Evaluating the Role of Rhetoric and Persuasion in Preaching

This essay investigates the crucial role of rhetoric in religious preaching, focusing on how preachers utilize various rhetorical strategies to persuade their audiences. The study begins by defining rhetoric as a style of speaking that influences people's beliefs and actions, particularly in the context of delivering moral advice. It then examines the core components of rhetoric: ethos, pathos, and logos, as articulated by Aristotle, and their application in preaching. Ethos, the speaker's credibility, establishes trust; pathos, the appeal to emotion, fosters connection; and logos, the use of logic and evidence, strengthens the argument. The essay also explores specific rhetorical devices such as analogy, repetition, antithesis, and rhetorical questions, and their effectiveness in engaging listeners. Furthermore, it delves into strategies like argumentation, motivation, and persuasion, alongside rhetorical tools like periodic sentences, inclusion, anaphora, prolepsis, and anachronism, and their impact on sermon delivery. The conclusion underscores that effective preaching transcends mere message delivery; it is an art of communication that influences people by employing rhetorical techniques to connect with and persuade listeners.

RHETORIC IN PREACHING
1

Rhetoric is considered as a style of speaking that helps in persuading people to perform any
specific action. Besides, it can be stated that rhetoric is a speaking style that helps to persuade
people to believe in certain facts. Aim of preaching is to serve moral advice to people for
influencing them to believe in religious facts. This study focuses on evaluating the role of
rhetoric in case of preaching. Different branches of rhetoric are there and these branches are
being discussed in this study. In addition, this study is discussing use if effective rhetorical
devices in preaching. In this case, the research question is,
What is the role of rhetoric in preaching?
Rhetoric plays an important role in preaching as it is used by the preacher as an effective
art of speaking to draw attention of listeners. Aim of applying rhetoric in preaching is to
develop interest of people on specific topic for influencing them to believe in specific
concept. As opined by Gaines, three modes of persuasion by Aristotle refer to logos,
pathos, and ethos (32). These three facts of speaking are considered as branches of rhetoric
that helps preacher to persuade people. Ethos is considered as integrity of the speaker that
helps in involvement of audience on the concerned topic. For example, trustworthiness of a
preacher makes listener rely on the statements made by the preacher. Ethos allows preacher
to make people trust on their personality and statements. This approach of preachers helps
them to encourage people to view the world from preacher's perspective. For example, people
believe that the preacher in Church is a trustable person and he has no benefit of advising
them. Based on this believe people listen to the preacher and believe in the fact stated by the
preacher. Blythe have argued that it can be seen that ethos appeal to the perception of
reliability, virtues, morale, and intelligence (62).
On another hand, pathos is the appeal to emotion of audience. It means that the preacher
needs to influence audience to feel emotionally through their preaching. Sypert has
contradicted that thinking emotionally, make people rely on facts and they involve less
thinking power to evaluate the topic (3). For example, preacher connects their speech with the
Holy Bible. Bible holds emotion of Christian community and mentioning of this book helps
preachers to draw attention of listeners. They think emotionally and become able to connect
themselves with the speech of the preacher. In short, it can be stated that pathos is concerned
about tugging the thread of heart of listener. Preachers access beliefs of the audience along
with their emotional grounds for drawing them into the topic of preaching (Erickson 35). It
2

can be stated that pathos allows preachers to motivate people based on emotional ground to
perform particular action.
The mode Logos refers to use of reliable reasons, evidence and logical background for
strengthening the impact of pathos on the mind of the listeners. Rhetoric speakers always use
logos after using the art of pathos for strengthening the effectiveness of pathos. According to
Brown, it can be stated that logos means appealing to logic and present of evidence-based
arguments in front of potential audience (415). For example, preachers provide example of
cases, where people have gained some benefit by believing on the topic of preach. Evidence
such as interview of people can be shown to listeners regarding their experience of believing
in the matter of preaching. This kind of evidence is potent enough to impact on the mind of
audience and preacher become successful in persuading.
Besides these three persuasive modes, various rhetorical strategies are there that helps
preachers to convince audience about the topic of their preaching. Analogy is one of these
strategies and it allows preachers to explain complicated topic. For example, preachers use
familiar concept while preaching for helping audience to be connected with the topic. This
approach of preachers helps in persuading audiences. They feel connected with God and take
initiative to transform their lives as per preacher's advice. As argued by Herrick, a preacher
always uses selective words repetitively for attracting audience to that particular word (12).
This fact impact on the mind of audience and they become more interested to know detail
information about that specific word. Due to this reason, repetition is one of the effective
rhetorical strategies that are used by preachers in churches. Use of images, ideas, and words
those are strongly contrasting, are called antithesis strategy of rhetoric. Preachers often
showcase strongly contrasting evidence for touching the heart of listeners. It impacts directly
on the subconscious mind of people and they began to believe in the words of preacher.
Asking of rhetorical question is one of the effective rhetorical strategies that have
significant role in preaching (Mayer 60). These questions arose after a long term preaching
and answers of this kind of questions are very obvious. Aim of asking rhetorical questions to
audience gives preacher opportunity to drive their mind towards accepting the fact explained
through preaching.
Rhetoric is an art of verbal persuasion and different strategies of rhetoric can be used to
preach. Preacher needs to conduct study regarding development of a persuasive strategy.
Moreover, proper experience regarding life of audience needs to be collected by the preacher.
3

According to Yoshikawa, argumentation is an effective strategy of preaching that acts as a
basis and foundation for listeners to respond to the truth of preaching (90). Preaching must be
based on the structure of arguments and the experience of listeners. An argument must be
designed for arriving at a conclusion in a narrative way. Preaching helps to inform listeners
regarding a matter that they do not knows. Well-designed argumentation can help to deliver
the message of preaching in a proper way and main aims of preaching can be established
(Jackob et al. 39). Motivation is another essential strategy of preaching that can be used to
bring transformation within an audience. This can help to provide satisfaction and this
satisfaction can be divided into short term and long term satisfaction. Strategy of motivation
can help to deliver sermon that can help audience to implement transformation in their life.
During this time, the preacher needs to support their decision of transformation instead of
stopping them. A need or desire of listener can be utilized to motivate them during preaching
for bringing a change. For implementing the strategy of motivation, the preacher needs to
analyze different needs and desires of listener, which can help them to persuade and motivate
them properly.
Persuasion is another style or strategy of preaching that can help a preacher to achieve
different aims and objectives. Rhetoric style can be used to persuade intended audience in a
proper way. A simple explanation or description cannot be considered as persuasive.
Emotions and needs of audience need to be analyzed in a proper way for persuasion.
Persuasion can be achieved if a preacher communicates a message with full enthusiasm. In
this process, pathos branch of classical rhetoric can be applied that helps to make appeal to
emotions. As contradicted by Hawkins, collection of different behavioral resources helps in
stimulation of responses from the desired audience during preaching (52). The process of
persuasion tends to be achieved after a certain period of time. Moreover, many times it was
seen that the audience are not aware of their needs. Preacher must use pathos branch of
classical rhetoric for stimulating those emotions and needs among audience. It is an essential
part of preaching that can be successfully achieved through the style of rhetoric.
There are some rhetorical devices that can be used for effective preaching. The periodic
sentence is the first tool, which is attributed to Isocrates and they prefer to use it for climactic
emphasis. Withholding of subject and verb of the sentence is done to the end. This causes
lengthening of the sentence with some clauses that helps in building up of climax to very end.
This creates an eager for the main point of the sentence. This tool can be applied by holding
both verb and subject of the sentence or only the verb. For example: "No matter how much
4

time needed to finish this job or how much penalty is levied for late submission of the
project, even if this company faces loss but this work must be done through proper software."
Inclusion is another essential tool that can be used during preaching. Inclusion can be defined
as a unit of thought that is bracketed or bookended by the help of same or similar lines
(Pojani et al. 582). Introduction and conclusion need to be matched up during preaching
process. Questions asked during introduction need to be answered during conclusion. This
type of style is used during a sermon that helps to bring a unified feeling and sense of
satisfaction upon completion of the sermon.
On another hand, anaphora is another important rhetorical tool that is used during preaching.
As argued by Ge, anaphora is a process of stacking of repeated words or different phrases for
achieving proper emphasis (30). For example: "Human beings depend upon God's grace
every moment, every hour and every day." In the given example it can be noticed that the
word "every" increases emphasis in the sentence. In addition, it can also be seen that what
this word “every” describes is also seen. Different terms like moment, hour and day are
described by this word.
Prolepsis is another tool that can be used during preaching when anticipation of an objection
from listener is done and answer is given along with the sentence. While making point
anticipation might be done regarding objection from a listener regarding a sentence (Gregory
et al. 20). Then that sentence can be presented in such a way that includes the answer to the
objection. For example almighty thinks well for all people, you might be wondering about
hardships faced by people and how God allows that? I can tell you that God has proved it on
the cross." In this statement, preacher knows about the probable objection from the audience,
which is mentioned and the answer is also given.
An anachronism is a controversial tool and many preachers believe that this is an error on
the part of the speaker. However, this tool can be proven effective if it is used properly and
carefully. Anachronism is a phrase that is used against time (Cunningham 102).
Anachronisms are considered as mistakes but they can be used intentionally for showing
listeners regarding relevance of a sentence. These mistakes can be done in a proper way to
seek attention of listeners regarding preaching. These rhetorical tools need to be used
logically and these tools are not necessary to preaching. Overuse of these tools can have a
negative impact on preaching process. For years these tools and strategies have been used by
many reformers for giving preaching. Augustine has also argued for the use of rhetoric in
5

preaching. According to him, rhetoric is a valuable tool that can be used for the process of
persuasion (Hogenboom et al. 75). He explained that rhetoric can be used for fulfilling the
different function of preaching, which includes teaching, swaying and delighting. It was seen
that in Augustine's theory of preaching there is a significant role of rhetoric that was used to
persuade the audience.
From the overall discussion of this study, it can be concluded that preaching is not a simple
form of conveying the message of wisdom. However, preaching contains the art of speaking,
rhetoric approach that influences preachers to influence people to listen to the words of God.
It has been clearly stated that the use of rhetoric in preaching helps in persuading people to
perform a particular action based on their belief on the preacher. Proper application of three
angles of rhetoric such as pathos, ethos, and logos help preachers to draw the attention of the
audience and make them believe on the topic of preaching. Hence, this study has successfully
evaluated the role of rhetoric in preaching.
6

Reference list
Blythe, Stuart. "Open-Air Preaching: A Long and Diverse Tradition." Perichoresis 16.1
(2018): 61-80.
Brown, Stewart J. "Hugh Blair, the sentiments and preaching the enlightenment in
Scotland." Intellectual History Review26.3 (2016): 411-427.
Cunningham, Mary. "Dramatic device or didactic tool? The function of dialogue in Byzantine
preaching." Rhetoric in Byzantium. Routledge, 2017. 101-113.
Erickson, Jeffrey D. Signifying on the Greeks: the use of rhetorical devices in jazz
improvisation analysis. Diss. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2015:32-36
Gaines, Steven. "Redefining Preaching: A Beginning." Res Rhetorica 4.3 (2017): 31-45.
Ge, Jing. "Humour in Customer Engagement on Chinese Social Media–A Rhetorical
Perspective." (2016): 29-31
Gregory, Daniel J. "The Pentathlon on Preaching Principle." Journal of the Evangelical
Homiletics Society 17.2 (2017): 19-35.
Hawkins, Trey. "Persuasion through Digital Rhetoric is Valid." Verbal Equinox (2019): 52.
Herrick, James A. The history and theory of rhetoric: An introduction. Routledge, 2017.
Hogenboom, Alexander, et al. "Using rhetorical structure in sentiment analysis." Commun.
ACM 58.7 (2015): 69-77.
Jackob, Nicholaus, Thomas Roessing, and Thomas Petersen. "Effects of verbal and nonverbal
elements in communication." Verbal communication (2016): 39-53.
Mayer, Wendy. "Preaching Hatred? John Chrysostom, Neuroscience, and the
Jews." Revisioning John Chrysostom. Brill, 2019. 58-136.
Pojani, Dorina, and Dominic Stead. "Urban planning and design as verbal and visual
rhetoric." Journal of Urban Design20.5 (2015): 582-614.
Simon, Nganga. "In Search of Contact: Rhetorical Questions in the Communicative Frame of
the Funeral Sermon." Journal of Pan African Studies 10.9 (2017): 36-50.
Sypert, John A. "Redeeming rhetoric: Augustine's use of rhetoric in his preaching
ministry." Eleutheria 4.1 (2015): 3.
Yoshikawa, Fumiko. "Julian of Norwich and the Medieval Rhetorical Arts of Preaching
1." Magistra 21.1 (2015): 90.
7