Peitho vs. God: Paul’s Critical View of Rhetoric (original) (raw)

The flourishing rhetorical criticism of Pauline studies has been challenged in many ways, but the weightiest question is seldom raised: Why does Paul so emphatically deny his use of rhetoric? This article focuses on Paul’s central statements on rhetoric. I scrutinise two key sections, 1 Cor 2:1, 4–5, and Gal 1:10, in order to illuminate Paul’s actual attitude towards rhetoric. To avoid anachronistic interpretations, the suggested solutions are cross-checked by examining how Paul’s comments were interpreted by his rhetorically trained commentator, John Chrysostom. It is found that Paul’s critical view of rhetoric may have serious impacts even on Christian theology.