Podcast Summary: "Sarcasm in Paul's Letters" – New Books Network Interview with Matthew Pollock

Episode Date: December 28, 2025
Host: David (New Books Network)
Guest: Dr. Matthew Pollock, author of Sarcasm in Paul's Letters (Cambridge UP, 2023)

Overview

This episode delves into Dr. Matthew Pollock's groundbreaking scholarly work on the use of sarcasm in the letters of Paul found in the New Testament. The discussion explores the origins, definitions, and scholarly approaches to sarcasm and irony in the ancient world, key differences between ancient and modern understandings, and their implications for biblical studies—particularly regarding Pauline authorship and rhetorical strategies.

Guest Background and Motivation

[02:14–03:24]

• Pollock’s interest began during his master’s studies when he noticed repeated instances of sarcasm in 2 Corinthians and realized the topic was academically unexplored.
• His research evolved from a master’s project to a PhD dissertation, and finally this book.
• "It turned into a master's project, which got bigger and turned into a PhD project, which eventually turned into a book. So it's been a long time coming, but it's been a really interesting research project."
  — Matthew Pollock [02:28]

Theoretical and Historical Foundations of Irony and Sarcasm

Defining Irony: Ancient Greek Perspectives

[04:50–07:36]

• The Greek term eironeia changed meaning over time:
  • Aristophanes: "Concealing by feigning"—essentially lying to avoid responsibility.
  • Plato: Similar deception or insult.
  • Aristotle: Recast as self-deprecation (more positive than earlier, but still a negative quality).
  • Later rhetoricians: Eironeia evolves to mean saying one thing but meaning its opposite, a parent of modern sarcasm.
• Notable scholar: Melissa Lane's research on eironeia (Pollock credits Lane frequently).
• "So by the time we get to Paul, irony is this more rhetorical meaning of saying one thing meaning something different. And sarcasm is one species of that."
  — Matthew Pollock [07:28]

Rhetorical Shift – From Playful Concealment to Verbal Weapon

[07:36–09:22]

• Through generations, the term's focus shifted, evident in authors like Quintilian, where irony could mean both a figure (literary device) and a trope (rhetorical tool).
• The documentary record is piecemeal, making the precise moment and reason for the conceptual break hard to establish.

Modern Scholarship: The “Quests” for Irony in Paul

[09:22–12:30]

• Pollock humorously dubs the evolution of irony research in biblical studies the “first quest” and “second quest.”
• First quest: Relied on older monographs (Kierkegaard, Wayne Booth, Muecke), with a semantic approach (focus on meaning).
• Second quest: Embraces pragmatic approaches—shift to understanding irony and sarcasm by their evaluative function (compliment, criticism) rather than strictly literal meanings.
• “...the big shift is from semantics…to pragmatics, which has more to do with evaluation than meaning.”
  — Matthew Pollock [11:57]

Application to Pauline Scholarship

Pragmatic Irony: Example and Implications

[12:30–15:30]

• Pollock’s "parable of the disgruntled undergraduate" illustrates sarcastic criticism even when statements are factually true.
• In Romans 11:19–20, Paul’s use of the Greek "kalos" (“good”/“well”) often misread as sincerity is, Pollock argues, quintessential sarcasm, targeting arrogance rather than doctrine.
• "Paul can criticize the arrogance behind someone...without saying that this theologically important statement is actually wrong."
  — Matthew Pollock [14:35]

Sarcasm as a Mark of Authentic Pauline Letters

[16:30–19:39]

• The “Lucky Seven” (undisputed authentic Pauline letters) feature most of Paul’s sarcasm; the pastorals and other contested letters do not.
• “...almost all of Paul's sarcasm is in these Lucky Seven undisputed letters. Otherwise, I didn't find any in the pastoral letters...”
  — Matthew Pollock [17:40]
• Pollock cautions against using this as strong evidence for authorship—it’s suggestive but not definitive.

Case Studies: Sarcasm in Action

Galatians 1:6–7 – The Ironic Rebuke

[19:43–23:01]

• Unlike typical ancient letters, Paul in Galatians skips polite openings and moves straight to rebuke.
• The Greek "thaumazō" (“I marvel/am amazed”) can be positive or negative—here, Pollock argues, it’s sarcastic.
• Paul’s tone: "Wow, I'm so amazed at how quickly you turned away," meant as scorn, not genuine amazement.
• "If Paul is saying, oh yeah, I'm so amazed that you've so quickly turned away from your calling to pursue another gospel, like he's sarcastically saying, wow, I'm, you know, I'm impressed how quickly you were able to do this."
  — Matthew Pollock [21:12]

Sarcasm in Ancient Letters and the Everyday

[23:01–24:58]

• Sarcasm is rare in extant ancient letters simply due to brevity and purpose, but Pollock provides a humorous example: a Greek father’s sarcastic letter to his son.
• Everyday conversation likely hosted more sarcasm, but most ancient letters are too formal or utilitarian for much wit.

Rhetorical Education or Natural Wit?

[24:58–27:46]

• Debate persists about Paul’s rhetorical education; sarcasm likely reflects both spontaneous and learned rhetorical skills.
• "There's nothing in Paul's use of sarcasm that says he must have had a rhetorical education..."
• Sarcasm can be natural, akin to an instinctive tennis swing; intentional study is not required.

Future Directions and Implications

[27:46–29:43]

• Pollock sees opportunities to:
  • Expand into other forms of irony and mockery.
  • Study self-deprecating irony (asteismos).
  • Launch a large-scale project on ancient humor and its role in early Christianity.
• "If I in five years time have my choice of project, I would really love to do just a really big study on humor in the ancient world and early Christianity."
  — Matthew Pollock [28:42]

Current and Upcoming Projects

[29:43–31:02]

• At Luxembourg School of Religion and Society, Pollock now leads a multidisciplinary research network on "Trust and Society," exploring trust in religion, science, and broader social challenges.
• Personally, he is researching trust relationships in early Christianity.

Memorable Quotes

• On his research process:
  "It was a very, very new kind of field." — Matthew Pollock [03:15]

• On ancient irony:
  "Irony, the Greek term eironeia, starts out...as meaning something like...concealing by feigning...and this changes over time." — Matthew Pollock [05:20]

• On pragmatic irony:
  “You can be sarcastic without actually saying something factually untrue…” — Matthew Pollock [13:02]

• On sarcasm in authentic Pauline letters:
  “It just kind of so happens that almost all of Paul's sarcasm is in these Lucky seven undisputed letters.” — Matthew Pollock [17:37]

Key Timestamps

• 02:14 — Guest's research origins
• 05:16 — Greek definitions of irony
• 09:22 — Biblical irony scholarship (the "quests")
• 12:44 — Modern pragmatic approaches
• 16:30 — Sarcasm’s role in "Lucky Seven" letters
• 20:08 — Galatians 1:6–7 case study
• 23:12 — Sarcasm in ancient letter writing
• 24:58 — Was Paul classically trained?
• 27:46 — Future research directions
• 29:56 — Current projects

Conclusion

Dr. Matthew Pollock’s work pioneers a focused, nuanced approach to identifying and understanding sarcasm in Paul’s letters, bridging classical philology and contemporary linguistic theory. His findings illuminate Paul’s distinctive rhetorical flair and open new explorations of irony, humor, and authenticity in biblical texts and the ancient cultural landscape.