MAGDALENA VYTLAČILOVÁ
HUSITSKÁ TEOLOGICKÁ FAKULTA UNIVERZITY KARLOVY
HUSSITE THEOLOGICAL FACULTY OF CHARLES UNIVERSITY
SCHRÖDINGER’S CONSENSUS IN RESEARCH ON ANCIENT BIOGRAPHIES AND CANONICAL GOSPELS
Abstract: This study presents a survey of the modern history of New Testament scholarship on the
genre of canonical gospels with focus on development of the genre “biography” in Classical studies.
While New Testament researchers insisted for many decades that the Gospels are not biographies
and thereby „knew“ what the ancient biography was, Classical scholars have struggled how to
define the ancient biography. Although most modern New Testament and Classical scholars do not
deny that the Gospels are biographies, this study shows that the implications of such claims have
too often been neglected by scholars, mainly those who study historical Jesus.
Keywords: canonical gospels; genre of gospels; classical studies; current in new testament
research; biblical studies; ancient biography
THEOLOGICAL REVIEW, Vol. 93, 2022, No. 2, Number of Article 1, p. 132 – 158.
DOI: 10.14712/12117617.93.2.1