The Assumed Authorial Unity of Luke and Acts: A Reassessment of the Evidence
For
nearly nineteen hundred years, few have questioned the single
authorship of Luke and Acts. A careful reassessment of the internal and
external evidence, however, reveals this assumption to be built on a
shakier foundation than was previously thought. Patricia Walters's
innovative study offers a statistical analysis of Luke and Acts,
pointing to the existence of highly significant differences in their
prose style. In particular, a comprehensive survey and re-examination of
the two books' least contested authorial stratum - their seams and
summaries - brings to light ancient prose compositional patterns that
distinguish Luke and Acts beyond a reasonable doubt. Walters's
application of statistical analysis is unique in biblical scholarship,
and will provide impetus for using similar methods in other areas of the
field. This book will therefore be of great interest to academic
researchers and students of early Christianity, classical literature and
rhetoric, and New Testament studies.
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