Jesus, rhetoric, and law

by Ian H. Henderson

This study locates pre-gospel orality and gospel literacy within Greco-Roman rhetorical norms for education and performance. Heavy use of a few basic rhetorical conventions marks the gospel tradition as a marginal yet rhetorically competent attempt to create a Christian public. The book identifies gnomic sayings as the thickest available sample of gospel rhetorics, an alternative to samples based on chreia and parable. Gnome-use is central throughout ancient rhetorical theory and practice. Gnome is therefore an especially good focus for comparative study, particularly of characterisation and legal topicality. This work establishes a credible model of interaction among the speech-habits of Jesus, those of early Christian oral tradition, and the innovative rhetorics of gospel and epistolary texts. The plurality of rhetorical-criticisms current in New Testament studies is also addressed.