Rhetorical Criticism and the Bible: Essays from the 1998 Florence Conference

This volume is the fifth in a series that explores the use of rhetoric in the study of biblical literature. Contributions from scholars in North America, Britain, Continental Europe and South Africa focus here on four major categories: The Theory of Rhetoric and Biblical Interpretation, Rhetorical Interpretation of Luke's Gospel and Acts, The Rhetorical Interpretation of Paul's Writings, and Rhetorical Interpretation of Hebrews and Ignatius. Author include Tom Olbricht, Douglas Campbell, Arthur Gibson, Craig Evans, Vernon Robbins, Greg Bloomquist, Pieter Botha, Paul Danove, Gerrie Snyman, Anders Eriksson, K. K. Yeo, Lauri Thuren, G. A. van den Heever, Marc Debanne, J. N Vorster, and the editors.

• Table of contents
• Editor's Preface
• Abbreviations
• List of Contributors
• Introduction: rhetorical criticism and the Florence Conference - Stanley E. Porter; Dennis L. Stamps
• Part 1 The Theory Of Rhetorical Criticism
  • Greek rhetoric and the allegorical rhetoric of Philo and Clement of Alexandria - Thomas H. Olbricht
  • The rhetorical full-turn in biblical interpretation : reconfiguring rhetorical-political analysis - Vernon K. Robbins
  • A possible direction for providing programmatic correlation of textures in socio-rhetorical analysis - L. Gregory Bloomquist
  • Relations between rhetoric and philosophical logic - Arthur Gibson
  • Why we need socio-rhetorical commentary and what it might look like - Duane F. Watson
• Part 2 Rhetorical Criticism Of The Old Testament
  • Identification and the discourse of fundamentalism : reflections on a reading of the Book of Esther - Gerrie Snyman
  • Politeness strategies in the so-called 'Enemy Psalms' : an inquiry into Israelite prayer rhetoric - Johan H. Coetzee
  • The rhetoricity of the 'Body' in the Song of Songs - Hendrik Viviers
• Part 3 Rhetorical Criticism Of The Gospels
  • Jesus' rhetoric of criticism : the parables against His friends and critics - Craig A. Evans
  • A rhetorical analysis of Mark's construction of discipleship - Paul Danove
  • 'From the pragmatics of textures to a Christian utopia' : the case of the Gospel of John - Gerhard Van Den Heever
• Part 4 Rhetorical Criticism Of The Pauline Letters
  • Contrary arguments in Paul's Letters - Anders Eriksson
  • Towards a new, rhetorically assisted reading of Romans 3.27-4.25 - Douglas A. Campbell
  • The rhetorical scribe : textual variants in Romans and their possible rhetorical purpose - Stanley E. Porter
  • Romans derhetorized - Lauri Thurén
  • The christological premise in Pauline theological rhetoric : Corinthians 1.4-2.5 as an example - Dennis L. Stamps
  • Rhetoric and metaphor, and the metaphysical in the Letter to the Ephesians - Richard Lemmer
  • An enthymematic reading of Philippians : towards a typology of Pauline argument - Marc J. Debanné
  • A fantasy theme analysis of Thessalonians - James D. Hester
  • The rhetoric of election and calling language in 1 Thessalonians - K.K. Yeo
• Index of References
• Index of Authors