This Handbook provides an overview of the disciplinary cooperation between biblical studies, sociology, and linguistics that developed through the application of sociolinguistics to biblical texts in the post-war period. Taking a contextual approach, the Handbook begins by outlining the background of sociolinguistics and how it came about shortly after the Second World War, with growing interest emerging on the part of many theoreticians and practitioners to bring linguistic disciplines to the study of religion, and of biblical texts in particular.

Part one of the Handbook delves into the central conceptual frameworks of this cross-disciplinary field and shows how sociolinguistics contributes specifically to the study of the New Testament. Part two then presents focused studies on phenomena commonly studied in the field of sociolinguistics which are relevant to a developed understanding of New Testament; a particular feature of this section is that each chapter specifically connects a central sociolinguistic concept with data drawn from the Greek text of the New Testament. Part three of the volume provides summative and evaluative essay that assesses the critical issues, insights and problems raised by the application of sociolinguistics to the New Testament.