The Sign Of Jonah Reconsidered A Study Of Its Meaning In The Gospel Traditions Chow by Chow, Simon 9789122016953, 9122016953 instant download after payment.

This study aims to search out the meaning of the sign of Jonah in Matthew, Luke and “Q”. The texts are investigated with special attention to the textual and historical backgrounds of the authors and their intended readers. The dissertation consists of five chapters. Chapter 1 introduces the problem, the state of research and the method of the present study. After an examination of Jonah in Jewish traditions (Chapter 2), the Matthean and Lucan texts are analysed in synchronic and diachronic dimensions (3.1 and 3.2). In 3.3 the text of “Q” is reconstructed and studied synchronically. Chapter 4 deals with the question of how the sign of Jonah was understood and what the image of Jonah was in early Christian tradition. Chapter 5 summarizes the results.

Findings: Just as the Book of Jonah was used in different ways in Jewish tradition, the three Gospel traditions interpret the sign of Jonah differently, according to the distinct situations in which they were written. “Q” understands the sign as representing the coming of the Son of Man in the parousia. For Matthew the sign points to the death and resurrection of Jesus, but Luke connects it with the preaching of the Church. Although the application of the story of Jonah in general differed according to its various contexts in the early Church, with regard to the sign of Jonah specifically, it was the Matthean interpretation that dominated. This interpretation is an important factor in our understanding of contemporary representations of Jonah in the arts where he stands for the Christian hope of resurrection.