Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to ponder the reception of the Letter to the Galatians in an aural setting. How did the first recipients react, what can we expect that they remembered after having listened to the letter? Are there structural elements in the letter that would have aided the aural reception of the letter? In four readings, the investigation traces textual indicators of interaction and emotion, compares their locations with epistolary and rhetorical structure-analysis and identifies a structure of persuasion. The focus on listeners is motivated by the supposition that illiteracy was the rule rather than the exception among those to whom the letter to the Galatians was sent. The different readings reveal a structure of persuasion with a realistic prospect to succeed as a mnemonic device in an aural setting on a macro-structural level. Situational passages (1:6-10; 3:1-5; 4:8-20; 5:2-12 and 6:12-13), together with recurring affirmations of Christ and Paul as embodiments of faithfulness and commitment in suffering, imprint on the aural memory of the first listeners a concern for an imitatio Christi crucifixi.

Highlights

  • The aim of this investigation is to identify a structure of persuasion in Galatians and its mnemonic potential for a listening audience

  • In a scribal culture where illiteracy is the rule rather than the exception and back looping over previous lines and paragraphs of the text the privilege of but a few, it seems appropriate to ponder the potential of a performance of the letter to the Galatian addressees for aural memory

  • A structure of persuasion in Galatians. Focusing on how these dynamics are ingrained in the text, I will present four readings, the first of which considers basic textual indicators of direct interaction that can be expected to attract the attention of listeners, and the second, how epistolary form and formulas communicate an epistolary structure

Read more

Summary

Introduction

The aim of this investigation is to identify a structure of persuasion in Galatians and its mnemonic potential for a listening audience. Using the findings as a basic grid, I shall investigate the distribution of artistic rhetorical proofs within that structure, and how inartistic rhetorical proofs contribute to the persuasive force of the letter. Having asserted a mnemonically designed macrostructure, a third reading deals with the distribution of artificial rhetorical proof throughout the letter, again with a focus on questions of macrostructure rather than details of rhetorical techniques.. Consequences B 5:13-29 Catalogue of vices and virtues and the opposition between Spirit and flesh 6:1-10 Series of maxims and reciprocity Rhetorical proof. Consequences A 4:21: Situational alert: “Don’t you hear the law?” 4:22-5:1 Allegory and persecution 5:2-12 Situational alert: grave implications of what may seem minor

Objectives
Results
Conclusion
Full Text
Paper version not known

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.