punctuation - how much more—question or statement?



Since this, how much more another[.|?]



I would have used a question mark to end that sentence; however, I've seen two different, recent authors end it with a period. Is this type of sentence a question or a statement?


I'm assuming that from the answer to this question, the punctuation flows simply, that there are no hidden rules for punctuation in this case.



Examples that prompted this question:



"Since this principle is true of the OT Scriptures written before the end of the ages has come, how much more is it true of the NT Scriptrues written in the period of the end of the ages in which we today and they who originally received it both live."
(George W. Knight III, "The Scriptures Were Written for Our Instruction," Journal of the Evanglical Theological Society 39, no. 1 [1996]: 12)


"Now if people normally take the validity of the communication process for granted in regard to daily human discourse, how much more plausible is the notion that the infinite, personal God can communicate literal truth verbally or propositionally."
(Robert L. Reymond, A New Systematic Theology of the Christian Faith, 2nd ed. [Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1998], 20)




Answer



It's contextual, and in the context you gave, the lack of a question mark indicates that the author is asking a rhetorical question.


To further support this, here are links to style guides from several universities saying to use a period for a rhetorical question: Illinois, Arkansas, Lewis,Old Dominion.


The style guide I use suggests that this is poor grammar, but, if the author went to any of those universities he would have learned to punctuate this way.


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