Early Christian Letters -- 3 Conclusion -- Conclusion -- 1 This Study -- 2 Future Study -- Bibliography -- Index.