The Eloquence of Faith:

Toward a Christian Rhetorical Theory

Kenneth R. Chase
*DRAFT, 6 June 2022

Introduction: Worship and Persuasion

Part One: Redeeming Eloquence

Ch. 1: Christ’s Persuasion
Ch. 2: The Divine Pursuit

Part Two: Practicing Eloquence

Ch 3: Empowered Persuasion
Ch. 4: Timely Persuasion
Ch. 5: Peaceful Persuasion

Conclusion: Forming the Rhetorical Imagination

*Note
40% of this content is previously unpublished: Introduction, Chapter 2, and the Conclusion (about 20,000
words). I’ve developed most of this content over the past several years, so some of the sources will need
to be updated (and other sources added).

Chapters 1 and 3-5 have been published previously (about 29,000 words). I have revised the introduction
and the conclusion of Chapter 1 to fit within the context of this book, and I have begun making some of
those changes for Chapter 3. I have not made any changes yet in Chapters 4 and 5. I also will need to
refresh some of the sources for all these chapters (and bring all into conformity with a single citation
style). Plus, Chapter 4 is 2000 words shorter than the other chapters, so I probably will need to extend this
through a substantive section of new material (and I have in mind what I want to do with it).

Chapter 1: “Christian Rhetorical Theory: A New (Re)Turn,” Journal of Communication and

Religion 36 (2013): 25-49

Chapter 3: “Ethical Rhetoric and Divine Power: Reflections on Matthew 10:17-20 (and
parallels),” Bulletin for Biblical Research 22.4 (2012): 199-218.

Chapter 4: “Timely Speech: A Christian’s Occasion,” Crucible 12.1 (June 2021): 1-13,
www.crucibleonline.net.

Chapter 5: “Christian Discourse and the Humility of Peace” Must Christianity Be Violent:
Reflections on History, Practice, and Theology, Kenneth R. Chase and Alan Jacobs, eds. Grand
Rapids, MI: Brazos, 2003. Reprint by Wipf and Stock, 2007, 119-134.