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A Theory of Character in New Testament Narrative

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Cornelis Bennema presents a new theory of characterization in the New Testament literature. Although character has been the subject of focused literary-critical study of the New Testament (and a point of connection with "character ethics") since the 1970s, Cornelis Bennema observes that there is still no consensus regarding how characterization should be understood in contemporary literary theory or in biblical studies. Many New Testament scholars seem to presume that characters in Greco-Roman literature are two-dimensional, "Aristotelian" figures, unlike the well-rounded, psychologized individuals who appear in modern fiction. They continue nevertheless to apply contemporary literary theory to characters in ancient writings. Bennema here offers a full, comprehensive, and non-reductionist theory for the analysis, classification, and evaluation of characters in the New Testament.
Cornelis Bennema is senior lecturer in New Testament at the Wales Evangelical School of Theology (U.K.) and Extraordinary Associate Professor, Unit for Reformed Theology and the Development of the South African Society, Faculty of Theology, North-West University (South Africa).
Foreword by R. Alan Culpepper; Preface; 1. Introduction-Identifying a Dominant Pattern/Paradigm; 2. Character in Antiquity and Modernity-Deconstructing the Dominant Pattern/Paradigm; 3. A Theory of Character in New Testament Narrative-Constructing a New Paradigm; 4. Application of the Theory-Validating the New Paradigm; 5. Conclusion; Bibliography; Index.
"Cornelis Bennema has already established himself at the forefront of the study of characterization in the Gospels. He has identified the need for a comprehensive theory of characterization that is informed by both ancient and modern literary theorists. I fully expect that his next book will be a milestone in the field of narrative criticism of the Gospels and Acts." R. Alan Culpepper Mercer University
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