‘Maranatha’: Kuyper komt eraan!

Abstract

Abstract ‘Maranatha’: Kuyper is coming! From sermon to party speech: Abraham Kuyper’s eloquence In this article, we present a rhetorical-historical analysis of the speech Maranatha by Dutch politician and former pastor Abraham Kuyper. Kuyper’s style of speech stands out in nineteenth century Dutch political culture, as it is generally more expressive and aimed at the public compared to the pragmatic and legal style of his colleagues in Parliament. Through close reading of the speech Maranatha, we show how Kuyper’s political rhetoric was influenced by various rhetorical elocutio and pathos strategies from pulpit oratory that he learned during his time as a pastor. By reconstructing the professors, academic tradition and homiletic manuals that influenced Kuyper’s theological education, we have determined four main advices for pulpit oratory: 1) choose one main theme that is well known, 2) create a feeling of unity through ‘venturing’ into the public, 3) make sure the speech is understandable to a large public and 4) use stylistic pathos figures in order to move the audience. Kuyper employs all four advices in Maranatha for the purpose of creating a sense of unity within his audience.