gnosis92

without a community how would you explain the fact these gospels were written (implying an audience), and were read and copied, for at least one hundred years before being collated?

Chris Weimer

Just like any other literature at the time?

gnosis92

sure, presumably what was not copied is now lost to us (some were recently rediscovered at dead sea and nag hammadi) and what were copied, especially religious literature, were copied b/c they represented some community interests.

Chris Weimer

"Community interest"? If by community you mean society at large, then you're abusing the scholarship behind the word and its implications. Community in gospel scholarship means a group apart from others, characterized by a specific locale, with an understanding that was different from others alike it. For example, Matthew's "community" was said to be Jewish-Christian, Mark's "community" said to be Adoptionist, then you have the Lukan community, the Johnannine community, etc... This is your stated assumption, whether you meant it or not.