Character description and socio-political apologetic in the Acts of the Apostles
Acts has been the subject of exhaustive enquiry from historical, source, redactional, literary, and other angles. The aim of this thesis is to read Acts as would someone with an education typical of that time. The clearer it is that such rhetorical grounding was sufficient basis for an intelligible interpretation, the more likely that Acts was extroverted enough to be addressed to a general readership. Since it was the practice to interpret history in terms of individuals not general movements, as is exemplified in theoretical statements of Cicero and Seneca and in the practice of Thucydidas, Sallust, Livy and Tacitus, the school exercise of character description forms the basis of analysis and interpretation, as illustrated from 14.8-19. By use of the theory of Theon and suitable practical examples in Homer, Sailust, Dosephus, etc., the typical form of the character sketch is outlined, as are common topics in it as used in Acts, thus identifying the examples in Acts. With reference to such as Seneca, Tacitus, Vergil and Polybius, it is shown how this exercise was used in historiography to introduce minor, and offer obituaries of major, characters, and so it emerges that in Acts these sketches introduce the
Mackenzie, Robert Kenneth
Philosophy
Character description and socio-political apologetic in the Acts of the Apostles. Acts has been the subject of exhaustive enquiry from historical, source, redactional, literary, and other angles. The aim of this thesis is to read Acts as would someone with an education typical of that time. The clearer it is that such rhetorical grounding was sufficient basis for an intelligible interpretation, the more likely that Acts was extroverted enough to be addressed to a general readership. Since it was the practice to interpret history in terms of individuals not general movements, as is exemplified in theoretical statements of Cicero and Seneca and in the practice of Thucydidas, Sallust, Livy and Tacitus, the school exercise of character description forms the basis of analysis and interpretation, as illustrated from 14.8-19. By use of the theory of Theon and suitable practical examples in Homer, Sailust, Dosephus, etc., the typical form of the character sketch is outlined, as are common topics in it as used in Acts, thus identifying the examples in Acts. With reference to such as Seneca, Tacitus, Vergil and Polybius, it is shown how this exercise was used in historiography to introduce minor, and offer obituaries of major, characters, and so it emerges that in Acts these sketches introduce the
character description socio_political apologetic acts apostles acts subject exhaustive enquiry historical_source redactional literary angle aim read acts would someone education typical time clearer rhetorical grounding sufficient basis intelligible interpretation likely acts enough addressed general readership since practice interpret history term individual general movement exemplify theoretical statement cicero seneca practice sallust livy tacitus school exercise character description form_basis analysis_interpretation illustrate use theory suitable practical example homer etc typical form character sketch outline common topic used acts thus identify example acts reference seneca tacitus polybius show exercise use historiography introduce minor offer major character emerge acts sketch introduce