DR. Duane Litfin’s work “Paul’s Theology of Proclamation” was the work of his doctoral Dissertation. Through this book, the Dr. exposes the differences between Paul’s method of teaching and the Rhetoricians’ of the first century Greco-Roman by taking into consideration 1 Corinthians 1-4. The first part of his book is considered as an introduction to the Greco-Roman Rhetoric. Despite of that, Litfin clearly does not make use of any “wearisome minutia” which is common in introductions to rhetoric. In his introduction, Litfin’s view of rhetoric is different from others’ in the sense that he does not consider it as a technic of manipulation and ornament. Despite the negative impact some rhetorician orators have on the church in Corinth and because
of its pervasiveness, the Apostle Paul could not avoid using it. Considering the History of rhetoric from Socrates to the second movement of the Sophists, Litfin concludes that the goal of rhetoric was persuasion in order to bring listeners to belief by grasping the essential of psychology. Chapter 3-5 put emphasis on the power of rhetoric, its importance in the Greco-Roman society and places the audience as the judge of the orators. The reason behind it is because they were experienced listeners and could, as a matter of fact, critique any orator (The Appraisal of Rhetoric, Ch. 6). The contrast between hazard and rewards of rhetoric makes the essential of chapter 7. In the second part of this book, Litfin applies the principles of rhetoric to 1 Corinthians 1-4 because of course, according to him, it is the only place where one can find the use of a “theology of preaching” in Paul’s writing due to the fact rhetoric was too pervasive in the first century.
In Jay Heinrichs, “Thank You for Arguing”, the Eddie Haskell Ploy was a rhetorical virtue that stuck out and closely connected to me. When unsure if you will win an argument, the Eddie Haskell Ploy explains, “…preempt your opponent by taking his side” (Heinrichs 65). This not only makes you look like you knew what you were doing all along, but it makes the opposing side respect you more and leave them feeling more cared about and confident in their side. For example, after Jay Heinrich’s daughter used this sly ploy, he stated, “Even though I saw through the ruse, I admired it. Her virtue went way up in my eyes” (Heinrichs 64). This ploy is a classic move that my siblings and I would always pull on our parents. For instance, when I knew asking
In Aristotelian times logos, ethos, pathos, kairos, and telos were used to explain rhetoric functions. These rhetoric modes were used in a variety of different ways to describe speeches and plays. I will be using these modes to evaluate the movie Of Mice and Men, a movie about two men who travel together yet always seem to be getting into trouble because one of the men’s lack of common sense and intelligence.
The question of what is rhetoric and what does it do has been a question since stories were even being recorded. However, now there are multiply different scholars who believe that they understand what rhetoric is and how to use it. For someone to use rhetoric correctly they must first have a definition of rhetoric that either they have made to fit themselves or they find a previous definition that suits them. In order for me to become an improved rhetor and be able to rhetorical discuss and evaluate pieces of literature or speeches like General Douglas MacArthur’s Farewell address, I must first define rhetoric in how I understand it. Rhetoric is the art of persuasive speaking aimed to sway your audience in a direction that has been chosen by the rhetor. The way in which a citizen uses rhetoric can change over time. The need to argue the same problem is invalid so the need to use the same rhetorical situations is invalid. You can use rhetoric in a multitude of different areas within our life however; we must choose to use it for good or for evil. In order for rhetoric to still be used in speech today one of two things must be true. There must either be a Truth in life and rhetoric or the more likely choice, that rhetoric changes throughout time and situations. You are not trying to change someone’s mind about something however; you are trying to convince them that you are also correct. I will be using multiple pieces of works that are defining rhetoric to support my definition and finish by evaluating General Douglas MacArthur’s Farewell Address using my definition of rhetoric.
Despite the descriptive commentary Heinrichs does throughout the whole book, he presents us with adequate information to sustain an argument valid and credible. The book is divided by lessons, which are separated by different sections with main rhetorical tools. This book is excellent for a college history course because it covers the right amount of information on how to refer to the audience and maintain an argument under proper rhetoric. It teaches us all there is to know about rhetoric under Heinrichs view. We know that his information is credible because he uses ancient philosophers as references for the book and provides us with theories of the philosophers themselves. Also, he keeps us interested in the book by stating his own experiences and demonstrating that rhetoric can be used at anytime and day when being used
Cicero’s oration in defense of M. Caelius Rufus shows many substantive and stylistic borrowings from the Roman Theater, particularly the comedies of the 2nd century b.c.e. This would scarcely seem remarkable to Cicero, to employ such devices is only to make use of the tools of his trade, as a practical and practicing rhetorician. In this case using the theater as a framing device to guide his audience’s response.
Riggsby, A. M. (n.d.). Cicero Texts. Retrieved March 13, 2011, from University of Texas Classics Department: http://www.utexas.edu/depts/classics/documents/Cic.html
Within chapter nine, Horsley presents a picture of the socio-economic landscape in which the emergent church was situated. Specifically, he focuses on Philippi, Thessalonica, and Corinth to point to the overarching economic realities of the Ancient Greek world within the Hellenistic period. Through his analysis, we get a greater understanding of the realities of the early church and the overarching mission that Paul and his colleagues were attempting to accomplish.
The relationship between rhetoric and truth is a highly conflicted topic. Two philosophers that discuss this topic are Plato and Nietzsche. Plato argues that rhetoric is merely a useful craft that deals only in the subjective and material world rather than in the pursuit of true knowledge. Nietzsche, on the other hand, argues that absolute truths are unobtainable since individuals are incapable of being completely objective, thereby rendering the debate between rhetoric and truth meaningless. Although both are valid points of view, Nietzsche’s argument appears to hold more weight insofar as it seems to solve the debate between rhetoric and truth by eliminating absolute truth altogether.
The column by Nicholas Kristof informs readers about the horrid events occurring against the Rohingya Muslim minority in Myanmar. Kristof includes several direct quotes from people who have been forced to flee Myanmar. He incorporates the rhetorical appeal pathos by describing the merciless soldiers oppressing the minority. “‘They’re killing children”’ the columnist includes accounts of children under 10 being beheaded and infants being thrown in the rivers to drown. These actions of the majority group appeals to ethos and pathos of the audience filling readers with anger over the graphic descriptions of innocent children being murdered ruthlessly.
An awareness of the historical-cultural background of Paul’s letter to Philemon will aid in interpretation of the text. The information gleamed should allow for a greater contextual appreciation. With this knowledge in hand, the reader can grasp a deeper understanding of the theological teachings of the book of Philemon.
Rhetoric is the art of effective speaking or writing, and persuasion. Most people use rhetoric numerous of times in their everyday life without their concern or knowing.
Paul the Apostle is the central figure in many New Testament writings. Many historians have attributed fourteen New Testament letters to Paul’s writing; seven of these letters are uncontested meaning historians are sure that Paul wrote them, the remaining seven are contested. Paul was not always a Christian; in fact, he persecuted Christians before Christ came and temporarily blinded him. Upon seeing Christ, Paul devoted his life to Christianity and set out to spread the teachings of Christ. Scholars often credit Paul’s leadership to the ability of the Church to become Hellenistic in one generation. Paul also answered specific worries and questions that his converters may have had in many of his writings; one of these writings is 1 Corinthians. In 1 Corinthians, Paul set out to deal with the many believers in Corinth who are divided into the followings of Paul or Apollos rather than Christianity as a whole. The converts of Paul in 1 Corinthians 12-14 were divided during times of worship because of jealousy invoked by the spiritual gifts received from the “Spirit”; the worships and the church became a place to boast who is closest to God, instead of a place of worship, interpretation, and love. In 1 Corinthians 14:26-33, Paul set guidelines in times of worship to heal the divide among his converts present in 1 Corinthians 12-14.
Aristotle. On Rhetoric. The Rhetorical Tradition: Readings from Classical Times to the Present. 2nd ed. Ed. Trans. Patricia Bizzell & Bruce Herzberg. New York: Bedford/St. Martins, 2001. Book I, Chapter V. Print.
I enjoyed Dr. Reger’s presentation regarding artificial intelligence. Giving background to AI, Reger noted that AI was a branch of computer science that attempts to create machines of intelligent behavior. AI formally started in 1956 at Dartmouth college by John McCarthy. I like how he made the distinction between artificial intelligence and machine learning, by stating that artificial intelligence was really “not that intelligent.” Reger stated that implementing machine learning over artificial intelligence is more beneficial and efficient as you can give feedback to how the machine is functioning; thus creating learning over time and creating a “smarter machine.” Importantly, machine learning is a subdivision of the broader topic of artificial
As the quarter progressed, these ten weeks into the course, writing 39C had taught me a lot about the true meaning of Rhetoric and Research. Earlier, in this course, I acknowledged that “Rhetoric” is the art of persuasion that is endeavored by the human beings to persuade individuals with their words. Moreover, as I acquired additional information about the research and rhetoric in this course, I also identified that rhetoric is always around us, but most of the time we do not happen to see it. We are always already in the rhetorical situation which we have used the rhetoric since the day we start living our first moment of our life. There is always someone who is trying to persuade us in some way. After few weeks of learning “what rhetoric