Ekphrasis, Vision, and Persuasion in the Book of Revelation

Bibliographic Data

ID24039259
AuthorsRobyn Whitaker (New Brunswick Theological Seminary, corresponding author), Robyn J Whitaker
Year2015
Volume410
Pages286
Publication date2015-01-01
Open AccessNo
TypeBOOK
VenueEkphrasis, Vision, and Persuasion in the Book of Revelation (SOURCE_BOOK)
PublisherMohr Siebeck (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1628/978-3-16-154008-0
OpenAlexW2340912664
ISBN9783161540080, 9783161539787
Open LibraryOL28412560M
LanguageEN
Citations received9

Robyn J. Whitaker demonstrates how a rhetorical analysis of the visions of God in the Book of Revelation reveals the persuasive role of the visions of God and the Lamb in John's argument against cultic images and worship. Through the rhetorical technique of ekphrasis, the author adapts his Jewish sources to make present a God who is perceived to be spatially or temporally absent. In doing so, he offers a verbal-visual image that seeks to combat the power of imperial cult images. Locating the text in its religious and rhetorical context, Robyn J. Whitaker argues that the author participates in an ongoing debate over whether writers or sculptors (artists) could best represent the gods; that is, whether God is best represented by words or images. John ultimately mounts an argument for the epiphanic power of words and of his text in particular as a way to encounter divine presence and, moreover, to facilitate worship of the divine.

Art · Greek Rhetoric · imperial cult · Kaiserkult · Literature · New Testament · Persuasion · Revelation · Theology · Archaeology and Historical Studies · Biblical Studies and Interpretation · Historical and Linguistic Studies · Philosophy · Psychology · Social Psychology · Bibel · Bibeln · Bible · Bible, criticism, interpretation, etc · Commentaries · Criticism, interpretation · Ekphrasis · Openbaring van Johannes (bijbelboek) · Retorica · Rhetoric · Rhetorik · Stijlfiguren

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