Tapestry of Early Christian Discourse

Vernon K. Robbins is Professor of Religion at the Department and Graduate Division of Religion, Emory University. He has published widely in the field of biblical interpretation. Among his works are Jesus the Teacher: A Socio-Rhetorical Interpretation of Mark (1984) and New Boundaries in Old Territory (1994).

• Preface 1 THE CHALLENGE OF SOCIO-RHETORICAL CRITICISM 2 REDRAWING THE BOUNDARIES WITH SOCIO-RHETORICAL CRITICISM 3 INNER TEXTURE: EVERY READING HAS A SUBTEXT 4 INTERTEXTURE: EVERY COMPARISON HAS BOUNDARIES 5 SOCIAL AND CULTURAL TEXTURE: EVERY MEANING HAS A CONTEXT 6 IDEOLOGICAL TEXTURE: EVERY THEOLOGY HAS A POLITICS 7 THE PROMISE OF SOCIO-RHETORICAL CRITICISM

'The arenas which Robbins outlines and explores form the basis of a valuable and integrated approach to textual interpretation, and the aim of drawing together literary-rhetorical and social-scientific methods is both timely and important.' - Expository Times'New Testament scholars, and interpreters of the Bible in general, ought to be glad of this book ... Robbins has now written an extremely significant new book offering a method whose entire vision is shot through with the belief that things can be different ... Robbins' work constitutes a significant turning point in biblical studies and the sooner it is reckoned with, the better.' - Stephen W. Need, Reviews in Religion and Theology'Whether perspective or method, Robbins' socio-rhetorical analysis suggests a promising journey in the study of Early Christian texts.' - Science El Esprit'If you find the questions raised by Professor Robbins irresistible, then he offers a scholarly and demanding analysis which makes many connections between a rich variety of recent approaches to the Bible.' - Robin Gill, Church Times