Reassessing a Rhetorical Approach to Paul's Letters

Abstract

Rhetorical criticism of Paul's letters has become commonplace, especially in commentaries on Paul's writings. However, using the rhetorical handbooks for studying the Pauline writings has come under severe criticism as to whether or not it is methodologically sound to import and apply rhetorical categories to the Pauline letters and to the New Testament in general. This study assesses the value and limits of applying rhetorical criticism to Paul's letters and argues that the letters should be understood principally through epistolography and only secondarily in terms of a functional rhetoric.