Narratives of Reading in Luke-Acts

Abstract

The six narrations of reading in the Gospel of Luke and Acts of the Apostles reflect an oral/aural culture in which texts and traditions were routinely experienced through verbal recitation and reading. These narratives of reading also participate in ancient moral discourses that highlight the importance of the reader’s character in the event of reading. When read within their cultural and narrative contexts, Luke’s accounts are seen to represent reading as a practice that shapes community by virtue of the reader. This insight is of special significance to the depiction of Jesus and the people of God in Luke-Acts. These conclusions raise a number of questions for theological librarians about present-day approaches to reading and research.