Rhetorical Interaction in 1 Corinthians 8 and 10 is a formal analysis of Paul's rhetorical interaction with the Corinthians over the issues of participation in the cultic meal (1 Cor. 10:1-22) and the eating of idol food (1 Cor. 8:1-13, 10:23-11:1). The thesis is that Paul's theology and rhetoric are predicated on knowledge and love. Major portions of the book employ rhetorical, sociological, archaeological, and historical-critical approaches to examine the triangular interaction between Paul, the Corinthians, and the biblical texts, paying particular attention to the complex configuration of the Corinthian congregation, including the influence of proto-Gnosticism, as well as the ways Paul responded to the shifting situation and different issues. The two chapters on rhetorical-hermeneutical theory and criticism are especially creative as the author suggests a Chinese hermeneutic for cross-cultural dialogues, the issue of ancestor worship being a specific example.

This book examines why Paul waits until the end of his letter to the Corinthians before mentioning the important theme of resurrection.

This superb volume in the New International Greek Testament Commentary series provides the most detailed, definitive, and distinctive commentary on 1 Corinthians available in English to date. One of the world's most respected Christian theologians, Anthony Thiselton here provides in-depth discussion of the language of 1 Corinthians, presents his own careful translation of the Greek, traces the main issues of interpretation from the church fathers to the present, and highlights topics of theological, ethical, and sociohistorical interest today, including ethics and "rights," marriage, divorce and remarriage, "headship," gender, prophecy, and many others. No other commentary on 1 Corinthians embodies the wealth and depth of detail presented in Thiselton's work, which takes account of nearly all scholarly research on 1 Corinthians and incorporates substantial bibliographies throughout. In his commentary Thiselton indeed addresses virtually every question that thoughtful, serious readers -- scholars, students, pastors, teachers -- may wish to ask of or about the text of 1 Corinthians. His work truly offers a fresh, comprehensive, and original contribution to our understanding of this major epistle and its contemporary relevance.

A new, comprehensive bibliography of books and articles on the rhetoric of the New Testament published since AD 1500. The bibliography is arranged by categories, which include Jewish heritage, invention, arrangement, style, hermeneutics, with specific listings for each book of the NT. It is prefaced with a select bibliography of primary and secondary sources on classical and modern rhetoric. An invaluable research tool.

Turley begins by surveying the history of the interface between ritual studies and Pauline scholarship, identifying the scholarly gaps in both method and conclusions and a ritual theory adequate to address such gaps. The focus of the work is then on the two rituals that identified the Pauline communities: ritual washings and ritual meals. Turley explores Galatians and 1 Corinthians, two letters that present the richest spread of evidence pertinent to ritual theory. By exploring Paul's reference to ritual washings and meals with a heuristic use of ritual theory, Turley concludes that rituals in early Christianity were inherently revelatory, in that they revealed the dawning of the messianic age through the bodies of the ritual participants. This bodily revelation established both a distinctly Christian ethic and a distinctly Christian social space by which such an ethical identity might be identified and sustained.

The refugee that has come to your church, the pastor of the immigrant church in your town, and you yourself all come before the same Bible, even the same verse, and walk away with completely different understandings and applications. In an increasingly globalized and multicultural world, how can we learn to see beyond our own cultural influences, understand those of others, and learn from each other in order to better understand and apply the word of God? How do we stay faithful to the text when our contemporary cultural perspective is so different from the original author’s? This book will enable you to understand the common pitfalls and dangers related to cross-cultural hermeneutics while also equipping you with principles and real-life examples for how to interpret Scripture in such situations. Additionally, given the fact that our world is increasingly digitized and people are less and less likely to read, we will consider the issue of oral hermeneutics and how those who can’t read or choose not to read can interpret Scripture faithfully.

One of the most exciting of Paul's letters, First Corinthians offers a vantage point from which modern readers can reflect on the diversity in Christian Churches today. In First Corinthians, Raymond Collins explores that vantage point as well as the challenge Paul posed to the people of his time - and continues to pose in ours - to allow the gospel message to engage them in their daily lives. Paul introduces us to a flesh-and-blood community whose humanness was al too apparent. Sex, death, and money were among the issues they had to face. Social conflicts and tension within their Christian community were part of their daily lives. Paul uses al of his diplomacy, rhetorical skill, and authority to exhort the Corinthian community to be as one in Christ. In examining Paul's message and method, Collins approaches First Corinthians as a Hellenistic letter written to people dealing with real issues in the Hellenistic world. He cites existing Hellenistic letters to show that Paul was truly a letter writer of his own times. Collins makes frequent references to the writings of the philosophic moralists to help clarify the way in which Paul spoke to his beloved Corinthians. He also comments on some aspects of the social circumstances that shaped the Christians of Corinth. Raymond Collins, PhD is a priest of the Diocese of Providence and is the dean of the School of Religious Studies at The Catholic University of America. He is the author of John and His Witness and Divorce in the New Testament published by Liturgical Press.