'There was a time speech was my life'. Silence and self-reflection in Christian rhetoric.

Abstract

This paper explored the intersection between ascetic ideals of silence and the art of rhetoric in late antiquity, when classical rhetorical precepts were adapted for Christian use. It focused on the writings of some late antique ascetic bishops, such as Gregory Nazianzen (c.329 -389/390) and Gregory the Great (c.540-604), who gave advice on how to speak well, while (seemingly?) distancing themselves from the rhetorical training they had received in their youth. How were their ascetic ideals of silence and contemplation incorporated or translated into a new, Christian rhetorical ethics? Did the rhetoric they propagated still have a public and/or political function, or was it mainly a means to facilitate communication with God and explore the depths of one's inner self?