Elenctics, in

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion, which states that Jesus in Christianity, Jesus is the Son of God (Christianity), Son of God and Resurrection of Jesus, rose from the dead after his Crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion, whose ...

, is a division of

practical theology Practical theology is an academic discipline that examines and reflects on religious practices in order to understand the theology enacted in those practices and in order to consider how theological theory and theological practices can be more full ...

concerned with persuading people of other faiths (or no faith) of the truth of the

Gospel Gospel originally meant the Christianity, Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the second century Anno domino, AD the term (, from which the English word originated as a calque) came to be used also for the books in which the message w ...

message, with an end to producing in them an awareness of, and sense of guilt for, their

sin In religious context, sin is a transgression against divine law or a law of the deities. Each culture has its own interpretation of what it means to commit a sin. While sins are generally considered actions, any thought, word, or act considered ...

s, a recognition of their need for God's forgiveness,

repentance Repentance is reviewing one's actions and feeling contrition or regret for past or present wrongdoings, which is accompanied by commitment to and actual actions that show and prove a change for the better. In modern times, it is generally seen ...

(''i.e.'' the disposition to turn away from their sin) and faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. Johan Herman Bavinck (1964:221) explains that:

The term "elenctic" is derived from the Greek verb ''elengchein''. In Homer the verb has the meaning of "to bring to shame." it is connected with the word ''elengchos'' that signifies shame. In later
Attic Greek Attic Greek is the Greek language, Greek dialect of the regions of ancient Greece, ancient region of Attica, including the ''polis'' of classical Athens, Athens. Often called Classical Greek, it was the prestige (sociolinguistics), prestige diale ...
the significance of the term underwent a certain change so that the emphasis fell more upon the conviction of guilt, the demonstration of guilt. It is this latter significance that it has in the
New Testament The New Testament (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus, as well as events relating to Christianity in the 1st century, first-century Christianit ...
. Its meaning is entirely ethical and religious.

Perhaps the most famous example of specifically elenctic literature in the history of Christianity is St. Thomas Aquinas' great work, '' Summa Contra Gentiles''.

References

* Bavinck, Johan Herman. 1964. ''An Introduction to the Science of Missions''. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: The Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Company.

See also

References

Further reading