Rhetoric to the Glory of God
The Christian speaker speaks unto God’s glory. His task is not simply to relay information; he is not simply sharing words with those who will listen to him. Instead, he is hoping to invoke a meaningful response from his listeners. This applies especially to the preacher, who has the “words of eternal life” (Jn. 6:68). “Life and death are in the power of the preacher’s tongue,” explained J. C. Ryle.[1] How is the Christian speaker...
Rhetoric: The Christian Speaker and Non-verbal Communication
For the preacher, teacher, or leader, speaking well in public is vital. Of course, public speaking is verbal, but it’s also non-verbal. In fact, the majority of public speaking is non-verbal. Albert Mehrabian states, “Only 7 percent of a speaker’s message comes through his words; 38 percent springs from his voice; 55 percent comes from his facial expressions.”[1] Thus, the Christian speaker must concern himself not simply with what he...
Cultivating Mission
by Matthew McAffee and Matthew Steven Bracey The mission of Welch College is to educate leaders to serve Christ, His church, and His world through biblical thought and life. Our institution has faithfully executed this mission now for seventy-five years. The names, faces, and location have all changed considerably since L. C. Johnson initiated this project in Free Will Baptist higher education in 1942, but the mission has not. This...
Taking Your Christian Worldview to the Movies: Analyzing Content (Part III/III)
This article concludes a three-part series on taking your Christian worldview to the movies. See also parts one and two. The subject of this article is how we analyze content. Introducing Content Content means the “things contained.” In a movie, it’s its main message. Using dialogue as an example, content refers to what the characters say and what their words mean means, whereas form refers to how they say them. “Technical excellence...
Taking Your Christian Worldview to the Movies: Analyzing Form (Part II/III)
In last week’s article, we reviewed several theological foundations for taking your Christian worldview to the movies. We turn now to how we should use the Christian worldview in our analysis of a film’s form. Going to the Movies Going to the theater is a serious business. First things first: Get there early. The hustle and bustle of trying, at the last minute, to purchase your ticket, drink, and popcorn is just no fun, not to mention...
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