Includes bibliographical references (pages 115-117) and index.

"Looking at the New Testament through the lens of literary study, Kyle Keefer offers an engrossing exploration of this revered religious text as a work of literature but also keeps in focus its theological ramifications. Unique among books that examine the Bible as literature, this brilliantly compact introduction offers an intriguing double-edged look at this universal text - a religiously informed analysis using a literary framework - plot, character, narrative arc, genre - to illuminate the language, structure, and crafting of this venerable text. The book explores the major sections of the New Testament - the gospels, Paul's letters, and Revelation - as individual literary documents. Keefer shows how, in such familiar stories as the parable of the Good Samaritan, a literary analysis can uncover an unexpected complexity to what seems a simple, straight-forward tale. By the conclusion of the book. Keefer has shown that whether read as a single document or as a collection of works, the New Testament presents readers with a wide variety of forms and viewpoints, and a literary exploration helps bring this richness to light."--BOOK JACKET.

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