Includes bibliographical references (pages 241-250) and index.

Approaches to the Catholic Epistles as a canonical collecion: a status quaestionis -- Assumptions and methodology -- Development and canonization of the Catholic Epistles -- Paratextual evidence of collection consciousness in the Catholic Epistles -- Compositional evidence of collection consciousness: tradition and catchwords in the Catholic Epistles -- Compositional evidence of collection consciousness: framing devices and themes in the Catholic Epistles -- Conclusion: hermeneutics of reading the Catholic Epistles as a coherent collection.