Letters and Homilies for Hellenized Christians, Volume 2

Book excerpt: In the first of three volumes, Witherington extends his innovative socio-rhetorical analysis of New Testament books to the later-Pauline and non-Pauline corpora, placing each text within its socioreligious millieu and illuminating the particular issues that confronted each congregation as well as the rhetorical strategies employed by each author in addressing those issues. Throughout, Witherington shows his thorough knowledge of recent literature on these texts and focuses his attention on the unique insights brought about through socio-rhetorical analysis that either reinforce or correct those gleaned from other approaches. Strikingly, based on his rhetorical analysis that either reinforce or correct those gleaned from other approaches. Strikingly, based on his rhetorical analysis of the Pastorals, he makes the case for Luke as Paul's amanuensis for these letters. He also makes a strenuous argument against New Testament pseudepigrapha-from back cover.