Some academics (e.g., Hasan-Rokem) have categorized Mishnah and related narratives in the Rabbinic corpus as folklore. Neusner (Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, NY), the noted Jewish studies scholar, questions this interpretation given the highly formalized character of these canonical texts. His approach entails reading the document as a whole and analyzing the folkloristic elements within the context of its theological system. A bibliographical essay focuses on recent studies of rabbinic narrative. Annotation (c) Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)