A RHETORICAL READING OF PHILIPPIANS 3:1-11 (original) (raw)
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Reassessing a Rhetorical Approach to Paul's Letters
2008
Rhetorical criticism of Paul’s letters has become common place, especially in commentaries on Paul’s writings. However, using the rhetorical handbooks for studying the Pauline writings has come under severe criticism as to whether or not it is methodologically sound to import and apply rhetorical categories to the Pauline letters and to the New Testament in general. This study assesses the value and limits of applying rhetorical criticism to Paul’s letters and argues that the letters should be understood principally through epistolography and only secondarily in terms of a functional rhetoric.
A text-centered rhetorical analysis of 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10
Stellenbosch Theological Journal, 2022
This article analyses 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10 from a rhetorical perspective. Instead of the typical approach which is used to analyse the letter in terms of ancient rhetorical theory, this article explains Paul's rhetorical strategy found in the text itself; it is therefore called a text-centred rhetorical analysis which follows a minimum theoretical approach. Accordingly, the overall rhetorical strategy is identified in both pericopes. A discussion of the dominant and supportive arguments and rhetorical techniques follows the identification. This article illustrates how Paul adapts the ancient letter style to achieve his rhetorical objectives. It remains critically important to note that his pastoral concern confirms the favourable relationship that the congregation continued to have with God the Father, with Jesus the Lord and with the missionaries.
Biblica, 2019
Biblica, is turning one hundred. By evoking what it has become over the past fifty years, the present article will try to show with the help of a difficult passage from Romans that it has effectively contributed to the evolution of the exegesis of the Letters of Paul. Having been responsible since 1978 for the Pauline column in Recherches de Science Religieuse, I have had the opportunity, practically every two years, to report on the new trends, indeed the new paradigms, in short, the evolution of the studies on the Letters attributed to Saint Paul 1. In addition to these critical columns, I have analyzed a dozen passages in Biblica, principally from Galatians and Romans, each time indicating the questions that were being posed by specialists and how one might respond to them henceforth 2. The interpretation of Rom 1,18-3,20, which I proposed twenty years ago and which implemented a paradigmatic change, has been accepted by a majority of specialists. But, unfortunately, it is little known-and thus little followed-across the Atlantic; most North American exegetes do not read French 3 , and it encounters some resistance as well. That is why it has seemed to me an opportune moment to repeat the analysis of this first subsection in Romans in order to show that my interpretation is the only tenable one. 1 See as well J.N. Aletti, "Où en sont les études sur Saint Paul? Enjeux et propositions", RSR 90 (2002) 329-351. 2 The pericopes and themes studied: Romans 9 (Bib 1987), the principal traits of the
A Text-Centred Rhetorical Analysis of 1 Thessalonians 2:17-20
Scriptura, 2024
This article analyses 1 Thessalonians 2:17-20 from a rhetorical perspective. Instead of the typical approach used to analyse the letter in terms of ancient rhetorical theory, this article explains that Paul's rhetorical strategy is best observed by a close reading of the text itself; it is called a text-centred rhetorical analysis that follows a minimum theoretical approach. Accordingly, the overall rhetorical strategy is identified, followed by an outline of the dominant and supportive arguments, including the supportive strategies, and completed by identifying the rhetorical techniques. Moreover, this article highlights how Paul effectively adapts the ancient letter style to achieve his rhetorical objectives. It remains critical to understand the urgency of the missionaries not only to convey their loving concern but to exhort them to endure faithfully to the immanent parousia.
A Text-centered Rhetorical Analysis of 1 Thessalonians 2:13-16
Acta Thelogica, 2024
This article analyses 1 Thessalonians 2:13-16 from a rhetorical perspective. Unlike previous attempts by scholars to analyse the letter in terms of ancient rhetorical theory, this article illustrates how the rhetorical strategy can be reconstructed from the text itself; therefore, it is identified as a text-centred rhetorical analysis, which follows a minimum theoretical approach. In practical terms, the overall rhetorical strategy needs to be identified and followed by an outline of dominant and supportive arguments, including an overview of the rhetorical techniques employed. This article illustrates how Paul used a second thanksgiving for the believers' actions to benefit his cause and to vilify his opponents. The integrity of Paul's Gospel is confirmed by including the believers' collective experience of suffering in the history of persecution and by pointing to the immanent judgement that awaits their opponents.
A text-centred rhetorical analysis of 1 Thessalonians 2:1-12
Stellenbosch Theological Journal, 2023
This article analyses 1 Thessalonians 2:1–12 from a rhetorical perspective. Instead of the typical approach used to analyse the letter in terms of ancient rhetorical theory, this article explains Paul’s rhetorical strategy found in the text itself; it is therefore called a text-centred rhetorical analysis which follows a minimum theoretical approach. Accordingly, the overall rhetorical strategy is identified in this pericope. A discussion of the dominant and supportive arguments and rhetorical techniques follows the identification. This article illustrates how Paul adapts the ancient letter style to achieve his rhetorical objectives. It remains critical to note Paul’s already favourable relationship with the congregants. Therefore, his authority does not need to be confirmed. In light of the accusations of the outsiders, he nevertheless finds it necessary to reaffirm his integrity or ethos.
Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, 2012
The last thirty years o f biblical scholarship have seen an emphasis on how rhetoric impacts the interrelation o f NT texts. Rhetorical criticism has been generally applied as س exantination o f the persuasive elements within the NT, but also, more specifically, as a direct application o f tfie categories o f ancient rhetoric to these texts. Added to this is the rise o f the "New Rhetoric," which applies modem understanding o f rhetoric and persuasion as a means o f interpreting the early Christian writings.! Thus, the designation "rhetorical criticism" often needs to be properly introduced with its methodoloty clearly defined by each scholar in order to clarify which "rhetorical" method they are using. While a critique o f this confirsion may indeed be warranted, the purpose o f this article is to challen^ the popular application o f categories found in the Greco-Roman hmdbooks to the NT w r i t^-particularly Paul's letters.