Using computational linguistics to test genre theories in the Greek New Testament using the Greek verbal system

This paper presents a comprehensive study of the correlation between the various Koine Greek verb forms and the New Testament genres as defined by Aune. We used an ANOVA approach based on the SBL Greek New Testament (SBLGNT). Our proposed methodology analyses the covariance of tense, voice, mood and person across the different genres. Our experimental results show that the Aorist, Present, and Imperfect tenses, and the third-person form are significant in the analysis. This quantitative approach supports well-known qualitative theories of New Testament genre. It is important to note that mood and verbal aspects are irrelevant in the mainstream genre classification. Our findings suggest that the Greek verbal system is a reliable indicator of macro genre in the New Testament.