Identity Formation and the Gospel of Matthew

Why does the author of the Gospel of Matthew include non-Judean characters in his narrative? Tekalign Duguma Negewo attempts to answer this question based on the assumption that Matthew's Gospel played an identity-forming role for its community. As a heuristic interpretive tool, he uses the socio-narrative reading method, which merges socio-scientific criticism, narrative criticism, and semiological reading through social identity, narrative, and semiotic theories. Tekalign Duguma Negewo argues that the implied author used the non-Judean characters to form the identity of the ideal readers' community.Introduction: The Identity-Forming Role of Matthew's Gospel

Chapter 1: History of Research
1.1. History of Research on Identity Formation and Matthew's Gospel - 1.2 History of Research on the Matthean Community - 1.2.1 Historical-Critical Method - 1.2.2 Literary Criticism - 1.3 History of Research on the Function of Matthew's Gospel - 1.4 The Gospel of Matthew and Non-Judeans - 1.5 The Need for an Integrative Approach - 1.6 Conclusion

Chapter 2: Socio-Narrative Reading of the Gospels
2.1 Previous Attempts to Merge Reading Methods - 2.1.1 Merging Different Reading Methods - 2.1.2 Barthes' Semiological Reading and Gospel Studies - 2.1.3 Conclusion - 2.2 The Way Forward: A Socio-Narrative Reading of Matthew - 2.2.1 Semiological Analysis: Matthean Narrative as Myth - 2.2.2 Mythmaking and Social Identity Formation - 2.2.3 Narrative Criticism - 2.2.4 »Us« vs »Others« in Matthew - 2.3 Conclusion

Chapter 3: Negatively Stereotyped Non-Judeans in the Matthean Narrative
3.1 Negatively Stereotyped Non-Judeans in Jesus' Teaching - 3.1.1 The Meaning of Ἰουδαῖοι and ἔθνη/ἐθνικοί in the First Century - 3.1.2 The Boundary between Non-Judeans and the Matthean Community - 3.1.3 Conclusion - 3.2 Negatively Stereotyped Non-Judean Individuals in Matthew - 3.2.1 The Gadarenes (Matt. 8:28-34) - 3.2.2 Pilate (Matt. 27:1-26 and 27:62-66) - 3.2.3 The Roman Soldiers (Matt. 27:27 - 28:15) - 3.3 Conclusion

Chapter 4: Non-Judeans in Matthew's Genealogy
4.1 The Function of Genealogy in the Ancient World - 4.2 Judean Identity Construction in the Light of »Others« - 4.2.1 Purity/Impurity of Non-Judeans and Their Identity - 4.2.2 Assimilation of Non-Judeans through Intermarriage - 4.2.3 Reinterpretation of the Torah as a Boundary Marker for Judeans - 4.3 Assimilation of Non-Judeans through Marriage - 4.3.1 Tamar - 4.3.2 Rahab - 4.3.3 Ruth - 4.3.4 The Wife of Uriah - 4.3.5 Conclusion - 4.4 Being People of God - 4.4.1. Divine Identity vs Genealogical Purity - 4.4.2 Jesus and »His Brothers« as the Reconstituted or Restored Israel - 4.5 Semiological Analysis of the Four Non-Judeans - 4.5.1 The First Semiological Order - 4.5.2 The Second Semiological Order - 4.6 The Four Non-Judeans and Their Role in Identity Formation - 4.7 Conclusion

Chapter 5: The Magi as Representative Non-Judeans
5.1 The Identity of the Magi: Judeans or Non-Judeans? - 5.2 The Characterisation of the Magi - 5.3 The Role of the Magi as Representative Non-Judeans - 5.4 The Significance of the Magi: A Semiological Reading - 5.4.1 Cultural and Theological Background of the Magi - 5.4.2 The Coming of the Judean King: Implications for Non-Judeans - 5.4.3 A Semiological Analysis of Matthew 2:1-12 - 5.5 The Role of the Magi in Identity Formation - 5.6 Conclusion

Chapter 6: The Healing of the Centurion's Servant
6.1 Matthean Characterisation of the Roman Centurion - 6.2 Narrative Placement of the Centurion Narrative - 6.3 Non-Judean Participation in Messianic Blessings - 6.3.1 Semiological Reading of the Centurion Story - 6.3.2 The Role of the Centurion Story - 6.3.3 Non-Judean Participation in Messianic Blessings - 6.4 Conclusion

Chapter 7: The Healing of the Canaanite Woman's Daughter
7.1 The Otherness of the Canaanite Woman - 7.2 Positive Characterisation of the Canaanite Woman - 7.3 Non-Judeans in the Promise of Israel's Restoration - 7.4 The Canaanite Woman as Representative of Non-Judeans - 7.4.1 Semiological Reading of the Story of the Canaanite Woman - 7.4.2 The Role of the Story of the Canaanite Woman - 7.5 Conclusion

Chapter 8: Summary and Recommendation