The Ethical Appeal of Chronicles
and the Ethics of the Chronicler

 

Prof. Rodney K. Duke
Appalachian State University, Boone, NC

 

In a previous paper, "The Strategic Use of Enthymeme and Example in the Argumentation of the Books of Chronicles," I argued that the Chronicler presented a balanced argument of inductive narrative examples and deductive enthymematic statements to set forth persuasively an ideology for the post-exilic community. In this proposed paper I argue that part of the persuasiveness of the Chronicler's ideology rests on his ethical appeal. On the one hand an ethical appeal is made by the material that presents some insights into the character of the Chronicler and shows him to be of good character. There is not, however, much in his historical narrative that directly reveals the person of the Chronicler. On the other hand, I argue that the Chronicler's use both of traditional material and of (apparently) unique material also make an appeal of the nature of "ethos." The Chronicler has used traditional material judiciously and has introduced "new" material, the persuasive appeal of which would not rest on the Chronicler's own authority. Where the Chronicler has added new materials in his presentation, he has relied on what Aristotle called "external proofs" that carry their own authority. In Chronicles, these external proofs consist of genealogies, lists, and speeches in the mouths of authoritative characters. As a result, the Chronicler creates an ethos of reliability, while remaining in the background of the narrative.