The Problem of the Text of Acts: 71 (Society for New Testament Studies Monograph Series, Series Number 71) - Softcover

Strange, W. A.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0521018803 ISBN 13: 9780521018807

Publisher: Cambridge University Press, 2008

Synopsis

In the book of Acts, the so-called Western text departs from the alternative text in numerous points of detail. These divergences in the textual tradition of Acts have been the subject of renewed interest in recent years, with a notable concentration on Lucan traits in the Western text. The author of this study takes into account recent theories which have been proposed on the textual tradition of Acts, and puts forward an ingenious thesis (not considered hitherto) to explain the existence of two streams of textual tradition for the book. Analysis of a number of Western textual variants in Acts suggests that they may have arisen from the incorporation of marginal annotations into the text of Acts, but Lucan thought and language is indeed characteristic of these readings. Investigation of the non-Western textual tradition uncovers occasional signs of editing according to the interests of the second-century church. From this evidence Dr Strange proposes that Acts shared the fate of numerous other works of antiquity by being published posthumously; the work of two second-century editors is responsible for the remarkable divergence in the textual tradition of Acts.

About this title

Book Description

This study puts forward the ingenious thesis that Luke left Acts unfinished at his death, and that the work of his posthumous editors has led to the existence of the two versions of Acts which appear in our manuscripts.

Edition details

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Publication date: 2008
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0521018803
• ISBN 13: 9780521018807
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 276