The Configurations of Repentance in Luke-Acts

Abstract

Previous studies of repentance in Luke-Acts have not adequately accounted for the various elements that the narrative repeatedly includes in its presentation of this theme. Drawing on the tools of cognitive science, this essay argues that Luke-Acts displays varying configurations of repentance that consistently include elements from four frames (prophetic, apocalyptic, priestly, and wisdom) into a problem-solution structure. These configurations combine recognizable elements in flexible ways from various frames, resulting in a thematization of repentance across the two volumes that is both ideologically coherent and rhetorically effective. The blending of these elements reveals how Luke connects repentance with forgiveness, baptism, and the Holy Spirit.