Jude on the Attack A Comparative Analysis of the Epistle of Jude, Jewish Judgment Oracles, and Greco-Roman Invective

Alexandra Robinson examines the letter of Jude in the light of repeated scholarly references to it as an invective, a polemic, and an attack speech, with a dependence on both Jewish and Greco-Roman sources.

Robinson renders more specifically what these Jewish and Hellenistic elements are, and how they relate to the harsh nature of the discourse. This in-depth study shows precisely how, where, and why Jude borrows from these contemporary genres. Robinson provides a detailed survey of Greco-Roman invectives and Jewish judgment oracles, comparing and contrasting them to the epistle of Jude with consideration of structure, aims, themes, and style. In the end, Robinson argues that Jude has constructed a 'Jewish invective.' His epistle is a polemical text which takes the form (structure, aims, and style) of a typical Greco-Roman invective but is filled with Jewish content (themes and allusions), drawing on Israel's heritage for the benefit of his primarily Jewish-Christian audience.

• Table of contents
• List of tables
• Foreword
• Acknowledgements
• Note on Translation
• Abbreviations
• 1: Introduction
• 2. Preliminary Matters
• 3. Examining the Literature, Method and Genre
• 4. The Structure of Jewish Judgment Oracles, Greco-Roman Invectives, and the Epistle of
• 5. The Aim of Jewish Judgment Oracles, Greco-Roman Invectives, and the Epistle of Jude
• 6. Themes of Jewish Judgment Oracles, Greco-Roman Invectives, and the Epistle of
• 7. Style of Jewish Judgment Oracles, Greco-Roman Invectives, and the Epistle of Jude
• 8. Conclusion
• Bibliography
• Index