Pseudepigraphy and Coptic Apocrypha: Authority, Authenticity, and Worldbuilding
In Coptic apocrypha pseudepigraphy is ubiquitous. This article outlines the various types and layers of pseudepigraphy employed in this literature, and describes the ways in which authorship is attributed to both biblical characters and later patristic figures, often in combination. It also discusse...
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
|
| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Mohr Siebeck
2023
|
| In: |
Early christianity
Year: 2023, Volume: 14, Issue: 4, Pages: 512-528 |
| Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains: | B
Pseudepigraphy
/ Coptic literature
/ Coptology
|
| IxTheo Classification: | KAB Church history 30-500; early Christianity KBL Near East and North Africa TB Antiquity |
| Further subjects: | B
worldbuilding
B Coptology B pseudo-documentarism B Pseudepigraphy B Apocrypha |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | In Coptic apocrypha pseudepigraphy is ubiquitous. This article outlines the various types and layers of pseudepigraphy employed in this literature, and describes the ways in which authorship is attributed to both biblical characters and later patristic figures, often in combination. It also discusses its various possible functions, ranging from bestowing texts and teachings with authority and authenticity, to contributing to readers' or hearers' constructions of the biblical storyworld. The article concludes that considering the ubiquity of the device in the literature under scrutiny, and the various functions of its use, it is not helpful to view the practice of pseudepigraphy in Coptic apocrypha primarily in terms of forgery or deception. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 1868-8020 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Early christianity
|
| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1628/ec-2023-0034 |