Embedded Genres in the New Testament

Recognizing what we are reading--the genre--is crucial for understanding any written work, including the books of the New Testament. However, we may not always realize we use genre categories as we interpret, whether explicitly or implicitly. Embedded genres, or genres within genres, can substantively impact the interpretation of an entire New Testament book.

This short, accessible book by a widely respected scholar and seasoned teacher introduces embedded genres, their impact on New Testament interpretation, and how they contribute to the message of the New Testament authors. Jeannine Brown offers hermeneutical guidance for interpreting embedded genres and explores the hermeneutical questions they raise. She focuses on three case studies of embedded genres that have been contested, underidentified, or underappreciated across the New Testament corpus: the Christ poem in Philippians 2, riddles in Matthew, and the household code in 1 Peter.

Students of the New