Military Imagery in Paul's Letter to the Philippians

 

Joe Marchal
Graduate Theological Union

Since a turn to rhetoric can, by some estimates, be seen as an alternative to violence, the occurrence of violent images (and possibly even threats) presents unique problems for rhetoricians, especially those interested in biblical studies. Taking Philippians 1 and 2 as a test case, this paper will examine the role of military images in the letter and in scholarship on the letter. Seeking a way to engage potential violence in these rhetorics, the paper desires to step beyond mere identification of these rhetorics, integrating identification into a series of feminist responses, including suspicious caution, analysis of domination, ethical evaluation, resistance, and creative goals/hopes for change. Such a project has clear resonances with the work of rhetorical scholars Lucie Olbrechts-Tyteca, Chaim Perelman, and Elisabeth Schuessler Fiorenza (among others) and could proved to be oddly relevant to current contexts of military declarations and strategies.

 

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