Re-forming Our Understandings of Literary Form

Recently, literary scholarship has seen a resurgence of interest in literary formalisms and related ways of reading, as well as robust theorizing at the intersections of narratology and rhetorical studies. Consequently, the present moment is an opportune time for Lukan scholars to revisit and revise longstanding assumptions about literature, »the literary,« and narrative form. After reviewing traditional treatments of Luke's literary style, substance, and audience experience, I propose two key reframes: first, I suggest thatweconsider dynamic narrative communication through the lens of one of our most valuable human resources – attention. Second, I argue that literary forms present not certitude or singularity but ambiguity and multiplicity; the concept of affordances can help us to honor Lukan literature's unpredictable, uncontrollable power. Luke 19:1–10 serves as a case study to demonstrate the significance of the interventions introduced in previous sections.