This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by deSilva, D. A. Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                   What's this?

'Worthy of His Kingdom': Honor Discourse and Social Engineering in 1 Thessalonians

Ashland Theological Seminary, 910 Center Street, Ashland, OH 44805

An ancient proponent of a minority culture met the challenge of sustaining commit ment to the group through a number of distinct uses of honor discourse. The first half of this article establishes a method for analyzing the rhetorical impact of honor discourse in a text from the Graeco-Roman period and its potential for sustaining group values and commitment; the second half shows the method at work in 1 Thessalonians. Paul insulates the readers from concern for the opinion and approval of the non-believing world by censuring outsiders as unreliable guides to honorable behavior: society's censure of the believers thus should carry no weight. Paul directs their ambitions to the eternal honor to be gained by securing God's approval. The group members are called to reinforce one another's commitment to those distinctive Christian values that will result in honor on the last day.

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?