Rhetorical Texture and Narrative Trajectories of the Lukan Galilean Ministry Speeches: Hermeneutical Appropriation by Authorial Readers of Luke-Acts

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Varying degrees of attention are paid to Jesus' four speeches in the Galilean ministry of the Gospel of Luke. Despite increasing interest in ancient Graeco-Roman rhetoric in biblical studies, few scholars examine the speeches from the lens of ancient rhetorical argument. In addition, with the exception of the inaugural speech in Luke 4.14-30, little attention is afforded to the relevance of the speeches for understanding larger nuances of the narrative discourse and how this affects the hermeneutical appropriation of authorial readers. In contrast, Spencer examines each speech from the context of ancient rhetorical argument and pinpoints various narrative trajectoriesas associated with theme, plot, characterization, and topoithat emerge from the rhetorical texture. In doing so, he shows that the four speeches function as "sign posts" that are integral to guiding the Lukan narrative from the "backwaters" of Galilee to the center of the Roman Empire.

Reviews

"Spencer's conclusions are consistent with the existing consensus of Lukan scholarship. The book demonstrates a mature grasp of contemporary reading theory and rhetorical analysis, and will interest specialists both in those areas and in Lukan studies." - Thomas E. Phillips, Religious Studies Review, June 2008 -- Thomas E. Phillips * Religious Studies Review *

Author Bio

Patrick E. Spencer holds a Ph.D. in Theology from the University of Durham, UK. His areas of research include Luke-Acts, John, and hermeneutics, and he has contributed articles and book reviews to publications including JSNT, Review of Biblical Literature, Stone-Campbell Journal, Currents in Biblical Research and Restoration Quarterly.