Gatunek retoryczny i dispositio Listu do Galatów

Abstract

Having discussed a historical and critical method, which is both standard and fundamental for a contemporary exegete, a document “The Interpretation of the Bible in Church” mentions three “new methods of literary analysis”. “Rhetorical analysis” is number one. The last is a method relating to the rules of Greek and Roman rhetoric, the new rhetoric and the research of structures pertinent to the Semitic ways of text building. The indispensability of rhetorical analysis in the studies of Biblical texts is justified by pointing to persuasive character of the written word of God, hence the necessity of knowing rhetoric on the part of everyone who deals with exegesis. The text of the Papal Biblical Committee gives one, but symptomatic, as far as Church documents are concerned, limitation of methodological nature – rhetorical analysis is to be conducted in a critical way, so that it can be incorporated in the results of scientific exegesis. Two issues connected with use of antique rhetoric are discussed in the article: the definition of the genre and dispositio. The specification made in accordance with chronology shows that the dispositio which enclosed the whole letter to Galatians in rhetorical frames of speech did not withstand criticism. Little is explained by the dispositio which assume the outline of a letter disregarding the analysis of the BODY. The specification alone shows that – independently of the accuracy of division borders – the dispositio in which the epistolary character is taken into consideration and the structure of reasoning in the BODY of the Letter is shown provide good orientation and help to understand the Letter. It is a pity that the discussion is held almost exclusively in English and that not all publications worthy of reading are taken into consideration. A significant example is the work of Ph. H. Kern, in which – considering its subject matter – one would expect references to important foreign writings. Actually, there is no reference to any work of A. Pitta or even to R.D. Anderson, who writes in English.