Questions and Rhetoric in the Greek New Testament: An Essential Reference Resource for Exegesis
Overview
While there are almost 1000 questions in the Greek New Testament, many commentators, pastors, and students skip over the questions for more ‘theological’ verses or worse they convert questions into statements to mine them for what they are saying theologically. However, this is not the way questions in the Greek New Testament work, and it overlooks the rhetorical importance of questions and how they were used in the ancient world.
Questions and Rhetoric in the Greek New Testament is a helpful and thorough examination of questions in the Greek New Testament, seen from the standpoint of grammatical, semantic, and linguistic analysis, with special emphasis on their rhetorical effects. It includes charts, tools, and lists that explain and categorize the almost 1000 questions in the Greek New Testament. Thus, the user is able to go to the section in the book dealing with the type of question they are studying and find the exegetical parameters needed to understand that question.
Questions and Rhetoric in the Greek New Testament offers vibrant examples of all the major categories of questions to aid the reader in grasping how questions work in the Greek New Testament. Special emphasis is given to the way questions persuade and influence readers of the Greek New Testament.
Key Features
- Includes insightful examples of all major types of categories of questions in the New Testament
- Guides the reader with suggestions regarding exegetical issues
- Illustrates how questions are used rhetorically for the New Testament writer's communicative purposes
Contents
- The Basics of Question Formation
- Questions Driven by Syntax
- Questions Driven by Semantics
- Questions Driven by Pragmatics
- The Function of Questions in the Greek New Testament
Top Highlights
“In summation, the purpose of this book is to help interpreters understand the logic of questions in the GNT so they can explain the rhetorical (persuasive) effect of these questions in their interpretation of the NT.” (Page 20)
“In the GNT, questions make up about 15% of the sentences” (Page 18)
“Syntax is ‘the analysis of the arrangements of words in phrases, phrases in clauses and clauses in sentences and the grammatical relations between them’” (Page 37)
“When dealing with ‘rhetorical questions,’ there is a difference between saying ‘rhetorical questions don’t seek an answer’ and saying ‘rhetorical questions don’t need an explicit answer.’ When asked, the questions most often labeled as ‘rhetorical questions’ are answered internally or are intentionally inapposite (§4.M) or create an i-predicament (§2.C.7) or one of any other rhetorical effects; hence, they do not encourage an explicit answer (or one may embarrass oneself by replying, in some cases).” (Page 24)
“Gaining experience in the use of erotetic logic (the thinking behind questions) allows the exegete to approach the text in a whole new way. Instead of constantly thinking about what the text is saying, the interpreter with a background in erotetic logic can also think more precisely about what the text is asking.” (Pages 18–19)
Praise for the Print Edition
Douglas Estes has written a very useful book. Not only will readers now see old questions in a new light, but they will also be prompted to ask new questions for the first time. The technical language and theoretical categories that drive the book are shown to have clear payoff in understanding the text of the New Testament in a new light. Especially interesting here are the case studies that conclude each section, where Estes shows us with great care and precision just how much is being asked by the different types of questions in the New Testament.
—George L. Parsenios, associate professor of New Testament, Princeton Theological Seminary
Recognizing that questions are both central to ancient rhetoric and often overlooked in contemporary exegesis, Estes offers an expansive interdisciplinary treatment of questions in the Greek New Testament against the backdrop of grammatical theory, linguistics, and historiography, among other disciplines. He develops — in much greater detail — his previous research on the questions of Jesus in the Gospel of John, and in the process provides students, scholars, and pastors with an incredibly useful tool for exegetical research. Writing with the precision of an expert, the nuance of a skilled teacher, and the sensitivity of an exegete, Estes introduces the reader to the twenty-eight linguistic features of question asking, the four major formations of questions, and the thirty-six question types found within the NT. This impressive book represents an important achievement in the study of NT Greek and deserves to be among the required texts for advanced courses in Biblical Greek grammar. I cannot recommend this book highly enough!
—Christopher W. Skinner, associate professor of New Testament and early Christianity, Loyola University Chicago
This is an exceptional book. It addresses an issue that most of us do not spend much time considering, namely, the questions of the New Testament. But questions give shape to the rhetoric of the text in ways we fail to appreciate, not to mention the fact that fifteen percent of the New Testament involves questions of various kinds. Estes writes with linguistic and academic savvy while remaining very clear, offering helpful examples and illustrations. If you have never questioned New Testament questions — or even if you have — this book will prove enormously useful.
—Constantine R. Campbell, associate professor of New Testament, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
Product Details
- Title: Questions and Rhetoric in the Greek New Testament: An Essential Reference Resource for Exegesis
- Author: Douglas Estes
- Publisher: Zondervan
- Publication Date: 2017
- Pages: 400
- Resource Type: Monograph
- Topic: Grammar