Sketching the background

The term ‘rhetoric’ takes us back to Aristotle and his discourses. 1In December 1968 James
Muilenburg delivered to the Society of Biblical Literature in his presidential address entitled
“Form Criticism and Beyond.” He named the “beyond” rhetorical criticism thereby bringing a
time honored rubric to the attention of the Society. Rhetorical Criticism exhibits the structural
patterns employed in the fashioning of a literary unit, whether pros or poetry, discern the various
devices such as; parallelism, anaphora, epiphora, etc.2

Classical Rhetoric

An Ancient Greece a Professor or public speaker known as “rhetor” taught a subject called
“Rhetoric”. It signifies the “art” of discourse that in time became complex system of
communication. Rhetorical is an art of composition by which language is made descriptive,
interpretive a persuasive related to it is oratory the act of effective public speaking. The study of
rhetorical is a classical discipline that goes back to Aristotle and insights from the study of
rhetoric have been applied to the biblical text. The methodology approach is called “rhetorical
criticism.3

Historical Overview

Rhetorical criticism is concerned with the ways language of the texts is deployed to convey
meaning such as metaphor and parallelism, narrative and poetic structures, and stylistic
figures.4Although the antecedents of classical rhetorical belong to the Homeric traditions of the
ninth century B.C.E., the concept emerged in the fifth century. Greeks in Sicily devised
persuasive ways to defend themselves in legal disputes. When these oral skills reached Athens,
they underwent the significant changes as rhetorical expanded beyond legal persuasion. The
Sophist emphasized the verbal acumen of a public speaker apart from the truth or morality of the
speech. Isocrates countered this view, insisting that ethics and philosophy join structure and style
to constitute the art of discourse. Further, by writing rather than delivering his speeches, he
turned oratory into literature. From the Greeks rhetoric passed to the Romans. The principal
figure Cicero (106-43) recorded the history of the subject and made his own substantial
contribution. Indeed, his De Inventione, became the primary authority for more than a
millennium. De Oratore, his greatest work, held a triumphal view of rhetoric “art of arts”. It
organized and unified the world, bringing together form and content, theory and practice,

1
Daniel Jones Muthunayagom, “Comtemporary Approaches to the Old Testament Interpretation, “in
Interweaving Methodology and Praxis-Exploring Disciplinary Options in Today’s World, edited by Indukuri John
Mohan Razu (Bangalore: BTESSC, 2007), 187.
2
Phyllis Trible, Rhetorical Criticism; Context, Method, and the Book of Jonah (Minneapolis: Fortress Press
1994), 5.
3
Phyllis Trible Rhetorical Criticism. 5.
4
Phyllis Trible Rhetorical Criticism. 6.

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thinking and speaking, ethic and style. This stance recalled the perspective of Isocrates and
presaged the work of the orator and teacher.5

General analytical study on Rhetorical Criticism

The term “rhetoric” is significant in writing as well as in oral materials. Rhetorical analysis
realizes the power of language, the language that constructs, for example a new sociology.
Rhetorical analysis stresses how the author or speaker affects the reader or hearer. The term
“audience” is criticism in rhetorical approach. The persuasive nature of rhetorical is traditionally
not confined to the words or the idea or to the combination of the two; but it relies on the union
with the character of the orator and the emotions of his/her audience. The main focus of rhetoric
is on describing how the text can be used to persuade and be effective in the present day context.
The rhetorical criticism takes into consideration the importance of the content, context and the
concepts which the writer and reader share. Thus, it is interested in the social and cultural
relationship between author and the reader.6

According to Muilenberg’s and George A. Kennedy put forth following stages when one
undertakes rhetorical approach such as:

1. Identification of the Rhetorical Unit

From the largest rhetorical unit which is the text one needs to find a major motif in it usually
state in the beginning and the end. It may appear at several instances where there is a reiteration,
the whole concern of the passage, so each rhetorical unit 7 has an identifiable opening and closure
and they are connected by certain arguments. Such smaller unit correlates to form a strong and
extensive unit which impacts reader’s reasoning and imagination.

2. Locating the Rhetorical Situation

There is a specific condition or a rhetorical situation that has to be examined in a text. It may not
describe the historical reality but studies the verbal reality. According to Muthunayogam by
locating the verbal reality kennedy meant to trace the intention between the speaker and audience
and examine how the sympathies of the audience are engaged (ethos), the appeals to emotions
(pathos) and the use of the logical argument (Logos). It identifies the text’s demand, the
individuals, circumstances and the nexus of relations that initiates a verbal response from the
speaker of the author. Robert O. Conniell explicates that the rhetorical situation is “Sitz Im
Text”, i.e the world(s) of the text” and not the historical situations of compilation or redaction. 8

5
Phyllis Trible Rhetorical Criticism.,7.
6
Daniel Jones Muthunayagom, “Contemporary Approaches to Old Testament Interpretation,” in
Interweaving Methodology and Praxis – Exploring Disciplinary Options in Today’s World, edited by Indukuri John
Mohan Raju (Bangalore: BTESSC, SATHTRI, 2007), 17.
7
These rhetorical units can be metaphors, parables, essential sayings, commandments etc. Daniel Jones
Muthunayagom, “Contemporary Approaches.., 189.
8
Daniel Jones Muthunayagom, Contemporary Approaches. 189.

2
3. Examination of the Rhetorical Arrangement

It examines the composition compilation of the various parts into persuasive whole. Thus the
Rhetorical structure is taken into which is derived from the rhetorical situation consideration. It
also briefs much about the intended or implied audience.

4. Analysis of the Rhetorical Styles

We analyze the persuasive power of the text based on the verbal reality portrayed in the text. The
role of proofs, ethos, pathos and logos in leading the reader towards the intended goal for which
the text was designed closely analyzed. The arrangement of materials points to be deployment of
rhetorical figure and the stylistic devices. Therefore, it is the study of style, speech, emotions,
various motifs, figures of speech, and imageries etc.., all of which underline the literary style of
the given text.

5. Evaluation of the Rhetorical Effectiveness

The ultimate question in any literary critical enterprise is certainly the effectiveness. It is the
review of the whole text and impact from every unit. The pertaining questions here are: to what
extent is author effective in responding through a particular unit as a whole to a rhetorical
problem? What would be impact of respective unit as whole to the rhetorical problem? What is
its impact on modern readers? It is an evaluation of rhetorical findings from the earlier stamps. 9

Implication

The socio-rhetorical methods enable to interpreter and bring multiple tools of the text. The socio-
rhetorical criticism is using five different kind of methodological tools.10

Inner Texture

Inner textural is focusing on words as tools for communication. This kind of analysis is prior to
the analysis of “meanings.” Its purpose is to gain intimate knowledge of words, word-patterns,
voices, structures, devices, and modes in the text. It is pure observation, opposed to
interpretation.11

Repetitive Texture

The repetitive texture is when the same word occurs at least twice in a text, which is called
repetition. Multiple occurrences of many different kinds of grammatical, syntactical, verbal and
9
Daniel Jones Muthunayagom, Contemporary Approaches.., 189.
10
Vernon K. Robbins, “Exploring the Texture of Texts”, A Guide to Socio Rhetorical Interpretation
(Pennsylvania: Trinity Press International, 1996), 2-3.
11
Vernon K. Robbins, “Exploring the Texture of Texts”, A Guode to Socio Rhetorical Interpretation
(Pennsylvania: Trinity Press International, 1996), 7.

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topical phenomena may produce repetitive texture. Sometimes repetition occurs in topics like
resurrection, suffering, and hope, Sometimes in pronouns like I, you, and we, sometimes in
negatives like no, not, and no one, sometimes in conjunctions like then, but, because etc.,12

Progressive Texture

Progressive texture and pattern is revealed through repetition and takes the form of sequences of
repeated words and phrases. Sometime the Progression emerges out of repetition. 13 E.g. Psalm
91, the text begins with an individual follower (you and your) referencing God (Most High,
Almighty, Lord and God), progressing to God (I, me and my) referencing his followers (those,
they and them).14

Narrational Texture

Narrational Texture looks at voices, (Narrator, Character).Usually the Narrational texture reveals
some kind of pattern that moves the discourse programmatically forward. Sometimes it is
emerges when the narration and attributed speech alternate with each other. And also a particular
type of speech likes a question or a command.15

Conclusion

Rhetorical criticism focuses its attention on the text and not on the redaction history of the text. It
helps us to treat the text as it is rather than treating it as fragmented hypothetical sources and
interpolations. The rhetorical persuasion affects both the original hearers of the prophets and the
later readers. Since the prophetical books in the Old Testament are persuasive rhetoric of the
prophets, the Rhetorical criticism has been extensively used to interpret the prophetical texts.

Bibliography

12
Vernon K. Robbins, “Exploring the Texture of Texts.., 8.
13
Vernon K. Robbins, “Exploring the Texture of Texts”, A Guode to Socio Rhetorical Interpretation
(Pennsylvania: Trinity Press International, 1996), 10.
14
Vernon K. Robbins, The Tapestry of Early Christian Discourse: Rhetoric, Society and Ideology,
(London: Routledge, 1996), 77.
15
Vernon K. Robbins, “Exploring the Texture of Texts”, A Guide to Socio Rhetorical Interpretation
(Pennsylvania: Trinity Press International, 1996), 2-3.

4
Muthunayagom, Daniel Jones. “Comtemporary Approaches to the Old Testament Interpretation,
“in Interweaving Methodology and Praxis-Exploring Disciplinary Options in Today’s World,
edited by Indukuri John Mohan Razu. Bangalore: BTESSC, 2007.

Robbins, Vernon K. “Exploring the Texture of Texts”, A Guide to Socio Rhetorical

Robbins,Vernon K. The Tapestry of Early Christian Discourse: Rhetoric, Society and Ideology,
London: Routledge, 1996.

Trible, Phyllis. Rhetorical Criticism; Context, Method, and the Book of Jonah. Minneapolis:
Fortress Press 1994.