Intertextuality and Biblical studies : a review

Abstract

The literary term "intertextuality" was introduced into biblical studies in 1989 and concerns the complex relationships that exist between texts. Not surprisingly, this was of interest to those who study the use of the Old Testament in the New, for old texts appear to be given new meaning by being used in new contexts. In this article, I demonstrate the fruitfulness of this approach by offering a survey of five different "types" of intertextuality currently in use today. I conclude that if scholars wish to continue to use the term, they need to clarify which "type" of intertextuality they are using, so that readers can know what is being claimed.