3 IS VERBAL ASPECT A PROMINENCE INDICATOR? AN EVALUATION OF STANLEY PORTER’S PROPOSAL WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE GOSPEL OF LUKE JODY A. BARNARD The purpose of this article is to evaluate Stanley Porter’s theory of aspectual prominence. According to Porter the three verbal aspects of the Greek language (perfective, imperfective and stative) operate at a discourse level to indicate prominence (background, foreground and frontground). This theory will be tested against the points of emphasis and climactic junctures evident in a selection of Luke’s miracle and pronouncement stories. 1. Introduction The application of modern linguistics to the Greek of the New Testa- ment has led to a major re-evaluation of traditional categories for unders- tanding the Greek verb. One of the most controversial contributors to this process is Stanley Porter and his aspectual approach. His suggestion that the Greek verbal system does not express absolute temporal distinc- tions even in the indicative mood has received considerable attention. But his proposal concerning the discourse function of verbal aspect as a prominence indicator has been relatively neglected. Therefore, this study will attempt to engage with this particular aspect of Porter’s theory and evaluate the possibility that prominence is a factor in the appropriation of verbal aspect in Luke’s Gospel. 1.1. Prominence Prominence, by definition, is the state of being prominent, conspicuo- us or contextually climactic. Every narrative leads to a climax or peak and since “the identification of the peak is vital to the appreciation of the narrative; it is not surprising, therefore, to find that the peak of a narra- tive is often explicitly marked”1. Prominence may also operate at the level P. Cotterell and M. Turner, Linguistics and Biblical Interpretation (Downers Grove, 1 Illinois 1989) 244-5; cf. S.H. Levinsohn, Discourse Features of New Testament Greek (Dallas 2000) 197. Filología Neotestamentaria - Vol. XIX - 2006, pp. 3-29 Facultad de Filosofía y Letras - Universidad de Córdoba (España)