This volume contains the proceedings of an international Q symposium held at Graz University on July 20–23, 2011. The conference presented the current state of Q studies and spelled out their future directions through interpretations of particular texts and methodological reflections. One important thrust of the discussions during the conference concerned the literary character of Q: Is it possible or indeed necessary to reconstruct the wording of Q? How coherent, “finished” and scribalized was Q? Other central topics related to the social and theological importance of Q: What were the contexts of the composition of Q? How can the relationships between Q and ancient Judaism(s) and nascent Christ groups be described?

Particular attention was given to the issues of (1) oral and scribal factors, (2) narratological and intertextual approaches, (3) reconstruction and redaction criticism, (4) ethos and Torah, (5) Q and the Gospel of Matthew, (6) Q and the Gospel of John and (7) new approaches to the Q hypothesis and the Synoptic Problem.

Contributors include G.B. Bazzana, R.A. Derrenbacker, Jr., D. Dormeyer, H.T. Fleddermann, P. Foster, M. Frenschkowski, P.J. Judge, S.R. Johnson, J.S. Kloppenborg, M. Labahn, D.R. MacDonald, D.T. Roth, C.K. Rothschild, F. Siegert, D.A. Smith, M. Theobald, M. Tiwald, C. Tuckett, S. Witetschek, V. Wittkowsky, and R. Zimmermann.