Rhetoric and Early Christianity

Call For Papers: The Rhetoric and Early Christianity Section fosters research centered on the arts of persuasion, broadly conceived, as they intersect with the study of Early Christian sources and worlds. We invite proposals for two themed sessions. First, we seek proposals that track, evaluate, or critique the Rhetorical Uses and Reuses of Scripture in Early Christianities. We are especially interested in papers that explore how early Christian writers (whether traditionally rendered orthodox or not) wielded passages that they considered Scripture (both canonical and non-canonical texts) to make arguments about their self-understanding, their communities, and their opponents. We will also consider papers that evaluate how early Christian writers understood and discussed the rhetorical function of Scripture for their argumentation. Second, we seek proposals that explore the Rhetoric of Early Christian Apologetics. The topic of apologetics can be broadly construed and seen within New Testament and later literatures, and among a variety of literary genres. Papers should aim to address the ways in which apologetics took shape, while also providing an assessment of its goals within selected texts. Finally, as usual we invite proposals dealing with other aspects of the intersection of rhetoric and the study of early Christianity for an open session.

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