Ancient rhetorical theory and Paul

About this book

"Rhetorical criticism of the Bible has been in vogue for a number of years now and generated much interest, particularly among New Testament scholars. Anderson, after giving a brief critical introduction to the rhetorical approach generally, focuses upon the application of ancient rhetorical theory to the letters of the apostle Paul, paying particular attention to questions of methodology. He provides an extensive review of the sources of ancient rhetorical theory which may be considered most relevant to a Greek speaker of the first century AD such as Paul, carefully distinguishing between philosophical and school rhetorical theory. Having determined which aspects of ancient rhetorical theory may be most suitably used in respect of Paul's letters, Anderson goes on to examine the letters to the Galatians, the Romans, and the first letter to the Corinthians. In each case a critical assessment of recent literature concerning the application of ancient rhetorical theory to these letters is given. In addition, an enlightening rhetorical analysis of the doctrinal portions of the letters to the Galatians and Romans is provided from the perspective of contemporary rhetorical theory. Anderson approaches his analysis in terms of how a contemporary professor of rhetoric may have looked at Paul's letters. The study concludes by addressing the difficult question as to the likelihood of Paul's conscious use of rhetorical theory, and the overall value of an ancient rhetorical approach to Paul's letters."--BOOK JACKET.