Title: Surprised by God : praise responses in the narrative of Luke-Acts /
Authors: De Long, Kindalee Pfremmer.
Publisher: Walter de Gruyter,
Year: 2009
Subjects: Bible. Criticism, interpretation, etc.; Bible. Criticism, Narrative.; Bible. Criticism, interpretation, etc.; Bible. Criticism, Narrative.; Bible. Relation to the Old Testament.; Bible. Relation to the Old Testament.; Praise of God.
Abstract: "Scholars have long noted the prevalence of praise of God in Luke-Acts. This monograph offers the first comprehensive analysis of this important feature of Luke's narrative. It focuses on twenty-six scenes in which praise occurs, studied in light of ancient Jewish and Greco-Roman discourse about praise of deity and in comparison with how praise appears in the narratives of Tobit and Joseph and Aseneth. The book argues that praise of God functions as a literary motif in all three narratives, serving to mark important moments in each plot, particularly in relation to the themes of healing, conversion, and revelation. In Luke-Acts specifically, the plot presents the long-expected visitation of God, which arrives in the person of Jesus, bringing glory to the people of Israel and revelation to the Gentiles. The motif of praise of God aligns closely with the plot's structure, communicating to the reader that varied (and often surprising) events in the story - such as healings in Luke and conversions in Acts - together comprise the plan of God. The praise motif thus demonstrates the author's efforts to combine disparate source material into carefully constructed historiography."--Publisher's website.
Contents: Introduction. -- Part One: Praise of God in Context. Introduction to Part One ; Defining Praise of the Divine ; Discourse about Praise of the Divine ; Praise and Healing in Tobit ; Praise and Conversion in Joseph and Aseneth. -- Part Two: Praise Responses in Luke-Acts. Introduction to Part Two ; Praise and Revelation: Jesus' Birth ; Praise and Healing in Luke-Acts ; Praise and Revelation: Jesus' Identity as Messiah, Son, King, and Risen Lord ; Praise and Conversion of the Gentiles in Acts ; Conclusions.