The Foundations of Ethos
in Paul and in the Classical Rhetoricians

 

Prof. Thomas H. Olbricht
Pepperdine University, Emeritus, South Berwick, ME

 

In this paper I will set forth Paul’s vision of the characteristics of a “good man speaking well,” (to borrow a phrase from Quintilian). I will discuss the theological bases from which Paul derives these characteristics. Drawing upon the paper of Manfred Kraus for this conference and from the primary documents of ancient rhetoric I will set forth how the major rhetoricians perceived these characteristics. I will then compare and contrast Paul’s vision with those of the rhetoricians. I will end the paper by discussing the implications of these findings for the rhetorical analysis of “ethos” in the letters of Paul.

 

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