Paulus: retoriker eller teolog?

Abstract

Is Paul to be considered primarily as a good rhetorician or as a skilled theologian, or both? This article discusses the old tension between rhetorical persuasion and philosophical truth by focusing on how Paul presents his theological conviction in epistolary and rhetorical form, in particular through the use of the diatribe, the enthymeme, and prosōpopoiia. In conclusion, it becomes evident that Paul cherished the revelatory conviction of the gospel of God which saves everyone through the life-giving faithfulness of Jesus Christ and that this conviction served as an axiomatic presupposition of his rhetorical arguments. Attention to the intertwined character of rhetoric and theology in Paul’s letters holds promise for a theological thinking that is textual and as such open to a web of meanings and meaning-effects.