Date
6-26-2025
Department
Rawlings School of Divinity
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Bible Exposition (PhD)
Chair
Rusty Small
Keywords
Luke, irony, christology, kingdom of God, eiron, alazon, charismatic pneumatology.
Disciplines
Christianity | Rhetoric and Composition
Recommended Citation
Boulware, Todd, "Irony in Luke's Gospel: Christological Revelation, God's Superior Kingdom, and a Charismatic Theology of the Spirit" (2025). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 7146.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/7146
Abstract
This dissertation considers Luke’s use of irony as a strategy of theological significance—a topic not often thoroughly analyzed throughout the history of Lukan scholarship even though many scholars have noted Luke’s narrative artistry. Prior inquiries have acknowledged Luke’s use of irony and other figures of speech, but comprehensive analysis of irony as a theological motif remains largely unaddressed. This is striking since Luke uses irony throughout, starting in Luke 1 and continuing through Luke 24. In this study, narrative and rhetorical critical analysis of the Third Gospel demonstrates that Luke uses the device of irony strategically for his primary theological purposes.
The first major claim is that Luke employs irony Christologically. Irony is leveraged in Luke’s use of the title κύριος to heighten the association between Jesus and יהוה. Luke also uses six laments—cries of despair directed toward Jesus (8:22-25; 18:35-43; 23:39-43) as well as laments from Jesus to YHWH (13:34-35; 22:39-46; 23:46)—as he draws upon clear Old Testament lament references to associate Jesus with YHWH. His use of paradoxical irony in these Lukan laments provides a unique contribution to develop Luke’s Christological intentions. Additionally, since Luke is a historical-theological narrative, Luke offers unique portraits of the main figure, Jesus Christ, employing irony to heighten the Christology present in a variety of episodes. The second claim is eschatological. Irony is used to prove God’s kingdom is superior to Rome, the institutional religious system, and the realm of Satan. The final claim is pneumatological. Luke reveals that ironic figures are recipients of divine favor in Luke. The ironic figures in the Third Gospel foreshadow the surprise that ironic figures will be the recipients of the Spirit in Acts. In summary, findings support that Luke’s use of irony clarifies and enhances his primary Christological, eschatological, and pneumatological intentions.
