Identifying different parts of the présent text of Philippians as separate letters takes the task of epistolary analysis beyond simple form criticism into the realm of narratology, for any conclusions about the composite nature of a text imply reconstructing a story of how the relationship between sender and recipient was unfolding. Using work on the discourse of epistolary novels, this study moves from a formal study of epistolary units in Philippians to examining how any compositional hypothesis (including a reading "as is") implies a more or less adequate strategy for appreciating the story of a Ist-century Macedonian community's friendship with the Christian traveler Paul.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Altman, Janet1982Epistolarity: Approaches to a Form. Columbus: Ohio State University.
2.
Attridge, Harold1976First-Century Cynicism in the Epistles of Heraclitus . Missoula: Scholars.
3.
Aune, David1987The New Testament in its Literary Environment. Philadelphia: Westminster.
4.
Beare, Francis W.1959A Commentary on the Epistle to the Philippians. New York: Harper & Row.
5.
Bruce, F.F.1989Philippians. Peabody: Hendrickson.
6.
Collange, Jean Francois1979The Epistle of Saint Paul to the Philippians. Translated by A. W. Heathcote. London: Epworth .
7.
Fce, Gordon1995Philippians. Downers Grove, IL: Intervarsity.
