Evoking Story for Transformation
New Testament Quotation at the Reader-Author Intersection
- Biblical Studies & Commentaries
- Publisher: Pickwick Publications (Wipf and Stock)
- Published: 2025
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Publisher's Description
Lyn Nixon takes a fresh approach to the question of whether New Testament authors quote the Old Testament without regard to the original Old Testament meaning that is, "out of context." Her "action model" uses Speech Act Theory to examine the way authors and readers together contribute to the communication of meaning. In her model, for meaning to be successfully communicated, the reader must experience the transformation intended by the author. Lyn Nixon applies her theoretical model to two examples of New Testament quotation where previous scholars have claimed the author quotes the Old Testament in a way that does not correspond to the original meaning. Her case studies--the use of Ps 115:1 LXX in 2 Cor 4:13 and of Ps 110:1 MT by various New Testament speakers and authors--provide new insights into ways that the Old Testament meaning, including its transformative intention, resonates in the quoting of New Testament texts.
Endorsements (3)
“Much has been written on the use of the scriptural quotations in the New Testament, but this book breaks new ground by introducing Speech Act Theory into the discussion. This is illustrated in two stimulating case studies (Ps 116:10 and Ps 110:1), which bring fresh insights into old debates about authorial intention and respect for context. Highly recommended.”
“Nixon’s study offers an innovative investigation of the use of Jewish scriptures in the New Testament through the lens of Speech Act Theory. Very few have articulated, with as much methodological rigor, how New Testament authors hoped to transform their audiences through the use of these texts. This is an important contribution to recent discussions surrounding intertextuality and the use of Speech Act Theory in New Testament studies. I highly recommend!”
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