Imagine if there was one argument for the truth of Christianity so convincing that everyone who heard it immediately embraced the gospel. Imagine evidence so persuasive that all you had to do was share it with your unsaved friend, and she’d instantly leave her unbelief behind. Imagine a proof that could overcome all obstacles to Christian faith. Almost sounds like…
Jewish scholar and radio talk show host Dennis Prager often says, “Clarity is more important than agreement.” And when it comes to reasoning, clarity carries its own persuasive power. Clutter and excessive complexity in an argument frequently stand in the way of the argument’s understandability and credibility. Since being clear in one’s reasoning is advantageous, keep clarity in mind as…
As we saw in part one of this two-part series, rhetoric is the art of discourse aimed at persuasion—and the skillful and noble use of rhetorical discourse is a valuable facet of communication. But what happens when the power of persuasion is severed from the critical pursuit of truth? What happens when the art of skillful speech and debate is…
When building arguments, how can we make the most persuasive case for our position (say, for example, that the Lakers are the best franchise in the history of NBA basketball)? What specific elements directly impact persuasion? What separates authentic persuasive appeals from the inauthentic? Rhetoric is the art of discourse aimed at persuasion. The noble use of rhetorical discourse is…
Recently a newspaper reporter asked me to respond to two provocative questions: (1) “Is it necessary to leave reason and move to faith in order to embrace Christianity?” and (2) “If there are strong arguments in support of Christianity’s actually being true, then why aren’t more people, particularly intelligent, well-educated people, persuaded as to its truth?”
Reflections 