Visually Oriented Rhetoric and Visionary Experience in Hebrews 12:1-4
Though a "vision-centered" perspective is apparent in a variety of contexts in Greco-Roman life and literature, of particular interest to this essay are the visually oriented rhetorical techniques that Greco-Roman authors and orators used to appeal to the visual imaginations of their audie...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Print Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Catholic University of America Press
[2017]
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| In: |
The catholic biblical quarterly
Year: 2017, Volume: 79, Issue: 3, Pages: 476-497 |
| Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains: | B
Bible. Hebräerbrief 12,1-4
/ Rhetoric
/ Visual perception
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| IxTheo Classification: | CD Christianity and Culture HC New Testament |
| Further subjects: | B
Epiphany
B Mysticism B Ekphrasis B Bible. Hebräerbrief 12,1-4 B agon B Christian Mysticism B Religious Aspects B Enargeia B EMOTIONS (Psychology) B Mimesis B Vision B Hebrews 12:1-4 B Rhetoric B Epistle to the Hebrews B Evocation |
| Parallel Edition: | Electronic
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| Summary: | Though a "vision-centered" perspective is apparent in a variety of contexts in Greco-Roman life and literature, of particular interest to this essay are the visually oriented rhetorical techniques that Greco-Roman authors and orators used to appeal to the visual imaginations of their audiences. Through these well-theorized techniques, authors and orators hoped not only to engage their audiences' visual imaginations but also to transport them emotionally into the described scene. The author of the Epistle to the Hebrews was to all appearances well versed in these techniques, and perhaps this is nowhere more evident than in Heb 12:1-4. Enlisting the language and imagery of agonistic sport and spectacle, this visually evocative text helps the community reenvision their current situation. Their sufferings are thus reconfigured as normative to the athletic sphere, while their commitment to Christ and his community is translated into a test of endurance in a footrace. Integral to this agonistically shaped exhortation is the vivid portrayal of Jesus as the "forerunner" and victorious "finisher" of the same contest of faith in which the community is presently competing. Ekphrasis and epiphany coalesce in this mimetic portrayal, signaled by the author's exhortation to "fix our gaze" on the one who has triumphed over adversity and adversaries. |
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| ISSN: | 0008-7912 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: The catholic biblical quarterly
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