Paul’s Anthropological Terms in the Light of Discourse Analysis

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Scholars generally apply the New Testament Greek terms soma ‘body’, pneuma ‘spirit’, psyche ‘soul’, and kardia ‘heart’ to the individual. But what is Paul is referring to with these terms? Dr Chen explores the whole picture. He illustrates that these terms carry social and corporate dimensions, focusing on community or communal unity, thus emphasising the place of the human person within the ecclesial community.

Chen’s helpful contribution to our understanding of Paul continues in the growing tradition of Moises Silva, David Black, Stanley Porter, Joel Green, and others, using discourse linguistic principles to refine our understanding of biblical texts. His integrated investigation of the semantic, syntactic, and pragmatic features of Paul’s anthropological terms in the context of the entire epistles in which they are used rightly challenges us to rethink all that Paul is referring to with these terms–which in turn will challenge us to rethink Paul’s understanding of the Church and, indeed, of the entire Gospel message.

Dr Sunny Chen (PhD, University of Divinity, Melbourne, Australia) currently teaches New Testament Greek at Pilgrim Theological College, Melbourne. He is the Chaplaincy Coordinator at The University of Melbourne, and an Honorary Researcher at the University of Divinity.