Family metaphorics: a rhetorical tool in the epistle of 1 John

Abstract

This article examines how the author of the First Epistle of John uses family metaphorics rhetorically to convince his adherents of their identity as Christians, and to persuade them towards certain conduct in relation to their identity. He employs a network of metaphors to describe the character of this community life, which was familiar to the people of the first century Mediterranean world. These metaphors have been used in conjunction with various rhetorical devices. This article commences with a discussion of what family metaphorics is, followed by a discussion of the use of familial images in rhetoric. The gist of the article concerns an application of “family dynamics” in the discourse of “metaphor” and “rhetoric”.