Hierarchy, unity, and imitation : a feminist rhetorical analysis of power dynamics in Paul's letter to the Philippians - Marchal, Joseph A. (Atlanta : Society of Biblical Literature, 2006)
Introduction. Context, purpose, and procedure ; Rhetorical approaches ; Further reflections on feminist rhetorical approaches ; Preliminary issues in the study of Philippians -- Setting the stage. Critical overview of scholarship on prominent images in Philippians. Prominent imagery in Philippians. Friendship imagery ; Military imagery ; Feminist assessment. Reconsidering friendship imagery ; Reconsidering military imagery ; Reconsidering the connections between friendship and military imagery ; Cues from this debate for the rest of the study -- Situating the rhetorics of Philippians. Women's participation in cults at Philippi. Excursus : imitation of women in cultic life ; Women's participation in the early Jesus movement at Philippi ; Unity rhetorics in ancient civic speeches ; Colonial status and military situation of Philippi -- How Philippians implements these rhetorics. Evolving rhetoric : the interaction of arguments as they develop (section-by-section analysis). 1:1-11 ; 1:12-26 ; 1:27-2:4 ; 2:5-18 ; 2:19-30 ; 3:1-11 ; 3:12-21 ; 4:1-9 ; 4:10-23 ; Summary of the argumentative techniques ; Prevailing rhetoric : the major arguments. Arguments by dissociation ; Quasi-logical arguments ; Arguments based on the structure of reality ; Arguments establishing the structure of reality ; Summary, implications, and suggestions ; Conclusions. A different understanding of the letter to the Philippians ; Implications concerning previous scholarship ; Usefulness for feminist and liberation interpretations -- Appendix: Outline of argumentative techniques in Philippians.
Includes bibliographical references (p. [217]-247) and indexes.
Keywords: Bible. -- Feminist criticism; Rhetorical criticism; Feminist theology