Inventing Hebrews
Design and Purpose in Ancient Rhetoric

Inventing Hebrews uncovers a template of arrangement ubiquitous in antiquity as the key to the conundrum of Hebrews' structure and purpose.

Michael Wade Martin (Author), Jason A. Whitlark (Author)

9781108429467, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 7 June 2018

318 pages
22.3 x 14.6 x 2.2 cm, 0.51 kg

'This well-written book is carefully and cogently argued. This book will be most valuable to scholars and advanced students interested in the structure of Hebrews or in the application of classical rhetoric to NT studies in general.' Brian C. Small, Religious Studies Review

Inventing Hebrews examines a perennial topic in the study of the Letter to the Hebrews, its structure and purpose. Michael Wade Martin and Jason A. Whitlark undertake at thorough synthesis of the ancient theory of invention and arrangement, providing a new account of Hebrews' design. The key to the speech's outline, the authors argue, is in its use of 'disjointed' arrangement, a template ubiquitous in antiquity but little discussed in modern biblical studies. This method of arrangement accounts for the long-observed pattern of alternating epideictic and deliberative units in Hebrews as blocks of narratio and argumentatiorespectively. Thus the 'letter' may be seen as a conventional speech arranged according to the expectations of ancient rhetoric (exordium, narratio, argumentatio, peroratio), with epideictic comparisons of old and new covenant representatives (narratio) repeatedly enlisted in amplification of what may be viewed as the central argument of the speech (argumentatio), the recurring deliberative summons for perseverance. Resolving a long-standing conundrum, this volume offers a hermeneutical tool necessary for interpreting Hebrews, as well as countless other speeches from Greco-Roman antiquity.

1. Structuring Hebrews: modern approaches to an ancient text
Part I. Laying the Foundation – Syncrisis in Hebrew: 2. Comparing covenants: the syncritical backbone of Hebrews
3. Choosing the advantageous: deliberative syncrisis and epideictic syncrisis in Hebrews
Part II. Arranging the Speech – The Ancient Rhetorical Design of Hebrews: 4. Arranging an ancient speech: ancient compositional theory and a proposal for modern analysis
5. Proving the case: argumentatio in Hebrews
6. Presenting the facts relevant to the case: narratio in Hebrews
7. Beginning with favor: exordium in Hebrews
8. Ending with recapitulation and emotion: Peroratio in Hebrews
9. Putting it all together: the rhetorical arrangement and aim of Hebrews
10. Examining implications: Early Christian sermons and apostasy in Hebrews.

Subject Areas: Biblical studies & exegesis [HRCG], New Testaments [HRCF2], Bibles [HRCF], Religion: general [HRA], Religion & beliefs [HR]