From the Kerygma-Gospel to Written Gospels

This paper wants to address the question, why and how the term εỦαγγέλιον, originally a term for the early Christian proclamation, became the designation of a certain type of literature. Closely related problems have been discussed repeatedly in New Testament scholarship for several generations: (1) The origin of the term εỦαγγέλιον. (2) The consistency and uniformity of its meaning in its Christian usage. (3) The question of the literary genre of the writings which later became known as ‘gospels’. I shall comment on the second and third of these problems insofar as they concern the question addressed in this paper, but I shall leave aside the question of the background and origin of the term.

[1]  François Bovon.  The Synoptic Gospels and the Noncanonical Acts of the Apostles , 1988, Harvard Theological Review.

[2]  H. Koester,et al.  Ignatius of Antioch: A Commentary on the Letters of Ignatius of Antioch , 1987 .

[3]  D. Dormeyer.  Die Kompositionsmetapher ‘Evangelium Jesu Christi, des Sohnes Gottes’ Mk 1.1. Ihre Theologische und Literarische Aufgabe in der Jesus-Biographie des Markus , 1987, New Testament Studies.

[4]  G. W. Nickelsburg.  The Genre and Function of the Markan Passion Narrative , 1980, Harvard Theological Review.

[5]  K. P. Donfried.  The setting of Second Clement in early Christianity , 1974 .

[6]  R. Heard.  (A) The Aφomnhmoneymata in Papias, Justin, and Irenaeus , 1954, New Testament Studies.

[7]  R. Cameron.  Sayings Traditions in the Apocryphon of James , 1984 .

[8]  K. Wengst.  Didache (Apostellehre) ; Barnabasbrief ; Zweiter Klemensbrief ; Schrift an Diognet , 1984 .

[9]  B. Corley.  Colloquy on New Testament Studies : a time for reappraisal and fresh approaches , 1983 .

[10]  J. Ernst.  Das Evangelium nach Markus , 1981 .

[11]  K. Baltzer.  Die Biographie der Propheten , 1975 .

[12]  T. Zahn.  Geschichte des neutestamentlichen Kanons , 1975 .

[13]  F. Beare.  The first epistle of Peter , 1970 .

[14]  U. Wilckens.  Die Missionsreden der Apostelgeschichte : form- und traditionsgeschichtliche Untersuchungen , 1961 .

[15]  J. Audet.  La didachè instructions des apôtres , 1958 .

[16]  H. Köster.  Synoptische Überlieferung bei den Apostolischen Vätern , 1957 .

[17]  H. Schlier.  Religionsgeschichtliche Untersuchungen zu den Ignatiusbriefen , 1929 .

[18]  Julius Schniewind.  Euangelion : Ursprung und erste Gestalt des Begriffs Evangelium. Untersuchungen. 1. u. 2. Lieferung , 1927 .

[19]  Theodor Haecker.  Christentum und Kultur , 1927 .

[20]  M. Dibelius.  Geschichte der urchristlichen Literatur , 1926 .