The Risen Crucified Christ in Galatians

This study examines ancient Greco-Roman communication theories and practices to understand Paul as a communicator and the central purposes of Galatians.Moving beyond discussions of rhetorical and epistolary categorizations this work probes Greco-Roman principles of persuasive communication and ways in which Paul uses them in Galatians. Of particular significance is Paul''s use of rhetorical periods a compact grammatical form of expression often preferred among rhetoricians for its communicativepower. Bryant contends that the opening of Paul''s letter to the Galatians (1:1-10) which lacks a thanksgiving periodis best understood as a periodic overture that highlights the essential themes and content of this speech-letter. The subsequent examination of Galatians shows the relevance of the Risen Crucified Christ for understanding Galatians and Paul''s theology as a whole. An appendix provides examples of periodic overtures in the works of Homer Demtrius Seneca et al.