Gregory M. Barnhill: The Divine Voice in Paul's Letters, Kartoniert / Broschiert

Klappentext

In this study, Gregory M. Barnhill demonstrates the theological significance of the many instances in Paul's letters in which he quotes first-person divine speech from the Jewish Scriptures. The author systematically analyzes twenty-eight instances of God's scriptural speeches and considers their rhetorical and theological implications, going beyond previous observations of the phenomenon.

To ground Paul's use of first-person speech quotations historically, the study draws upon the rhetorical practice of "speech-in-character" ( prosopopoeia ), a concept of poetic persuasion that emphasizes the pathos of such speeches, and the hermeneutical technique of segmentation as developed by scholars of Jewish exegetical practices. Based upon these practices, the author proposes the term theopoisis as a suitable shorthand for Paul's use of the divine voice through Scripture quotations, defining it as Paul's creative use of scriptural words in the new context of his letters to characterize God and to invoke God's presence through speech so that Paul's audiences would both understand and encounter God as they listened to Paul's letters.

Finally, the author shows what Paul's uses of theopoisis mean for the question of Paul's understanding of God. God's speeches provide clear evidence that Paul has understood God in new ways under the influence of the apocalyptic Christ-event and its resulting theological epistemology. While Paul draws upon traditional Jewish concepts of God and upon the Scriptures to construct the divine voice, Paul's reading of the Scriptures and understanding of God have ultimately been transformed because of the generative influence of the Christ-event.