Thematic, Axiological, and Rhetorical Formations

Abstract

Scholars have proposed that Jude and 2 Peter are literarily dependent. However, there is no definitive conclusion among scholars concerning which one is literarily dependent on the other. There are arguments for and against each of the literary dependency theories. It is difficult to define what is meant by literary dependency and how to measure it. By utilizing Lemke’s notion of intertextuality, this study examines the thematic formations, axiological stance, and rhetorical formations of Jude and 2 Peter. This study demonstrates that there are significant intertextual relations that can account for the similarities between these two texts. There is substantial evidence which suggests that their differences are significant. Jude and 2 Peter do not provide essential intertextual background information to understand each other. Through the analysis of other intertexts, this study reveals a significant number of intertexts, like the LXX, Old Testament Pseudepigrapha, and contemporary literature, that can account for the meaning formation of the two books. These texts can be considered as more significant intertexts for Jude and 2 Peter.