A number of biblical scholars and theologians have had interest in speech act theory ever since J.L. Austin (1911â1960) outlined how a speaker can perform actions with words. John R. Searle has made a significant contribution to speech act theory after Austin by rooting his philosophy of language in the philosophy of mind; however, Searleâs categories remain largely under or misrepresented in theological circles. In this book, the author works exclusively with Searleâs categories to examine five NT texts on the âblood-of-Christâ motif (Rom 3:25; Heb 9:12; John 6:52â59; Rev 1:5bâ6; Rev 7:13â14). The main result is a broader understanding of Christâs blood in a literal sense rather than simply as a metaphor for his death.
Lace Marie Williams-Tinajero, Ph.D. (2008) in Theology, Fuller Theological Seminary, has published on Christian unity in the Lord's Supper, and is currently researching how language shapes religious communities.
List of Tables
Acknowledgements
List of Abbreviations
Introduction
Chapter One. Understanding Searleâs Philosophies of Language and Mind
Introduction
Wittgenstein and Austin
WittgensteinâsTheory of Language
AustinâsTheory of Language
Performative Statements
The Performative-Constative Dichotomy
Illocutionary Acts and Illocutionary Force
AustinâsTheory about Direction of Fit
Searleâs Philosophies of Language andMind
Searle and the Philosophy of Language
A Taxonomy of Illocutionary Acts
Indirect Speech Acts and Metaphorical
Assertions
Performatives
Types of Speech Acts
Searle and the Philosophy of Mind
The Structure of Intentionality
Intentionality-with-a-t and Intensionality-with-an-s
Other ContributionsMade to Speech ActTheory
Grice
Bach and Harnish
Recanati
Motsch
Hornsby
Vanderveken
Moulin and Rousseau
Summary
Chapter Two. Speech ActTheory, Scripture, and Theology
Introduction
Emerging Interest in Austinâs Philosophy of Language
Michalson and Types of Statements
Evans and Self-Involvement
Funk and Language-Event
High, Robinson, Martinich, and McClendon and Smith
Thiselton and Philosophical Categories
Biblical Scholars andTheologians: Current Trends in Employing Speech ActTheory
Combining Several Speech Act Theories: Young and Botha
Young
Botha
God Speaking:Wolterstorff and Vanhoozer
Wolterstorff
Vanhoozer
A Hermeneutic of Self-Involvement: Neufeld, Thiselton, Briggs, and Adams
Neufeld
Thiselton
Briggs
Adams
Summary
ChapterThree. Single-Level Speech Acts:The Effects of Christâs Blood in Rom and Heb Introduction
Paul and Rom
Paul theWriter
Paulâs Illocutionary Act and Intentional States
Paulâs Assertive Act
Paulâs Belief andHope
Paulâs Intentional Action
Paulâs Metaphorical Assertion, Network, and
Background
PaulâsMetaphorical Assertion
contents ix
Paulâs Network
Paulâs Background
Paulâs Assessors at Rome
The Author of Hebrews and Heb
TheWriter of Hebrews
The Authorâs Illocutionary Act and Intentional States
The Authorâs Assertive Act
The Authorâs Belief andHope
The Authorâs Intentional Action
The Authorâs Metaphorical Assertion, Network, and
Background
The AuthorâsMetaphorical Assertion
The Authorâs Network and Background
The Hebrews as Assessors
Summary
Chapter Four. Multi-Level Speech Acts:The Effects of Christâs
Blood in John
Introduction
John, the Judeans, and Jesus in John
Johnâs Illocutionary Acts and Intentional States in
John
Johnâs Assertives
Johnâs Belief andHope
Johnâs Intentional Action
Johnâs Network and Background
The Judeansâ Illocutionary Act and Intentional (with
t) States and Johnâs Report and Intensional (with s)
States in John
The Judeansâ Question and Johnâs Report
The Judeansâ Intentional (with t) States of
Desire and Disbelief and Johnâs Intensional
(with s) State of Belief
The Judeansâ Intentional Action
The Judeansâ Network and Background
Jesusâ Illocutionary Acts and Intentional (with t)
States and Johnâs Report and Intensional (with s)
States in John
Jesusâ Direct Assertives and Johnâs Report
Jesusâ Intentional (with t) States of Belief and
Hope and Johnâs Intensional (with s) State of
Belief Jesusâ Indirect Directives and Intentional
State of Desire
Jesusâ Indirect Commissives and Intentional
State of Intention
Jesusâ Intentional Action
Jesusâ Metaphorical Assertion, Network, and
Background
The Judeans as Jesusâ Assessors
John and Rev John and the Elder in Rev
John and Rev
John as Godâs Slave, Prophet, and Seer
Johnâs Assertive and Expressive Acts
Johnâs Belief andHope
Johnâs Intentional Action
Johnâs Metaphorical Assertion, Network, and
Background
Johnâs Assessors, the Seven Churches in Asia
Minor
John and the Elder in Rev
Johnâs Illocutionary Acts and Intentional
The Elderâs Illocutionary Acts and
Intentional (with t) States and Johnâs Reports
and Intensional (with s) States in Rev
Summary
Chapter Five. Searleâs Philosophies and the Motif of Christâs Blood:
Some Proposals
General Observations
Summary and Synthesis:The Five Selected Texts on Christâs
Blood
Summary and Synthesis: Christâs Blood in the NT and NT
Theology
Appendix: References to Christâs Blood in the New Testament
(NRSV)
Benefits of Christâs Blood
Blood andWater of Jesus Christ
Jesus Sharing in Flesh and Blood
Miscellaneous References
Indirect or Ambiguous References
Appendix ï : General References to Blood in the New Testament
(NRSV)
Mortal Flesh and Blood
Blood andHealth-Related Concerns
Abstaining fromBlood
Blood, Animal Sacrifice, and Covenant
Blood, Killing, and Judgment
Miscellaneous References
Bibliography
Index of Authors and Subjects
Index of Scripture and Other Ancient Texts
All those interested in speech act theory and biblical interpretation, atonement theories, Judaism and the NT, and John R. Searleâs philosophies, as well as theologians and linguists.