THE RHETORIC OF HOMILETICS:
PREACHING, PERSUASION, AND THE CAPPADOCIAN FATHERS
A Ph.D Dissertation
CATHERINE LORELEI RILEY
Texas A & M University
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
ABSTRACT ....................................................................................................................... ii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................. iii
NOMENCLATURE ........................................................................................................... v
TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................. vii
CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................... 1
Rhetoric and Christianity ............................................................................................ 7
Methodology ............................................................................................................ 13
Contributions ............................................................................................................ 21
Arrangement of the Dissertation .............................................................................. 23
CHAPTER II CHRISTIANITY, CAPPADOCIA, AND THE CAPPADOCIAN
FATHERS ........................................................................................................................ 26
Early Christianity ..................................................................................................... 28
Cappadocia ............................................................................................................... 41
The Cappadocian Fathers ......................................................................................... 49
CHAPTER III OF PEER PERSONAS: RHETORICAL SELFREPRESENTATIONS OF PREACHERS....................................................................... 65
The Preacher Persona ............................................................................................... 70
The Cappadocians¡¯ Personas .................................................................................... 83
Rhetorical Implications .......................................................................................... 151
CHAPTER IV WHEN PROPHETS BECOME PREACHERS: SAINT BASIL AND
THE EVOLUTION OF A CHRISTIAN JEREMIAD ................................................... 171
Converging Rhetorical Traditions .......................................................................... 175
The Ethos of a (Prophetic) Presbyter ..................................................................... 182
Prophetic Form in a Christian Homily ................................................................... 189
Conclusion .............................................................................................................. 202
CHAPTER V CONCLUSION ....................................................................................... 207
DEDICATION...................................................................................................................iv
viii
APPENDIX A HOMILIES INCLUDED IN DISSERTATION .................................... 241
APPENDIX B LISTS OF TRANSLATIONS ............................................................... 246
WORKS CITED ............................................................................................................. 214