-----Annotated Bibliography-----
3.0 Letters

Anderson, Jr., R. Dean. Ancient Rhetorical Theory and Paul. Vol. 18 in Contributions to Biblical Exegesis and Theology. The Netherlands: Kok Phraros, Kampen, 1996.
[has some comments on the relationship between rhetoric and letter writing.]

Andresen, Carl.  “Zum Formular frühchristlicher Gemeindebriefe.” Zeitschrift für die Neutestamentliche Wissenschaft 56 (1965): 233-59.

Aune, David E.  The New Testament in Its Literary Environment. Vol. 8 of Library of Early Christianity.  Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1987.
[See chaps. 5 & 6 on epistolary research; important bibliography at end of each chapter.]

Bahr, Gordon J.  “Paul and Letter Writing in the Fifth Century.” Catholic Biblical Quarterly 28 (1966): 465-77.

Barnett, Albert.  Paul Becomes a Literary Influence.  Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1941.

Berger, Klaus.  “Apostelbrief und apostolische Rede: Zum Formular frühchristlicher Briefe.” Zeitschrift für die Neutestamentlische Wissenschaft 65 (1974): 191-207.

Bromiley, Geoffrey W., ed.  The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia.  S.V. “Letters,” by G. A. Lee.

Carrington, Philip.  The Primitive Christian Catechism.  Cambridge: University Press, 1940.

Crim, Keith, ed. Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible.  Supplementary Volume.  S.v. “Letters,” by N. A. Dahl.
[very helpful bibliography]

Deissmann, Adolf.  Light from the Ancient East. Twin Book Series.  Translated by Lionel R. M. Strachan.  London: Hodder & Stroughton, 1910.

Deissmann, Adolf.  Paul: A Study in Social and Religious History. Translated by W. E. Wilson.  2nd edition.  New York: Harper & Brothers, 1957.

Dibelius, Martin.  From Tradition to Gospel.  Translated by B. L. Woolf.  New York: Charles Scribner’s, 1934.

Doty, William G.  “The Classification of Epistolary Literature.” Catholic Biblical Quarterly 31 (1969): 183-99.

Doty, William G.  Letters in Primitive Christianity.  Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1973.
[Very important survey work.]

Exler, Francis Xavier J.  The Form of the Ancient Greek Letter of the Epistolary Papyri.  Chicago: Ares Publishers, Inc., 1976.
[A major contribution to epistolary research.]

Funk, Robert W.  “The Apostolic Parousia: Form and Significance.”  In Christian History and Interpretation: Studies Present to John Knox.  Edited by W. R. Farmer, C. F. D. Moule, and R. Niebuhr.  Cambridge: University Press, 1967.

Goldstein, Jonathan A. The Letters of Demosthenes. New York & London: Columbia University Press, 1968.

Hughes, Frank W. "The Rhetoric of Letters."  In The Thessalonians Debate. Edited by Karl P. Donfried. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2000.

Hughes, Frank W. "The Social Situations Implied by Rhetoric."  In The Thessalonians Debate. Edited by Karl P. Donfried. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2000.

Hunt, A. S., and Edgar, C. C.  Select Papyri.  4 vols. in the Loeb Classical Library.  Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press, 1970.

Koskenniemi, Heikki.  Studies in the Concept and Phraseology of the Greek Letter to 400 C. E.  Helsinki: Suomalaien Tiedeakatemie, 1956.

Köster, Friedrich.  “Ob St. Paulus seine Sprache an der des Demosthenes gebildet habe?”  Theologische Studien und Kritiken 27 (1854): 305-22.

Loveday, Alexander. "Hellenistic Letter-Forms and the Structure of Philippians." Journal for the Study of the New Testament 37 (1989) 87-101.

Malherbe, Abraham J. "Ancient Epistolary Theorists." In vol 19 of the Society of Biblical Literature Sources for Biblical Study. Atlanta, Scholar's Press, 1988.

Meecham, Henry G.  Light from Ancient Letters.  London: George Allen & Unwin, Ltd., 1923.

Morgenstern, Otto.  “Cicero und die Stenographie.”  Archive für Stenograhie 56 (1905): 2-4.

Mitternacht, Dieter. Forum für Sprachlose: Eine kommunikationspsychologische und epistolär-rhetorische Untersuchung des Galaterbriefs. NP: Almquist and Wiksell, 1999.
[about the author]

Mullins, Terence.  “Disclosure: A Literary Form in the New Testament.” Novum Testamentum 7 (1964): 44-50.
[Mullins is a significant contributor to epistolary research.]

Murphy-O'Connor, Jerome. Paul the Letter-Writer: His World, His Options, His Skills. Vol. 41 in the Good News Studies. Baltimore, MD: Michael Glazier Books, 1995.
[ISBN: 0814658458, 160 pp]

Nanos, Mark, ed. The Galatians Debate: Contemporary Issues in Rhetorical and Historical Interpretation.  Peabody, MS: Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., 2002.
["The first half of this just released edited volume is designed around exemplary articles from Betz, Hall, Smit, Berchman, Martin, Classen that trace a variety of contemporary approaches to the rhetorical (and to some degree epistolary) analysis of Galatians; followed by essays by Dahl (a wonderful previously unpublished paper from 1973 one sometimes finds mentioned) and Hansen on epistolary analysis; as well as rhetorical and epistolary analysis of the autobiographical material by Koptak, Vos, and Hester. (Just to complete the picture of the volume: The second half includes essays of rhetorical as well as socio-historical nature by Dunn,
Fredriksen, Esler, and Nanos on the autobiographical section of Galatians, with emphasis on the Antioch Incident, followed by Harvey, Jewett, Martyn, Walter, Barclay, Lategan, Nanos, and Mitternacht on the Galatians situation.) A 40+ page introduction offers a framework for the various debates, and a summary of each contribution (most are republished, some are new). There is also a glossary that includes many rhetorical terms, among others, and an extensive bibliography. (comments by Mark Nanos in Corpus-Paul forum email under the subject Letter Writing in the Ancient World, Jan 4, 2003) ISBN: 1565634683]

Nanos, Mark. The Irony of Galatians: Paul's Letter in First-Century Context. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 2001.
["I have argued that Galatians should be approached as a letter of ironic rebuke, and spell out some of the implications that I believe follow from a more epistolary approach and attention to irony, especially the case for reconsideration of the rhetorical and historical situation(s) that ironic use of language would imply. It also offers an appendix analyzing the issues that arise in the contemporary debate about rhetorical and epistolary analyses, with extensive bibliography. (comments by Mark Nanos in Corpus-Paul forum email under the subject Letter Writing in the Ancient World, Jan 4, 2003) ISBN: 0800632141]

Peter, Hermann. Der Brief in der römischen Literatur.  Abhandlungen der Königlichen Sächsischen Gesellschaft der Wissenschaften, philologisch-historische Classe, 20/3; Leipzig: B. G. Teubner, 1901 [reprinted Hildesheim: Georg Olms, 1965].
["Peter argued that official letters were seen in Greek tradition as substitutes for or representations of public speeches ("letter and speech were looked upon as belonging together," Peter, 14), and thus teaching about letters was a natural part of Graeco-Roman education, particularly within rhetorical schools.  Peter argued that the systematic rules taught in rhetorical schools had a powerful influence on all kinds of speeches and also letters (Peter, 19)". (comments by Frank W. Hughes in Corpus-Paul forum email under the subject Letter Writing in the Ancient World, Jan 4, 2003)]

Reallexikon für Antike und Christentum.  S.v. “Brief,” by J. Schneider; “Epistolographie,” by I. Sukutris.
 [Very important early treatments.]

Roller, Otto.  Das Formular der paulinischen Briefe.  Stuttgart: W. Kohlhammer, 1933.
[A very important pioneer in epistolary research.]

Stowers, Stanley K.  Letter Writing in Greco-Roman Antiquity. Vol. 5 of Library of Early Christianity.  Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1986.
[Very important recent work; helpful but limited bibliography.]

Thyn, Hartwig.  Der Stil der jüdisch-hellenistischen Homilie.  Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 1955.

White, John. "Ancient Greek Letters." In Graeco-Roman Literature and the New Testament. Edited by David Aune. Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1988.

White, John L.  The Form and Function of the body of the Greek Letter: A Study of the Letter-Body in the Non-Literary Papyri and in Paul the Apostle.  Society of Biblical Literature Dissertation Series, vol. 2.  Missoula: Scholars Press, 1972.
[White is the preeminent American scholar in epistolary research.]

White, John L.  The Form and Structure of the Official Petition. Society of Biblical Literature Dissertation Series, vol. 5.  Missoula: Scholar’s Press, 1972.

White, John L.  Light from Ancient Letters.  Foundations and Facets.  Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1986.
 [Very important primary source book of ancient letters with Greek text and current English translation; important bibliography on epistolary research, pp. 221-24; Introduction, pp. 3-20, contains helpful survey of letter writing patterns in ancient world.]

White, John L.  “New Testament Epistolary Literature in the Framework of Ancient Epistolography.”  In vol. II.25.2 of Aufstieg und Niedergang der römischen Welt.  Edited by H. Temporini and W. Haase.  Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, 1984.
[See pp. 1730-56; very important recent update of research.]

White, John L. “Saint Paul and the Apostolic Letter Tradition.” Catholic Biblical Quarterly 45 (1983): 433-44.

White, John L., ed. Studies in Ancient Letter Writing.  Vol. 22 of Semeia: An Experimental Journal for Biblical Criticism.  Chico, CA: Scholars Press, 1982.
 [The entire volume treats the issue of ancient letter writing; the most important article is that of White, “The Greek Documentary Letter Tradition Third century B.C.E. to Third Century C.E.”]

Wilder, Amos N.  “The Rhetoric of Ancient and Modern Apocalyptic.” Interpretation 25 (1971): 436-53.

Winter, John G.  Life and Letters in the Papyri.  Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 1933.

3.1 Praescriptio

Bahr, Gordon J.  “The Subscriptions in the Pauline Letters.” Journal of Biblical Literature 87 (1968): 27-41.
 

3.1.1 Superscriptio (Sender)

3.1.2 Adscriptio (Recipient)

3.1.3 Salutatio (Greeting)

Mullins, Terence.  “Greeting as a New Testament Form.”  Journal of Biblical Literature 87 (1968): 418-26.
 

3.2 Proem

Mullins, Terence. “Petition as a Literary Form.” Novum Testamentum 5 (1962): 46-54.

Sanders, Jack T. “The Transition from Opening Eistolary Thanksgiving to Body in the Letters of the Pauline Corpus.”  Journal of Biblical Literature 71 (1962): 348-57.

Schubert, Paul.  Form and Function of the Pauline Thanksgiving. Vol. 20 of Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für die Neutestamentliche Wissenschaft.  Berlin: Topelmann, 1939.
 [Another important earlier contributor to epistolary research.]
 

3.2.1 Thanksgiving

Arzt, P. "The 'Epistolary Introductory Thanksgiving' in the Papyri and Paul," Novum Testamentum 36 (1994), 29-46.

O’Brian, Peter Thomas.  Introductory Thanksgivings in the Letters of Paul.  Vol. 49 of Novum Testamentum Supplements. Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1977.

Reed, J. "Are Paul’s Thanksgivings 'Epistolary'?" Journal for the Study of the New Testament 61 (1996) 87-99.

 
3.2.2 Intercession

3.3 Body

3.3.1 Opening Formulae

Mullins, Terence.  “Formulas in New Testament Epistles.” Journal of Biblical Literature 91 (1972): 380-90.

White, John L.  “Introductory Formulae in the Body of the Pauline Letter.”  Journal of Biblical Literature 90 (1971): 91-97.
 

3.3.1.1 Request/Appeal

3.3.1.2 Disclosure

3.3.1.3 Expressions of Astonishment

3.3.1.4 Formulae of Compliance

3.3.1.5 Formulae of Hearing/Learning

3.3.2 Narrative

Sanders, Jack T. “Paul’s ‘Autobiographical’ Statements in Galatians 1-2.”  Journal of Biblical Literature 85 (1966): 335-43.
 

3.3.3 Traditions Material

Lampe, G. W. H.  “The Evidence in the New Testament for Early Creeds, Catechisms, and Liturgy.”  Expository Times 71 (1959-60): 359-63.
[Contains helpful bibliography.]

Selwyn, Edward Gordon.  The First Epistle of St. Peter.  London: Macmillan & Co., 1946.
[See pp. 363-466 for important treatment on catechesis in the NT.]

3.3.3.1 From worship liturgy

Charlesworth, J. H.  “A Prolegomenon to a New Study of the Jewish Background of the Hymns and Prayers in the New Testament.”  Journal of Jewish Studies 33 (1982): 265-85.

Käsemann, Ernst.  “Formeln II. Liturgische Formeln im NT.”  In vol. 2 of Die Religion in Geschichte und Gegenwart.  3rd ed. Tübingen: J. C. B. Mohr [Paul Siebeck], 1958.

Martin, Ralph P.  “Aspects of Worship in the New Testament Church.”  In Vox Evangelica.  London: The Epworth Press, 1963.
 

3.3.3.1.1 Hymns

Deichgräber, Reinhard.  Gotteshymnus und Christushymnus in der frühen Christenheit.  Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 1967.

Evans, Craig A., and Porter, Stanley E., eds. Dictionary of New Testament Background. S.v. "Creeds and Hymns," by W. J. Porter.
[very helpful summation produced in 2000]

Schille, Gottfried.  Frühchristliche Hymnen.  Berlin: Evangelische Verlagsanstalt, 1965.

3.3.3.1.2 Confessions of Faith

Evans, Craig A., and Porter, Stanley E., eds. Dictionary of New Testament Background. S.v. "Creeds and Hymns," by W. J. Porter.
[very helpful summation produced in 2000]

Neufeld, Vernon H.  The Earliest Christian Confessions.  Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1963.
 [Important bibliography in this area.]

Seeberg, Alfred. Der Katechismus der Urchristenheit. Theologische Bücherei, vol. 26. Münich: Chr. Kaiser Verlag, 1966.
 

3.3.3.1.3 Lord's  Supper Narratives

3.3.3.2 From early preaching

Wuellner, Wilhelm.  “Haggadic Homily Genre in 1 Corinthians 1-3.”  Journal of Biblical Literature 89 (1970): 199-204.
 

3.3.3.2.1 Kerygma

3.3.3.2.2 Verba Christi

3.3.3.3 Old Testament Allusion

3.3.3.4 Old Testament Citation

Archer, Gleason L., and G. C. Chirichigno. Old Testament Quotations in the New Testament. Chicago: Moody Press, 1983.

Kimball, Charles A. Jesus' Exposition of the Old Testament in Luke's Gospel. In Journal For the Study of the New Testament Supplement Series 94. Edited by Stanley E. Porter. Sheffield: JSOT, 1994.

3.3.4 Paraenesis

Malherbe, Abraham J.  Moral Exhortation, A Greco-Roman Stourcebook.  Vol. 4 of Library of Early Christianity.  Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1986.

Schrage, Wolfgang.  Die konkreten Einzelgebote in den paulinischen Paränese.  Ein Beitrag zur neutestamentlichen Ethik.  Gütersloh: Gütersloh Verlag, 1961.

Schrage, Wolfgang. "The Ethics of Responsibility in the Deutero-Pauline Epistles." Chap. in The Ethics of the New Testament. Translated by D. E. Green. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1982.

3.3.4.1 Lists of Vice/Virtues

Crim, Keith, ed. Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible.  S.v. “Lists, Ethical,” by O. J. F. Seitz.

Easton, Burton S.  “New Testament Ethical Lists.”  Journal of Biblical Literature 51 (1932): 1-12.
[Important early work on vice/virtue lists in NT.]

Kamlah, E.  Die Form der katalogischen Paränese im Neuen Testament.  Tübingen: J. C. B. Mohr [Paul Siebeck], 1964.

Seitz, Oscar J. F. “Lists, Ethical.” In The Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible, ed. George Arthur Buttrick, 3:137-39. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1962.

Vögtle, Anton. Die Tugend- und Lasterkataloge im Neuen Testament: Exegetisch, religions- und formgeschichtlich untersucht.  Münster, n.p., 1936.

Wendland, Heinz-Dietrich.  Ethik des Neuen Testaments.  Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 1970.
 [Important for study of vice/virture lists.]

Wibbing, S.  Die Tugend- und Lasterkataloge im Neuen Testament und ihre Traditionsgeschichte unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der Qumrantexte. Berlin: Töpelmann, 1959.
 

3.3.4.2 Haustafeln (Domestic Code)

Balch, David L.  Let Wives Be Submissive: The Domestic Code in 1 Peter.  Chico: Scholars Press, 1981.

Balch, David L. “Household Codes.” In The Anchor Bible Dictionary, ed. David Noel Freedman, 3:318-20. New York: Doubleday, 1992.

Brown, Colin, Ed. The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1975-78.  S.v. "ajrethv /Haustafeln," by R. P. Martin

Crouch, James E. The Origin and Intention of the Colossian Haustafel. Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 1972.

Daube, David. "Haustafeln." Chap. in The New Testament and Rabbinic Judaism. London: University of London, 1956.

Fiedler, Peter. “Haustafeln.” In Reallexikon für Antike und Christentum: Sachwörterbuch zur Auseinandersetzung des Christentums mit der Antiken Welt, ed. Theodor Klauser, Ernst Dassmann, Carsten Colpe, Albrecht Dihle, Josef Engemann, Bernhard Kötting, Wolfgand Speyer, Klaus Thraede, and Jan Hendrik Waszink, 13:1063-74. Stuttgart: Anton Hiersemann, 1986.

John T. Fitzgerald, John T. "Haustafeln." In Anchor Bible Dictionary, ed. David Noel Freedman, et al. New York: Doubleday, 1992.

Goppelt, Leonard. "Jesus und die 'Haustafel' Tradition." In Orientierung an Jesus: Zur Theologie der Synoptiker, ed. P. Hoffman, 93-106. Freiburg: Verlag Herder, 1973.

Gross, Carl D. “Are the Wives of 1 Peter 3.7 Christians?” Journal for the Study of the New Testament 35 (1989): 89-96.

Hartmann, L. “Some Unorthodox Thoughts on the ‘Household-Code Form’.” In The Social World of Formative Christianity and Judaism: Essays in Tribute to Howard Clark Kee, ed. Jacob Neusner, Peder Borgen, Ernest S. Frerichs, and Richard Horsley. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1988.

Kiley, Mark. “Like Sara: The Tale of Terror Behind 1 Peter 3:6.” Journal of Biblical Literature 106: (1987): 689-92.

Lillie, William. "The Pauline House-tables." The Expository Times 86, no. 6 (March 1975): 179-83.

Link, Hans-Georg. “Haustafel.” In The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology, ed. Colin Brown, 59. Regency Reference Library. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1975.

Lips, Hermann von. “Die Haustafel als ‘Topos’ im Rahmen der urchristlichen Paränese: Beobachtungen anhand des 1. Petrusbriefes und des Titusbriefes.” New Testament Studies 40 (1994): 261-80.

Lührmann, Dieter. “Neutestamentliche Hastafeln und antike Ökonomie.” New Testament Studies 27 (1981): 83-97.

Rengstorff, Karl. "Die neutestamentliche Mahnungen an die Frau sich dem Manne unterzuordnen." In Verbum Die Manet in Aeternum, ed. W. Foerster, 131-45. Wittenberg: Luther Verlag, 1953.

Schrage, Wolfgang. “Zur Ethik der neutestamentlichen Haustafeln.” New Testament Studies 21 (1974): 1-22.

Schroeder, D.  "Die Haustafeln des Neuen Testaments: Ihre Herkunft und ihr theologischer Sinn."  Ph.D. dissertation, Hamburg, 1959.

Schweizer, Eduard. “Die Weltlichkeit des Neuen Testaments: Die Haustafeln.” In Beiträge zur Alttestamentlichen Theologie: Festschrift für Walther Zimmerli, ed. Herbert Donner, Robert Hanhart, and Rudolph Smend, 397-413. Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 1977.

Stambaugh, John E., and David L. Balch. The New Testament in Its Social Environment. Library of Early Christianity, ed. W. A. Meeks, no. 2. Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1986.

Thraede, Klaus. “Zum historischen Hintergrund der ‘Haustafeln’ des NT.” In Pietas: Festschrift für Bernhard Kötting, ed. Ernst Dassmann and K. Suso Frank, 359-68. Jahrbuch für Antike und Christentum, no. 8. Münster: Aschendorffsche Verlagsbuchhandlung, 1980.

Towner, Phillip H. “Households and Household Codes.” In Dictionary of Paul and His Letters, ed. Gerald F. Hawthorne and Ralph P. Martin, 417-19. Downers Grove, Ill: InterVarsity Press, 1993.

Weidinger, Karl. Die Haustafeln: Ein Stück urchristlicher Paränese. Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament, ed. Hans Windisch, no. 14. Leipzig: J. C. Hinrichs’sche Buchhandlung, 1928.

3.3.4.3 Duty Codes (Gemeindetafeln)

3.3.4.4 Judgment Form

Roetzel, Calvin.  “The Judgment Form in Paul’s Letters.” Journal of Biblical Literature 88 (1969): 305-12.
 

3.3.5 Closing

3.3.5.1 Eschatological Affirmations

Doty, William G.  “Identifying Eschatological Language.” Continuum7 (1970): 546-61.

Gager, John G.  “Functional Diversity in Paul’s Use of End-Time Language.”  Journal of Biblical Literature 89 (1970): 325-37.

Snyder, Graydon F.  “The Literalization of the Apocalyptic Form in the New Testament Church.”  Biblical Research 14 (1969): 5-18.
 

3.3.5.2 Travelogue/Apostolic Parousia

Trebilco, Paul. “Itineraries, Travel Plans, Journeys, Apostolic Parousia.” In Dictionary of Paul and His Letters, ed. Gerald Hawthorne, Ralph P. Martin, and Daniel G. Reid, 446-456. Downers Grove: IVP, 1993.
 

3.4 Conclusio (Eschatokoll)

3.4.1 Greetings

3.4.2 Sender Verification

3.4.3 Doxologies

Elliott, J. K.  “The Language and Style of the Concluding Doxology to the Epistle to the Romans.” Zeitschrift für die Neutestamentliche Wissenschaft 72 (1981): 124-30.
 

3.4.4 Benediction

Jewett, Robert.  “The Form and Function of Homiletic Benediction.” Anglican Theological Review 51 (1969): 19-23.