029 - Rhetoric with Jim Beitler

In this episode, Brian Auten and Chad Gross interview Jim Beitler, Associate Professor of English at Wheaton College, and author of Seasoned Speech: Rhetoric in the Life of the Church as well as Charitable Writing: Cultivating Virtue Through Our Words (with co-author Richard Hughes Gibson). They discuss rhetoric and communication in relation to Christian Apologetics.0:27 - Introduction to rhetoric and Jim Beitler4:36 - Jim’s background and books5:37 - What is rhetoric?6:32 - How Jim got interested in rhetoric7:18 - How has rhetoric been taught, and how has that changed?10:20 - Can rhetoric be taught?11:48 - Why should anyone care about rhetoric in the church?14:20 - Are you an effective communicator or not?15:44 - Doesn’t the Bible argue against using rhetoric?19:11 - How the book is laid out and the ground it covers22:52 - C.S. Lewis as a rhetorician25:25 - How we need rhetoric now more than ever27:19 - Dietrich Bonhoeffer on preaching and rhetoric30:37 - Rhetoric in sermons and preaching33:37 - How to apply the tools of rhetoric with discernment38:20 - Modern thinkers and communicators we can learn from41:49 - Being culture makers42:40 - Some pitfalls to avoid 45:13 - A teaser for Charitable Writing• James Beitler at Wheaton• Seasoned Speech: Rhetoric in the Life of the Church• Charitable Writing: Cultivating Virtue Through Our WordsIf you have a question for the podcast, record it and send it our way using www.speakpipe.com/Apologetics315 or you can email us at [email protected]