Rhetorical Criticism of the New Testament

In view of the current debate on the application of Greek and Roman rhetoric to biblical texts C. Joachim Classen aims at determining both the opportunities and the limits of such forms of criticism, stressing the importance of supplementing the ancient categories by modern ones. He emphasizes the difference between letters such as Paul's epistles and other kinds of texts, for example the gospels, and the need to select the aspects and criteria of rhetorical criticism accordingly and tries to illustrate how such criticism may be practised. In addition he answers the question to what extent Paul was familiar with Greek rhetoric by an examination of his vocabulary and analyses at length Melanchthon's early lectures, his handbooks and his commentaries to show some of the roots of this type of criticism, the manner in which its greatest exponent developed it and the qualities ideally required for its successful application.Preface
I. Paul's Epistles and Ancient Greek and Roman Rhetoric
II. Paul and the Terminology of Ancient Greek Rhetoric
III. A Rhetorical Reading of the Epistle to Titus
IV. Rhetorical Observations on the Introductory Sections of the Four Gospels Mark, Matthew, Luke, John
V. Melanchthon's Rhetorical Interpretation of Biblical and Non-Biblical Texts
Introduction - Melanchthon's Early Handbooks - Exegesis before Melanchthon - Melanchthon's Early Commentaries on Paul's Letters - Melanchthon's Commentaries on the Gospels - Melanchthon's Commentaries on other Texts from the Bible - Melanchthon's Commentaries on Pagan Authors - Summary
Indices