Wrestling with Rationality in Paul Romans 1-8 in a New Perspective [Paperback]

A 1995 discussion combining classical logic and literary theory to put a new perspective on Paul's rationality.This study combines an analysis of the argumentative complexities of Romans 1-8 with the presentation of modern theories of how meaning arises and functions. These theories (especially as represented by Umberto Eco) shed important light on two central questions raised by Paul's method: why does he reason so per-sistently about matters which depend ultimately on supernatural enlightenment, and why, where he does, are his arguments often so unclear and so hard to reduce to logical consistency? To both questions answers emerge.This study combines an analysis of the argumentative complexities of Romans 1-8 with the presentation of modern theories of how meaning arises and functions. These theories (especially as represented by Umberto Eco) shed important light on two central questions raised by Paul's method: why does he reason so per-sistently about matters which depend ultimately on supernatural enlightenment, and why, where he does, are his arguments often so unclear and so hard to reduce to logical consistency? To both questions answers emerge.This study combines an analysis of the argumentative complexities of Romans 1-8 with the presentation of modern theories of how meaning arises and functions. These theories (especially as represented by Umberto Eco) shed important light on two central questions raised by Paul's method: why does he reason so persistently about matters that depend ultimately on supernatural enlightenment, and why, where he does, are his arguments often so unclear and so hard to reduce to logical consistency? This book seeks to answer both questions.Acknowledgements; Introduction; 1. Enthymematic semiosis in Paul; 2. Varieties of enthymematic effect in Romans 1-4; 3. Ways in which enthymemes arise in Romans 5-7; 4. How enthymematic argument stands in Romans 8; 5. Knowing what tune Paul is playing; Conclusion; Bibliographyl“m