Biblical Chiasmus: Exploring Structure for Meaning

In studies of the rhetorical forms present in biblical writings there exists today a certain confusion regarding the way various patterns are identified. Chiasmus should be clearly distinguished from direct, inverted and antithetical parallelism, in order to stress its characteristic focus upon a th...

Full description

Saved in:  
Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Breck, John 1939- (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Check availability: HBZ Gateway
Journals Online & Print:
Drawer...
Interlibrary Loan:Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany)
Published: 1987
In: Biblical theology bulletin
Year: 1987, Volume: 17, Issue: 2, Pages: 70-74
Online Access: Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
Parallel Edition:Non-electronic
Description
Summary:In studies of the rhetorical forms present in biblical writings there exists today a certain confusion regarding the way various patterns are identified. Chiasmus should be clearly distinguished from direct, inverted and antithetical parallelism, in order to stress its characteristic focus upon a thematic center or "pivot" about which other elements of the literary unit are developed. Several key passages, from the psalms, epistles, and gospels, are shown to be structured according to the chiastic patterns A B A'or A B C B' A'. By revealing the conceptual center of the passage in question, these examples demonstrate that recognition and analysis of chiasmus is indispensable for a proper understanding of the theological message the biblical writer intended to communicate.
ISSN:1945-7596
Contains:Enthalten in: Biblical theology bulletin
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1177/014610798701700206