The Active Force of Hearing: The Ancient Hebrew Language of Persuasion

Margaret D. Zulick

doi:10.1525/rh.1992.10.4.367

Rhetorica Nov 1992

The Active Force of Hearing: The Ancient Hebrew Language of Persuasion

Margaret D. Zulick Wake Forest University

Abstract

he question of the existence of a Hebrew concept of per suasion arises as a subordinate pofrit in James BCinneavy's book, The Greek Rhetorical Origins of Christian Faith. Kmneavy's thesis is that the Christian notion of TTIO-TIC, faith as dis tinct from the Hebrew concept of faithfulness or trust, 'emunâ, owes its origin the Greek concept of TTIO-TIC, beUef as persuasion or proof. In the process of proving this thesis, Kinneavy cites G. Berfram's Hebrew supplement Rudolf Bultmann's essay on -rreidu} in the Theological Dictionary of the New Testament. Berfram comments that bibUcal Hebrew has no word corresponding TTeidu), to persuade (Bultmann 1). From this, and from the con cordance the Septuagint which indeed shows that no Hebrew verb was franslated with Greek ireido) in its active fransitive form, Kirmeavy draws the conclusion that this apparent lack is conceptual—that what is lacking is an awareness of a reflective and analytical concept of persuasion as such (54). In my opinion, this conclusion, whUe not in itself incorrect, is unwarranted by the evidence Kinneavy attests, which instead points a more specifie difference between disparate concepts of persuasion, whether pragmatic and impUdt, as in the Hebrew fradition, or reflective and analytical, as in the Greek.

Journal: Rhetorica
Published: 1992-11-01
DOI: 10.1525/rh.1992.10.4.367
CompPile
Open Access: Closed
Topics: classical rhetoric rhetorical criticism argument
Export: BibTeX RIS

Citation Context

Cited by in this index (0)

No articles in this index cite this work.

References (17) · 1 in this index

Deut
Eerdmans, 1968. 1-11. Burke, Kenneth. The Rhetoric of Religion: Studies in Logology. Boston: Bea
con Press, 1961; reprint, Berkeley: University of CaUfomia Press,
John H. Hayes. San Antonio: Trinity University Press, 1974. 1-56. Gemser, B. "The rib or Controversy-Pattem i…
Leiden: E. J. BriU, 1960. 120-137. Kinneavy, James L. Greek Rhetorical Origins of Christian Faith. New York:

Show all 17 →

Oxford University Press, 1987. Medhurst, Meirtin J. "Rhetorical Dimensions in BibUcal Criticism: Beyond
Style and Genre. " Quarterly Journal of Speech 77 (1991): 214-250. Meynet, Roland. Histoire de "l'analyse rhe…

↗
Meynet (1990)

Histoire de "l'analyse rhétorique" en exégèse biblique

Rhetorica
ioSee the discussion of "dynastie" rhetoric in Poulakos 311-315; and of rhet
ter for Medieval and Early Renaissance Studies, 1982. 207-224. Murray, D. F. "The Rhetoric of Disputation: Re…
phetie Genre." Journal for the Study of the Old Testament 38 (1987):
95-121. Nielsen, Kirsten. Yahweh as Prosecutor and Judge: An Investigation of the
ing: From the Sophists to Isocrates." Texte 8-9 (1989): 307-324. Schmidt, W. H. l a i . Theological Dictionar…
Bromiley and John T. WilUs. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1978. 84^125. Sprague, Rosamond Kent, ed. The Older Sophi…
South CaroUna Press, 1972. Wagner, S. nCK. Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament. Vol. 1. Ed. G.
Rev. ed. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1977. 328-345. ZuUck, Margaret D. "The Agon of Jeremiah: On the Dialogic Inv…
Prophetie Ethos Quarterly (1992)

10.1080/00335639209383986

Speech ↗

CrossRef global citation count: 3 View in citation network → Build reading path →

The Active Force of Hearing: The Ancient Hebrew Language of Persuasion

Abstract

Citation Context

Cited by in this index (0)

References (17) · 1 in this index

Related Articles