Ancient rhetoric and the New Testament : the influence of elementary Greek composition / Mikeal C. Parsons, Michael Wade Martin.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Parsons, Mikeal C. (Mikeal Carl), 1957- author.

Martin, Michael W. (Professor of New Testament), author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Bible. New Testament--Language, style.

Bible.

Bible. New Testament.

Greek language, Biblical.

Physical Description:

x, 326 pages ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Waco, Texas : Baylor University Press, [2018]

Summary:

For the ancient Greeks and Romans, eloquence was essential to public life and identity, perpetuating class status and power. The three-tiered study of rhetoric was thus designed to produce sons worthy of and equipped for public service. Rhetorical competency enabled the elite to occupy their proper place in society. The oracular and literary techniques represented in Greco-Roman education proved to be equally central to the formation of the New Testament. Detailed comparisons of the sophisticated rhetorical conventions, as cataloged in the ancient rhetorical handbooks (e.g., Quintilian), reveal to what degree and frequency the New Testament was shaped by ancient rhetoric's invention, argument, and style. But Ancient Rhetoric and the New Testament breaks new ground. Instead of focusing on more advanced rhetorical lessons that elite students received in their school rooms, Michael Martin and Mikeal Parsons examine the influence of the progymnasmata--the preliminary compositional exercises that bridge the gap between grammar and rhetoric proper--and their influence on the New Testament. Martin and Parsons use Theon's (50-100 CE) compendium as a baseline to measure the way primary exercises shed light on the form and style of the New Testament's composition. Each chapter examines a specific rhetorical exercise and its unique hortatory or instructional function, and offers examples from ancient literature before exploring the use of these techniques in the New Testament. -- Publisher's description.

Contents:

Chreia: revealing essentials through word and deed

Fable: telling the truth through fiction

Narrative: persuading through patterns of storytelling

Ekphrasis: writing for ears and eyes

Speech-in-character: conforming speech to character

Encomium: crafting words of praise and critique

Syncrisis: evaluating relative honor.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Other Format:

Online version: Parsons, Mikeal C. (Mikeal Carl), 1957- author. Ancient rhetoric and the New Testament

ISBN:

9781481309806

1481309803

9781481306416

1481306413

9781481308861

1481308866

OCLC:

1035367468