Community Socialization in the Theology of the Pastorals:- A Rhetorical-Canonical Reading

Community Socialization in the Theology of the Pastorals:- A Rhetorical-Canonical Reading

Sam TSANG

Rhetoric, intertextual, canonical and social reading ought to combine in the reading of the New Testament. With the simple theory of the New Rhetoric as starting point, the first part of this study deals with the theory of how these elements combined in reading the Pastoral Letters can give an idea of how the early church had formed its various community identities. In reading behind the world of the text, especially dealing with the unexplained assertions of the author, the modern interpreter can understand what was foundational in the readerly community. In the categorization of social-rhetorical pioneer Vernon K. Robbins, this study deals primarily with the intertexture as it seeks to enter the interactive world of a text.¹ The second part of this study will use one text from Titus to see how the steps actually work. At the end, not only the letters themselves deserve theological reflections, the methods themselves lend to theological reflection.

¹ Vernon K. Robbins, Exploring the Texture of Texts: A Guide to Socio-Rhetorical Interpretation (Valley Forge: Trinity, 1996), 40.