Galatians is a polemical letter which contains a substantial amount of
argumentative passages. Paul evidently wanted to persuade by using the
best arguments possible to convince his addressees. Using a
state-of-the-art method from the discipline of argumentation analysis,
Paul's argumentation can be analysed with a precision that standard
exegetical methods cannot provide. The pragma-dialectical method
developed in Amsterdam facilitates an analysis which is both
descriptive and normative. On the one hand, Paul's argumentation can
be described, such as the relationship between premisses and
conclusions, the structure of the arguments, and features relating to
rhetorical strategy. On the other hand, the method makes it possible
to evaluate Paul's argumentation against a set of rules for sound
reasoning. Fallacies and problematic arguments can be described
accurately. The spiritual nature of Paul's matters do not relieve him
of rationality, and Paul himself does not argue as if it did. Paul's
argumentation is found problematic in several respects. There is a
tension in the text: Paul works a great deal to argue his claims while
at the same time giving the impression that he merely wants to declare
his standpoints and does not want to carry out an argumentation at
all. Many of the conclusions are presented as self-evident, even when
they are not. Paul's style is far from an ideal model of the
resolution of a dispute. Paul relies heavily on an argumentative
strategy with maximal use of rhetorical devices. The analysis shows
that a contemporary method of argumentation analysis provides tools
necessary to adequately describe and understand both individual
arguments and the overarching strategy of the argumentation in a
Pauline text.
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A Pragma-Dialectical Analysis
Produktdetaljer
ISBN
9780567581242
Publisert
2015
Utgave
1. utgave
Utgiver
Vendor
Bloomsbury T&T Clark
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Digital bok
Forfatter