Chiasmus: Methodology

George Blaisdell maqhth at hotmail.com
Tue Mar 2 12:49:07 EST 1999




>From: Jonathan Robie 
>
>I think it's important to consider other possibilities as well:
>
>o	Is there a chiastic structure with a logical center?
>o	Is there parallelism?
>o	Is there a progression in time?
>o	Is there a progression in space?

AMHN to that!!  And I DO tend to get off on a tangent when     learning 
something new!

>This appendix seems to suggest that parallels automatically      >imply 
chiasm.

It kinda does ~ Yet that is NOT the thesis of the book at all, for he 
carefully distinguishes chiasm proper from parallels and other similars, 
in reference to the central core term [or theme or idea] that is 1, in 
the center of parallel [or concentric] structures, 2, explains them, and 
3, is what they are about.

Greek syntax does seem to work from centers, and has great structural 
density.  The opening of John, for instance, is a doubled parallel 
structure:

A  EN ARCH HN hO LOGOS
  B  KAI hO LOGOS HN PROS TON QEON
  B' KAI QEOS HN hO LOGOS
A' hOUTOS HN EN ARCH PROS TON QEON

And enclosed within this, of course, is the noun/pronoun structure

A  ARCH
  B  LOGOS
    C  QEON
    C' QEOS
  B' hOUTOS [qeos-logos] 
A' ARCH
QEON

That 'left over QEON' seems to be a syntax key here, but I have not been 
able to figure out which lock it opens.

So this double parallel structure would probably not qualify as a 
chiasm??  Yet in the symbolic imagery of the creative dissonance betweem 
C and C', [and their relationship], the thematic tone of the entire 
gospel would seem to be set forth.  Such is the power of this centered 
form of thought and its expression.
 
>Yours in the ongoing struggle against Procrustean interpretation,

Ah ~ But you wax poetic...  :-)

One additional note that comes to mind here is the FORM in which the mss 
are written ~ No paragraphs, pagination, separation of words, etc.  IF 
the chiasm is the organizational principle at work, such later forms of 
writing would seem to be antithetical to it.  Chiastic thought would 
seem to REQUIRE the mss format...

George


George Blaisdell
Roslyn, WA


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