1 / 23

The Exegetical Significance of Meta-Comments for Identifying Key Propositions

The Exegetical Significance of Meta-Comments for Identifying Key Propositions. Steven Runge Discourse Grammar and Biblical Exegesis Consultation Providence, RI, November 19-21, 2008. Introduction. Tendencies in communication: Communicate intended content Efficient and focused

tristana
Download Presentation

The Exegetical Significance of Meta-Comments for Identifying Key Propositions

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. The Exegetical Significance of Meta-Comments for Identifying Key Propositions Steven RungeDiscourse Grammar and Biblical Exegesis ConsultationProvidence, RI, November 19-21, 2008

  2. Introduction Tendencies in communication: • Communicate intended content • Efficient and focused E.g., “I appreciate your research.” www.ntdiscourse.org

  3. Glossary Definition Meta-comment—When a speaker stops saying what they are saying in order to comment on what is going to be said, speaking abstractly about it. www.ntdiscourse.org

  4. Glossary Definition Meta-comment—When a speaker stops saying what they are saying in order to comment on what is going to be said, speaking abstractly about it. E.g., “I want you to know that I appreciate your research.” www.ntdiscourse.org

  5. Glossary Definition Meta-comment—When a speaker stops saying what they are saying in order to comment on what is going to be said, speaking abstractly about it. E.g., “I want you to know that I appreciate your research.” • Interrupts the flow of the discourse • Attracts extra attention to the proposition that follows. www.ntdiscourse.org

  6. English Meta-Comments • “It is very important that you understand that …” • “I want you to know that …” • “Don’t you know that…” • “Of all the things that you have learned so far, the most important one is that…” • “If you remember nothing else that I say, remember that…” www.ntdiscourse.org

  7. English Meta-Comments “You look down, they know you're lying and up, they know you don't know the truth. Don't use seven words when four will do…He's got to like you then forget you the moment you've left his side. And for God's sake, whatever you do, don't, under any circumstances...” Brad Pitt as “Rusty” in Ocean’s Eleven www.ntdiscourse.org

  8. Greek NT Meta-Comments • λέγω ὑμῖν “I say to you…” • λέγω ὑμῖν τὴν ἀλήθειαν “I tell you the truth…” • γινώσκετε ὅτι “We know that…” • οἴδαμεν “I ask that…” • οὐ θέλω ὑμᾶς ἀγνοεῖν “I want you to know…” • ἀγνοεῖτε “Don’t you know…” www.ntdiscourse.org

  9. Greek NT Meta-Comments • λέγω ὑμῖν “I say to you…” • λέγω ὑμῖν τὴν ἀλήθειαν “I tell you the truth…” • γινώσκετε ὅτι “We know that…” • οἴδαμεν “I ask that…” • οὐ θέλω ὑμᾶς ἀγνοεῖν “I want you to know…” • ἀγνοεῖτε “Don’t you know…” Often co-occur with vocatives/nominatives of address: E.g. “I want you to know, brothers, that…” www.ntdiscourse.org

  10. Romans 12:1 www.ntdiscourse.org

  11. Conventional explanation Form critical classifications • disclosure formulas • request formulas • hearing forms • petition formulas • introduction formulas www.ntdiscourse.org

  12. Problems with conventional explanation • Collocation of words, not the usage • Sometimes significant, other times not • Variations of form are questioned • Expressions with comparable effects are excluded www.ntdiscourse.org

  13. Problems with conventional explanation • Collocation of words, not the usage • Sometimes significant, other times not • Variations of form are questioned • Expressions with comparable effects are excluded • Found outside of Greek epistolary literature • The same forms with same effect found in narrative • Same kind of device found in many languages www.ntdiscourse.org

  14. Problems with conventional explanation • Collocation of words, not the usage • Sometimes significant, other times not • Variations on form are questioned • Expressions with comparable effects excluded • Found outside of Greek epistolary literature • The same forms with same effect found in narrative • Same kind of device found in many languages • Usage and distribution suggest broader function www.ntdiscourse.org

  15. Discourse explanation Meta-comment—When a speaker stops saying what they are saying in order to comment on what is going to be said, speaking abstractly about it. www.ntdiscourse.org

  16. Discourse explanation Meta-comment—When a speaker stops saying what they are saying in order to comment on what is going to be said, speaking abstractly about it. Meta-comments have the effect of attracting extra attention to the proposition that follows • Not needed to process what follows • Usage where it is not semantically required brings about the pragmatic effect. www.ntdiscourse.org

  17. Romans 12:3 www.ntdiscourse.org

  18. Galatians 1:9 www.ntdiscourse.org

  19. James 1:16-17 www.ntdiscourse.org

  20. Mark 13:14 www.ntdiscourse.org

  21. Luke 4:24-25 www.ntdiscourse.org

  22. Matthew 15:10-11 www.ntdiscourse.org

  23. Matthew 11:15 www.ntdiscourse.org

More Related