The Rhetoric Companion: A Student's Guide to Power in Persuasion

For a Christian concerned about speaking well and truly, this is a very good read. I recommend it not just for pastors and teachers, but for all Christians as we fulfill the commands of making disciples and defending our faith.

If was just as described and arrived as promised

I used this extensively to teach The Art of Rhetoric for our Classical Conversations community. Excellent resource and an easy read.

This is a fantastic book for anyone wishing to understand the art of speaking well.

Simple and concise

Wilson's "The Rhetoric Companion" is a comprehensive, in-depth examination of the art of argumentation from a Christian perspective. A good study, simple enough for an introduction, yet rich in idea and language. From a high-school student's perspective, I would definitely recommend it!

Great!

Jerry Seinfeld once quipped that "people's number one fear is public speaking. Number two is death. Death is number two. Does that sound right? This means to the average person if you go to a funeral, you're better off in the casket than doing the eulogy." What makes this statement humorous is Seinfeld's understanding that there is power in how something is said. The difference in this statement between a scientific conclusion and the joke of a comedian is delivery. Could our fear actually be that while we are proficient with words we lack competence with propositions?Father and Son, Douglas and N.D. Wilson, have written The Rhetoric Companion to help people become skillful speakers. Powerful speakers display skill in delivery; they are intentional with their words; and they possess conviction about their truth. In other words, they have logos, pathos and ethos. These are the traditional latin terms used in rhetoric. This book is a primer is classical rhetoric and its practice in the modern day.The Rhetoric Companion reads like a workbook. The chapters are short and easy to understand. Any technical language of rhetoric is explained and every chapter ends with suggested reading, exercises and questions. These exercises and questions serve the pedagogical purpose of making the ideas of each chapter clear and understood. The suggested reading provides direction if further study in a particular area is desired.I have read a number of books of homiletics and rhetoric and the addition which sets this title apart is the inclusion of logic. Passionate speaking and preaching without well-ordered content is dangerous. Passion is the fire which burns within the fireplace of logic. A fire removed from its secure brick enclosure is sure to destroy everything around it. It still brings light and heat, but it also brings devastation in the end. Sound thinking is necessary for proper speaking and persuasion because it protects. Any speaker or preacher ought to be required to have a basic understanding of logic and reasoning. It would free us from much hardship.This is an excellent resource. Whether you are a pastor looking to hone your homiletic skill or a homeschooler seeking a primer in rhetoric, look no further. No advanced or technical training is required before moving into this book. It is written with students and young learners in mind. I pray that more of my generation will learn to be sharp, intentional thinkers and communicators. It may just be that God has answered that prayer with resources like this one.