Letters in the New Testament and in the Greco-Roman world

It is a striking and indeed curious feature of Christian scripture that it consists mainly of letters. This chapter first considers letters in the Greco-Roman world in general: the major types, their forms and conventions, and the mechanics of their writing, delivery, and collection. It then examines early Christian letters, in particular: the letters of the apostle Paul, their forms and conventions, their composition, delivery, and later influence, and finally the later pseudo-Pauline letters, catholic letters, and the Revelation of John.