"This volume places the New Testament letters squarely in the middle of all the important letter corpora of antiquity. Chapters cover the basic letter formula, papyrus and postal delivery, non-literary and diplomatic correspondence, Greek and Latin literary letters, epistolary theory, letters in early Judaism, and all the letters of the New Testament. Part I of each chapter surveys each corpus, followed by detailed exegetical examples in Part II. Comprehensive bibliographies and 54 exercises with answers suit this guide to student and scholar alike."--Publisher's website.

The author provides the most extensive analysis available of ancient Jewish letter writing from the Persian period until the early rabbinic literature. In addition, he demonstrates the significance of Jewish letters for the development of early Christian letter writing.

This clear and user-friendly introduction to the interpretive method called "epistolary analysis" shows how focusing on the form and function of Paul's letters yields valuable insights into the apostle's purpose and meaning. The author helps readers interpret Paul's letters properly by paying close attention to the apostle's use of ancient letter-writing conventions. Paul is an extremely skilled letter writer who deliberately adapts or expands traditional epistolary forms so that his persuasive purposes are enhanced. This is an ideal supplemental textbook for courses on Paul or the New Testament. It contains numerous analyses of key Pauline texts, including a final chapter analyzing the apostle's Letter to Philemon as a "test case" to demonstrate the benefits of this interpretive approach.

This volume seeks to advance the discusison of Paul's relationship to Greek epistolary traditions by evaluating the nature of ancient letters as well as the individual letter components. These features are evaluated alongside Paul's letters to better understand Paul's use and adaptations of these traditions in order to meet his communicative needs.

Informed by the historical evidence and with a sharp eye for telltale clues in the Apostle Paul's letters, E. Randolph Richards takes us into his world and places us on the scene with Paul the letter writer offering a glimpse that overthrows our preconceptions and offers a new perspective on how this important portion of Christian Scripture came to be.

Step into the rich, nuanced world of ancient letter writing in this illuminating examination of New Testament epistles within the context of Greco-Roman culture. In "A Journey Through Ancient Letter Writing", delve deep into the technicalities and stylistic elements of this lost art form, and appreciate its tremendous influence on the biblical epistles. The book begins with a comprehensive exploration of the art and craft of letter writing in antiquity, examining everything from the societal significance of letters, to the diverse categories they fall into, and the fascinating materials used for their composition. The journey then leads you to a detailed study of thousands of ancient letters, unlocking invaluable insights and observations about their structure, style, and content. A dedicated chapter on Paul of Tarsus, the renowned epistolary expert, offers a compelling analysis of the Pauline Epistles, their style, content, and rhetorical techniques. The book also goes beyond the norm, bringing to light New Testament letters that defy conventions and investigating their unique influence on epistolography. "A Journey Through Ancient Letter Writing" engages deeply with the current state of research, acknowledging key scholars, debates, and contentious issues in the field. It also introduces newly translated letters, unraveling hidden stories and narratives that have far-reaching implications for understanding the New Testament. The book culminates in an interdisciplinary exploration of letters and the Bible, illustrating how an understanding of ancient letter writing can enrich biblical interpretation. The concluding chapter synthesizes the findings and reflects on the significant role ancient letter writing plays in understanding New Testament letters. Including useful appendices such as a glossary of terms and a list of papyrus and ostracon letters discussed, this book is an indispensable resource for students of theology, history, classics, and anyone interested in the art of ancient letter writing. "A Journey Through Ancient Letter Writing" invites you on a fascinating exploration, recontextualizing biblical letters and offering fresh insights into the Greco-Roman world.

The surviving body of ancient letters offers the reader a stunning variety of material, ranging from the everyday letters preserved among the Oxyrhynchus papyri to imperial rescripts, New Testament Epistles, fictional or pseudepigraphical letters and a wealth of missives on almost every conceivable subject. They offer us a unique insight into ancient practices in the fields of politics, literature, philosophy, medicine and many other areas. This collection presents a series of case studies in ancient letters, asking how each letter writer manipulates the epistolary tradition, why he chose the letter form over any other, and what effect the publication of volumes of collected letters might have had upon a reader's engagement with epistolary works. This volume is the first of its kind on ancient letters in any language, and it brings together both well-established and promising young scholars currently working in the fields of ancient literature, history, philosophy and medicine to engage in a shared debate about this most adaptable and 'interdisciplinary' of genres.