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Reflections on ‘the Reader’ of Matthew's Gospel
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 February 2009
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Since World War II, the chief method by which scholars have studied the Gospels has been redaction criticism. More recently, however, literary, or narrative, criticism has also been on the rise. If one analyzes these methods, one quickly discovers that peculiar to each is a ‘model of readership’ that dictates who the ‘primary reader’ (reader or hearer of first reception) of a Gospel is and how he or she relates to the materials being presented in the Gospel. The purpose of this article is multiple: to point out who the primary reader in each of these methods is conceived to be; to take note of the role the primary reader is thought to play in the reading process; and, perhaps most importantly, to assess the adequacy of the model of readership that characterizes each method. To give the discussion focus, I shall restrict scrutiny to the Gospel according to Matthew.
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page 442 note 1 In this connection, one might recall again the comments made, for example, by Schweitzer, A. (Das Messianitäts- und Leidensgeheimnis [Tübingen: J. C. B. Mohr, 1901] 7–IX):Google Scholar ‘Der Unterschied zwischen dem vierten Evangelium und den Synoptikern besteht gerade darin, dass das erstere ein “Leben Jesu” bietet, während die Synoptiker von seinen öffentlichen Wirksamkeit berichten’; and ‘Die Bergpredigt, die Aussendungsrede und die Würdigungsrede über den Täufer sind keine “Redekompositionen”, sondern sie sind in der Hauptsache so gehalten, wie sie uns überliefert sind.’
page 443 note 1 In the current discussion of the genre of the Gospels, scholars who take the position that the canonical Gospels are indeed of the nature of biography differ noticeably from their predecessors at the turn of the century by insisting that the understanding of biography with which one operates should conform to ancient, not modern, notions of biography. Cf., e.g., Stanton, G. N., ‘The Gospel Traditions and Early Christian Reflection’, Christ, Faith and History (ed. Sykes, S. W. and Clayton, J. P.; Cambridge: Cambridge University, 1972) 191–204.Google Scholar For a survey of recent works on biography as a genre of ancient literature which also have a direct bearing on the study of Matthew, cf. Kingsbury, J. D., Matthew (Proclamation Commentaries; 2nd ed.; Philadelphia: Fortress, 1986) 9–13.Google Scholar Cf. further Guelich, R., ‘The Gospel Genre’, Das Evangelium and die Evangelien (ed. Stuhlmacher, P.; WUNT 28; Tübingen: J. C. B. Mohr, 1983) 183–219.Google Scholar
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