The Commentarial Impulse

What is the origin of Christian commentary?

In this insightful volume, David Lincicum argues that it is in the New Testament, and in Paul’s writings in particular, that readers encounter the first stirrings of a Christian commentarial impulse—an impulse that comes to fruition in the second and third centuries with the birth of the first proper Christian commentarial literature.

Surveying a wide range of Pauline writings, Lincicum illuminates the texts’ relationship to an authoritative past and a demanding present. He shows how the need to preserve the power of the past, whether in scriptural precedent or apostolic memory, while also developing a contemporary vision characterized by eschatological urgency, led to a profound and creative process of appropriation whose effects are still felt today. Written for scholars interested in biblical interpretation, intertextuality, and history of reception, The Commentarial Impulse is an engaging collection that brings together the best of David Lincicum’s insights into these subjects.