Reading Romans as a Diatribe - Changwon Song Gebunden

This book illustrates how the macro-structure of the «body» of Romans essentially follows that of the diatribes in Epictetus's Discourses. As in Discourses the diatribe in Romans begins with the thesis (1.16-17) then follows an indictment (1.18-32) and dialogues with a fictitious second-person singular in chapter two. Arguments with the m genoito formula dominate the middle part of the diatribe. In the middle of chapter eleven the phase changes back to dialogues with the second-person singular. The ending of the diatribe Romans also like Discourses includes cynic and hyperbolic statements (14.21 and 14.23). Thus the «body» of Romans should not be read as a real letter but as a diatribe that was distributed in Paul's schoolroom and later appropriated as a letter. This teaching was not directed to a specific group of people viz. the Christians in Rome but rather intrinsically universalized. Therefore its message is intrinsically more powerful for us.