In this study, Julie Newberry advances scholarship on emotions in
biblical literature by examining the conditions - that is, the
circumstances, dispositions, practices, and commitments - that lead to
joy in Luke's narrative. Focused primarily on the Gospel, the author
traces joy's interconnection with the wider life of discipleship, using
an eclectically interdisciplinary approach that foregrounds
literary-theological and intertextual analysis. Julie Newberry argues
that, for Luke, the conditions that facilitate appropriate joy include
both divine action to bring about joy-conducive circumstances and human
receptivity. The latter is bound up with factors such as properly
oriented hope, trust, and the generous use of possessions, rendering
intelligible Luke's portrayal of joy as mandatory, praiseworthy, or
blameworthy in particular circumstances.