Rhetorical Criticism: It's origins, development, and contribution to the area of New Testament exegesis
Abstract
The presented study outlines the origin, development, and contribution of rhetorical criticism to the field of New Testament exegesis. It revolves around rhetoric in itself, the practice of reading out loud in the New Testament times, and arrising from this the nature of New Testament material.
It also reffers to important figures from the time of the Reformation, for whom the classical Greek-Roman rhetoric was a contribiting tool for the interpretation of biblical texts, then it focuses on the begginings of modern studies in the field of rhetorical criticism. The main focus is, however, on the times after J.
Muilenburg and on the following development of this interpretational method. Also mentioned are the attempts to correct form criticism (Formgeschichte) using rhetoric (K.
Berger), followed by focusing on the contribution of the important figures of G.A. Kennedy and B.L.
Mack, who was influenced by "the new rhetoric" of Ch. Perelman and L.
Olbrechts-Tyteca. The last part of the study is devoted to the reflection on modern rhetorical study and the contribtion of W.
Wuellner and V.K. Robbins, the research influenced by E.
Schüssler Fiorenza is also included.