Decisions about how texts are classified and presented affect the way in which they
are interpreted. This is particularly evident in the study of the often fragmentary
remains of many early Christian gospels, as can be seen in the decisions about which
texts are included in the standard collections and the way in which they are
arranged. In this article I argue that the term ‘Jewish-Christian
gospel’ is positively misleading if taken to refer to a class of writings
which share particular formal characteristics (or indeed distinctive theological
tendencies) that might set them apart from other gospels, and I suggest that the
time has come to reconsider this dubious category. Since these writings need to be
understood as texts before they may be used as sources for historical phenomena, it
seems better to classify them either according to their literary form or according
to the way in which they have been transmitted, not on the basis of a theological
evaluation that has little support in the texts themselves.
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4.
Boor, C. de1888Neue Fragmente des Papias, Hegesippus und Papias (TU, V.2; Leipzig).
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neutestamentlichen Theologie und Zeitgeschichte, 3; Berlin: Institut Kirche und
Judentum): 38-58.
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SNTSMS; Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
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13.
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14.
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of Luke’
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17.
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Pseudo-Clementine Recognitions 1.27-71 (SBLTT, 37;
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judéo-christianisme?’, in
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premier siècle (
Geneva: Labor et Fides
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Leiden: E.J. Brill
, 2005).
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23.
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E. Schlarb2000Fragmente apokryph gewordener Evangelien (
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26.
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Where did Another Rich Man Come from? The Jewish-Christian Profile of the
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15.14)’, VC 57:
243-275
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27.
Martin, R.P.1988James (WBC, 48;
Waco, TX: Word Books
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Painter, J.1997Just James: The Brother of Jesus in History and Tradition (
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31.
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32.
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London: Littman Library of Jewish Civilization
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33.
Stanton, G.N.1989‘“Pray that your Flight May not Be in Winter or on a
Sabbath”: Matthew 24. 20’
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34.
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36.
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37.
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