February 10, 2012
Rhetoric
According to Webster’s one of the definitions for rhetoric is, “the study of writing or speaking as a means
of communication or persuasion.” On the political landscape there are plenty
of examples of rhetoric as candidates use their words to persuade voters. Preachers too are said to use rhetoric in their sermon as they present
the Sunday message. I find these modern day examples interesting and in stark
contrast to Paul’s manner of communication. “My
message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a
demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not
rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power.” (1 Cor 2:4-5 NIV)
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1 comment:
Gail;
-----I rather like the definition you found for “rhetoric”. Persuasion is a very important concept. Ask the father trying to persuade his son to give up drugs, or his daughter to return to virtue and find a good husband. Ask the voter trying to persuade the politician to stop borrowing from China and sprinkling it around as entitlements, feeding the pigs. I would even say rhetoric is important when properly used. Romans 4 through 11 have a certain rhetorical ring. II Corinthians 11 through 12 are definitely rhetorical. “Look out for the dogs, look out for the evil-workers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh,” (Philippians 3:2) is unavoidably rhetorical, and effective. Yet their message is entirely proper and true. Rhetoric is the art and skill of effective communication, and the mere existence of language indicates the necessity of communication. Then if communication be necessary, so too must rhetoric.
-----Rhetoric gets its bad rap because “effective” serves mischief as well as it does righteousness. It was not mischief Paul spread to the Corinthians, but it was the righteousness of new life with Jesus Christ. He was speaking of what he was living, so he did not need many words. His actions spoke first. Those about whom he warned, though, were speaking a righteousness through law which turns only to mischief when lived in action. (You better stay righteous or we’ll stone you! Great message! Or cut your head off, as the Koran would rather.) Therefore they could not live their message amongst the Corinthians; it shows too much. They had only words for communicating, verbal stunts, conceptual twists. Unfortunately, when deceitful words make effective persuasion, they are also called rhetoric. I’d rather they be called what they are: deceit. -----But then, to say one person is using rhetoric while another is using deceit would require us to make a judgment. We’ve been brow-beaten into surrendering all good judgment to the near loss of our very sanity. Recollect the politicians we continue re-electing who pass to the unproductive what they borrow from China upon the promise of repaying by what they can take from the productive. And we count judgment as a bad thing!? The Word of God tells us to judge carefully for good reason, to discern, to think and be sober. Our very way of life depends upon it. And unless we want to live the good life as hermits hiding from a disgusting sea of filth and immorality, we should apply some rhetoric with our actions as well to effect a return to the cultural honor for the righteousness which our norms have abandoned.
Love you all,
Steve Corey
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