Intertextuality

Review: Echoes of Scripture in the Gospels by Richard Hays

January 30, 2018 by wagraham 5 Comments

Hays, Richard. Echoes of Scripture in the Gospels. Waco, TX: Baylor University Press, 2016. Redshelf.

In 1989 Richard Hays published Echoes of Scripture in the Letters of Paul, influencing biblical studies up to this day. In his book, Hays argued that Paul constantly references the Old Testament. Often these references are echoes or subtle allusions to Scripture. And by paying attention to these allusions, readers can better understand Paul and his engagement with Scripture.

Hays maintains the same is true when it comes to the four Gospels. According to Hays, the Gospel writers narrate the story of Jesus in ways that correspond to the Old Testament. They do so by reading the Old Testament figurally and retrospectively (pp. 2–3). [Read more…] about Review: Echoes of Scripture in the Gospels by Richard Hays

Review of Sacred Tradition in The New Testament by Stanley Porter

January 18, 2017 by wagraham Leave a Comment

Porter, Stanley E. Sacred Tradition in The New Testament: Tracing Old Testament Themes in the Gospels and Epistles. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2016. Pp. xx + 310. ISBN: 978-0-8010-3077-2. $40 [Hardcover].

Stanley Porter has entered into the discussion of New Testament (NT) use of the Old Testament (OT). According to Porter, his work is unique because he avoids focusing on individual verses and instead concentrates on sacred traditions that inform and shape the New Testament’s tradition (x, 247). Porter believes sacred traditions often develop into Christology in the NT (ix). Much of his work, therefore, explores the Christological themes in the NT, demonstrating their source in sacred tradition.

Sacred tradition refers to “wordings [sic] or larger patterns of thought recorded in writings venerated by various peoples and appropriated and reappropriated by later writers in their own interpretations and applications of these in new contexts and situations” (3). Generally speaking, Porter draws on sacred traditions from the OT, although Greco-Roman traditions also have their place in the NT. [Read more…] about Review of Sacred Tradition in The New Testament by Stanley Porter

Intertextuality And Its Problems

January 5, 2017 by wagraham 1 Comment

Intertextuality has become something of a buzz word in Christian academic literature. But the term probably will or perhaps has begun to influence church leaders through commentaries and through the popular(ish) writings of Richard Hays.

As many in Biblical Studies describe it, an intertextual connection refers to how a later biblical text cites an earlier biblical text. For Example, Hebrews 1:5 cites Psalm 2:7: “You are my Son, / today I have begotten you.” Hebrews 1:5’s citation is an intertext because Hebrews 1:5 cites the Old Testament (Psalm 2:7), which was written before Hebrews. The way that I have explained intertextuality here relies on the notion that a later author has intentionally cited an earlier author for a specific purpose.

The problem is that intertextuality means something entirely different than how Biblical Studies uses it. The problem is not merely an issue of misusing of the term intertextuality. The misuse inserts a serious confusion into the practice of understanding how later biblical passages cite earlier biblical passages. Consider the following four problems. [Read more…] about Intertextuality And Its Problems