Rhetorical Reading Plan
The word “praedictor” means something like an oratorical prophet or a prophetical orator rather than a fortune teller or even homilist. The English word “preacher” does not convey to our minds exactly what the medievals would have thought about when they heard the word.
While we admit there is an obvious difference between preaching and oratory, we often tend to dismiss the latter in favor of the former when it comes to ministry. This would seem idiotic to someone like St. John Henry Newman, who, as homilist, undoubtedly benefited from his classical education.
Now, Newman is not exactly our model preacher today. Audiences change; they use different words and prefer different (usually shorter) word arrangements. It is the responsibility of the preacher to understand this. However, there is much to learn from Newman, as well as there is much to learn from classical oratory (and its most recent practitioners).
We supply this list below in order to equip eventual friars with the ancient know-how. Any one of these books will do.
While we admit there is an obvious difference between preaching and oratory, we often tend to dismiss the latter in favor of the former when it comes to ministry. This would seem idiotic to someone like St. John Henry Newman, who, as homilist, undoubtedly benefited from his classical education.
Now, Newman is not exactly our model preacher today. Audiences change; they use different words and prefer different (usually shorter) word arrangements. It is the responsibility of the preacher to understand this. However, there is much to learn from Newman, as well as there is much to learn from classical oratory (and its most recent practitioners).
We supply this list below in order to equip eventual friars with the ancient know-how. Any one of these books will do.
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Stage 1
1. George A. Kennedy’s A New History of Classical Rhetoric George Kennedy's three volumes on classical rhetoric have long been regarded as authoritative treatments of the subject. This new volume, an extensive revision and abridgment, provides a comprehensive history of classical rhetoric, one that is sure to become a standard for its time. 2. Aristotle’s Rhetoric (specifically G. A. Kennedy’s commentary and translation) For Aristotle Rhetoric was an essential skill required by the nature of civic discourse. If we are to be political, engaged in the life of the world and our society, we must train ourselves in rhetoric, in the art of speech and persuasion. Aristotle and his work on Rhetoric still dominates the field and should be essential reading for us all as we learn to preach and to proclaim our values. Stage 2
1. Robert Wardy’s Birth of Rhetoric What is rhetoric? Is it the capacity to persuade? Or is it 'mere' rhetoric: the ability to get others to do what the speaker wants, regardless of what they want? This is the rhetoric of ideological manipulation and political seduction. Rhetoric is for some a distinctive mode of communication; for others, whenever someone speaks, rhetoric is present. This book is devoted to helping readers understand these rival accounts, and better engage with the rhetoricians of our day. 2. James Fredal’s The Enthymeme The Enthymeme reassesses a fundamental doctrine of rhetorical instruction, clarifies the viewpoints of the tradition, and presents a new form of rhetoric for further study and use. Fredal argues that the enthymeme, as it was originally understood and used, is a technique of storytelling, primarily forensic storytelling, aimed at eliciting from the audience an inference about a narrative. According to Fredal, narrative rather than formal logic is the seedbed of the enthymeme and of rhetoric more broadly. Stage 3
1. James Humes’s Speak Like Churchill, Stand Like Lincoln In order to be a leader in the Church and the world we must be able to express with clarity and precision our thoughts, values and ideas. The historian Humes highlights a few key figures and the rhetorical methods and strategies they employed. By studying these figures we can express ourselves with precision and in such a way that whatever the setting we can be effective and convincing. 2. Ted Widmer’s American Speeches Rhetoric and oratory are a part of the very fabric of our American republic. Former speech writer and historian Ted Widmer recognizes this and provides an analysis of speeches ranging from 1775 and the birth of our nation to the present-day. Stage 4
1. John Henry Newman’s Pastoral Sermons (Vol 1 at least is available for free online) While by our modern standards and conceptions, Newman's sermons may seem long-winded or dry, Newman must be recognized, in his time, as one of the foremost preachers of his day. A learned man, he was also incredibly sensitive to the needs of his audience, the congregation, as these sermons make clear. 2. John Henry Newman’s Fifteen Sermons Preached Before the University of Oxford Here Newman preaches before the University of Oxford and confronts arguments which considered faith opposed to reason and vice versa. Newman's style is academic and more like a lecture or seminar, but again it was directed to the university with the students particularly in mind. |
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