Audience of Matthew

This book seeks to establish the inadequacy of readings of the Gospel of Matthew as intended for and a reflection of a local audience or community. Despite repeated challenges the local audience thesis continues to dominate a large proportion of Matthean scholarship and as such the issue of<br/>determining the Gospel's audience remains an open question. <br/><br/>In this book Cedric E. W. Vine posits four main critiques. The first suggests the assumptions which underpin the text-focused process of identifying the Gospel's audience whether deemed to be local Jewish or universal lack clarity. Second local audience readings necessarily exclude plot-related developments and are both selective and restrictive in their treatment of characterisation. Third Vine argues that many in an audience of the Gospel would have incorporated their experience of hearing Matthew within pre-existing mental representations shaped by Mark or other early traditions. Fourth Vine suggests that early Christian audiences were largely heterogeneous in terms of ethnicity age sex wealth familiarity with Christian traditions and levels of commitment. As<br/>such the aural reception of the Gospel would have resulted in a variety of impacts. A number of these critiques extend beyond the local audience option and for this reason this study concludes that we cannot currently determine the audience of the Gospel.