ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book is about the role of authoritative rhetoric in Christian thought, particularly Protestantism. It argues that this role can hardly be overstated; that a rhetorical performance of authority is what Protestant Christianity essentially is. The case for the relevance of authoritative rhetoric to Christian theology surely need not be made. The book shows how authoritative speech is at the root of the Semitic apprehension of God, and briefly inquires into the anthropological origins of this religious conception. It consists in theoretical reflection into the concepts of rhetoric and authority as they relate to author's theme. The book continues author's chronological reading of Christian thought. It is predominantly concerned with Augustine, whose writings anticipate some basic Protestant concerns. The book discusses Kierkegaard's response to the Enlightenment-based theology of his day, which is a new understanding, and presentation, of the Christian rhetoric of authority.
