Any recommended readings on rhetoric (ancient or modern)? Cicero and Quintilian may be worth checking out, but I wanted to hear if you had any other resources!
Well, definitely those two. Plato’s Gorgias and Phaedrus should be read (Plato was critical of rhetoric) and Aristotle’s Rhetoric is a must. Augustine addresses Rhetoric periodically throughout his work at various points such as in On Christian Doctrine. Longinus’ On The Sublime is another one to check out. I would also suggest reading some great speeches by more modern guys like Martin Luther King Jr. and Abraham Lincoln. It’s fun to analyze great speeches to see why they are great. See also Elements of Style by Strunk and White and The Office of Assertion by Scott Crider.
And of course it was Saint Augustine (d. 430 AD) who is credited with bringing together the world of classical learning with Christianity. He had been trained as a master Rhetoric teacher. But after his conversion, he could convince the Christians that maybe the ancient authors did have something for them.
Eusebius before him also clearly had an appreciation for philosophy. I think many of the early church fathers did. Augustine, however, may have had the biggest influence on liberal learning and its acceptance among Christians in the early medieval period.
I loved this. So crazy on the timing that this article popped up on my feed. Just two days ago I was reading and saw some quotes discussing the rhetoric of theologians and philosophers. This made me realize I didnt understand what the word actually was. Your article summarized it perfectly. So thank you
One of the things we impress upon our students and families as classical educators is that our educations aren’t primarily about what we will do with them, rather it is about what our education will do with us.
Any recommended readings on rhetoric (ancient or modern)? Cicero and Quintilian may be worth checking out, but I wanted to hear if you had any other resources!
Well, definitely those two. Plato’s Gorgias and Phaedrus should be read (Plato was critical of rhetoric) and Aristotle’s Rhetoric is a must. Augustine addresses Rhetoric periodically throughout his work at various points such as in On Christian Doctrine. Longinus’ On The Sublime is another one to check out. I would also suggest reading some great speeches by more modern guys like Martin Luther King Jr. and Abraham Lincoln. It’s fun to analyze great speeches to see why they are great. See also Elements of Style by Strunk and White and The Office of Assertion by Scott Crider.
You should also check this out: https://a.co/d/9jqZTrn
Thanks!
Anytime.
And of course it was Saint Augustine (d. 430 AD) who is credited with bringing together the world of classical learning with Christianity. He had been trained as a master Rhetoric teacher. But after his conversion, he could convince the Christians that maybe the ancient authors did have something for them.
Eusebius before him also clearly had an appreciation for philosophy. I think many of the early church fathers did. Augustine, however, may have had the biggest influence on liberal learning and its acceptance among Christians in the early medieval period.
I loved this. So crazy on the timing that this article popped up on my feed. Just two days ago I was reading and saw some quotes discussing the rhetoric of theologians and philosophers. This made me realize I didnt understand what the word actually was. Your article summarized it perfectly. So thank you
These are pretty cool commentators that examine the New Testament from the perspective of rhetorical composition. You might find them fascinating.
https://a.co/d/c9n91Cc
Wow, thank you. 4.3 on Good reads is impressive. $45 is a lot though ($90 for hard cover😬). Hopefully my library has a copy
Might be able to find a used one for too.
Thanks brother. I think most of us never plan on speaking publicly, but if the time ever came it'd be nice to know what we're doing
One of the things we impress upon our students and families as classical educators is that our educations aren’t primarily about what we will do with them, rather it is about what our education will do with us.
Great summary!
Thanks!