Description: Rhetorical criticism seeks to understand and comment on the way texts function in their social and cultural contexts. Holloway puts Paul's letter in the context of ancient theories and literary practices of "consolation" and argues that Paul wrote to the Philippians in order to console them. He shows that the letter has a unified overall strategy and provides a convincing account of Paul's argument.
Brief description: Paul A. Holloway is Assistant Professor in the Department of Religion at Samford University. He has published in Harvard Theological Review, Novum Testamentum, and the Journal of Biblical Literature.
Review Quotes: "It is an impressive piece of work; every interpreter of Philippians will have to consult it." Currents in Theology and Mission