Variety and Unity in New Testament Thought

The blend of variety and unity apparent in the thought of the New Testament has long been a subject for theological debate. Certain themes, teaching, and characterizations are clearly consistent, but others are perplexing in their diversity. This study explores the different aspects of variety and unity in the entire New Testament, focusing in particular on the sixteen books that fall outside the central Gospels and Pauline epistles and which offer the greatest challenge to the defense of unity, Reumann's discussion demonstrates that, despite contemporary emphasis on the pluralism of the writings, there remains a central unifying focus: faith in Jesus. He shows that recent emphasis on social setting, rhetoric, and narrative enrich the traditional historical criticism.