In praise of bad prose: Reading Pauline style in the Reformation

Abstract

This essay explores the process of defining and assessing Saint Paul's prose style in the Reformation. I demonstrate that, in their efforts to develop a coherent profile of Pauline style, biblical humanists follow a pattern of critical response in which they identify grammatical and rhetorical flaws in Paul's prose and inscribe them with positive effects, particularly power, speed, and profundity. After highlighting the prominence of a set of difficult formal features in discussions of Paul's style and examining the influence of these features over a passage from 2 Corinthians, I consider the different arguments, metaphors, and images that biblical humanists use to justify their rhetorical integrity and defend their aesthetic quality. Broadly speaking, humanist efforts to transform Paul's stylistic weaknesses into strengths reflects a common critical desire to protect Paul's credibility as a sacred author, and to assure Christian readers of the coherence and authority of his texts.