The Idea of Biblical Genre: From Discourse to Constellation

Abstract

The idea of biblical genre originated in very specific literary circumstances in ancient Greece, and it can be argued that the idea of genre needs to be reserved for very specific contexts. This chapter argues that that one should be mindful, not only of the similarities, but also of the differences between classical Greek literature and Second Temple literature. It presents two ways of thinking about genre: 1) The texts were produced as members of relevant genres, and the norms governing their production included generic norms; 2) Genre is primarily an idea to be used in the reader's classification of texts. The chapter characterizes the non-generic class of texts in question by means of a constellation of features or elements. Constellations depend for their legibility on our interests as readers. The four elements of the constellation are: locus; figure; interpretation; and the renewal of hope. Keywords:biblical genre; classical Greek literature; Second Temple literature