The Gospel of Matthew as an Argument
Hietanen, Mika LU
(2007)
In Sic Sat, International Center for the Study of Argumentation
p.607-613
- Abstract
- This study indicates valuable contributions of narrative criticism and rhetorical criticism. Together with the traditional historical-critical approach, these methods can help us toward an interpretation that lets us better understand the purpose and the function of the gospel-story. One purpose is for it to function as an argument in favour of the standpoint that Jesus is the Son of God, the Messiah. I show how the gospel of Matthew can be seen as such an argument and how the evangelist presents different parts of the story so as to support this standpoint. A tentative argumentation structure indicates the feasibility of an argumentation analysis. Although the form of the gospel is that of a narrative, it contains indirect argumentation.... (More)
- This study indicates valuable contributions of narrative criticism and rhetorical criticism. Together with the traditional historical-critical approach, these methods can help us toward an interpretation that lets us better understand the purpose and the function of the gospel-story. One purpose is for it to function as an argument in favour of the standpoint that Jesus is the Son of God, the Messiah. I show how the gospel of Matthew can be seen as such an argument and how the evangelist presents different parts of the story so as to support this standpoint. A tentative argumentation structure indicates the feasibility of an argumentation analysis. Although the form of the gospel is that of a narrative, it contains indirect argumentation. Although earlier studies have noted some of the same features of Matthew, the advantage of a specific argumentation analysis approach is that it yields a much more specific description of the argumentative dimension of the text. An explicit argumentation analysis approach has enabled me to be more thorough and precise than earlier similar attempts. My treatment of the story of the virgin conception shows how such a story lends itself to an argumentation analysis. It also illustrates some of the features that come into play analysing biblical literature. The gospel of Matthew is not mainly ‘good news’, but an argument in favour of the standpoint that Jesus is the Son of God, the Messiah. (Less)
- Abstract (Swedish)
- This study indicates valuable contributions of narrative criticism and rhetorical criticism. Together with the traditional historical-critical approach, these methods can help us toward an interpretation that lets us better understand the purpose and the function of the gospel-story. One purpose is for it to function as an argument in favour of the standpoint that Jesus is the Son of God, the Messiah. I show how the gospel of Matthew can be seen as such an argument and how the evangelist presents different parts of the story so as to support this standpoint. A tentative argumentation structure indicates the feasibility of an argumentation analysis. Although the form of the gospel is that of a narrative, it contains indirect argumentation.... (More)
- This study indicates valuable contributions of narrative criticism and rhetorical criticism. Together with the traditional historical-critical approach, these methods can help us toward an interpretation that lets us better understand the purpose and the function of the gospel-story. One purpose is for it to function as an argument in favour of the standpoint that Jesus is the Son of God, the Messiah. I show how the gospel of Matthew can be seen as such an argument and how the evangelist presents different parts of the story so as to support this standpoint. A tentative argumentation structure indicates the feasibility of an argumentation analysis. Although the form of the gospel is that of a narrative, it contains indirect argumentation. Although earlier studies have noted some of the same features of Matthew, the advantage of a specific argumentation analysis approach is that it yields a much more specific description of the argumentative dimension of the text. An explicit argumentation analysis approach has enabled me to be more thorough and precise than earlier similar attempts. My treatment of the story of the virgin conception shows how such a story lends itself to an argumentation analysis. It also illustrates some of the features that come into play analysing biblical literature. The gospel of Matthew is not mainly ‘good news’, but an argument in favour of the standpoint that Jesus is the Son of God, the Messiah. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/db305776-bf31-4864-a546-2fb3eca46814
- author
- Hietanen, Mika
LU
- publishing date
- 2007
- type
- Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Argumentation analysis, Pragmatic analysis of argumentation, Literary arguments, Christian argumentation, The Gospel of Matthew, The New testament, Analysis of religious texts
- host publication
- Proceedings of the Sixth Conference of the International Society for the Study of Argumentation
- series title
- Sic Sat, International Center for the Study of Argumentation
- editor
- van Eemeren, Frans H.
- pages
- 7 pages
- publisher
- International Society for the Study of Argumentation (ISSA)
- ISBN
- 978-90-5170-916-2
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- no
- id
- db305776-bf31-4864-a546-2fb3eca46814
- date added to LUP
- 2021-10-23 09:42:00
- date last changed
- 2021-11-15 11:31:52
@inproceedings{db305776-bf31-4864-a546-2fb3eca46814,
abstract = {{This study indicates valuable contributions of narrative criticism and rhetorical criticism. Together with the traditional historical-critical approach, these methods can help us toward an interpretation that lets us better understand the purpose and the function of the gospel-story. One purpose is for it to function as an argument in favour of the standpoint that Jesus is the Son of God, the Messiah. I show how the gospel of Matthew can be seen as such an argument and how the evangelist presents different parts of the story so as to support this standpoint. A tentative argumentation structure indicates the feasibility of an argumentation analysis. Although the form of the gospel is that of a narrative, it contains indirect argumentation. Although earlier studies have noted some of the same features of Matthew, the advantage of a specific argumentation analysis approach is that it yields a much more specific description of the argumentative dimension of the text. An explicit argumentation analysis approach has enabled me to be more thorough and precise than earlier similar attempts. My treatment of the story of the virgin conception shows how such a story lends itself to an argumentation analysis. It also illustrates some of the features that come into play analysing biblical literature. The gospel of Matthew is not mainly ‘good news’, but an argument in favour of the standpoint that Jesus is the Son of God, the Messiah.}},
author = {{Hietanen, Mika}},
booktitle = {{Proceedings of the Sixth Conference of the International Society for the Study of Argumentation}},
editor = {{van Eemeren, Frans H.}},
isbn = {{978-90-5170-916-2}},
keywords = {{Argumentation analysis; Pragmatic analysis of argumentation; Literary arguments; Christian argumentation; The Gospel of Matthew; The New testament; Analysis of religious texts}},
language = {{eng}},
pages = {{607--613}},
publisher = {{International Society for the Study of Argumentation (ISSA)}},
series = {{Sic Sat, International Center for the Study of Argumentation}},
title = {{The Gospel of Matthew as an Argument}},
year = {{2007}},
}