The Christian faith depends to a great degree on persuasion. In one of his letters to early Christians, the apostle Paul wrote, "Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer everyone" (Col. 4:6). Yet rhetoricthe art of persuasionhas been largely ignored by most Christians.In this book, James Beitler seeks to renew interest in and hunger for an effective Christian rhetoric by closely considering the work of five beloved Christian communicators: C. S. Lewis, Dorothy L. Sayers, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Desmond Tutu, and Marilynne Robinson. Moreover, he situates these reflections within the Christian liturgical seasons for the essential truths they convey.These writers collectively demonstrate that being a master of rhetoric is not antithetical to authentic Christian witness. Indeed, being a faithful disciple of Christ means practicing a rhetoric that beneficially and persuasively imparts the surprising truth of the gospel. It means having seasoned speech.

James E. Beitler III (PhD, University of Michigan) is associate professor of English at Wheaton College, where he is the director of First-Year Writing and also coordinates the Writing Fellows Program. He is the author of Remaking Transitional Justice in the United States: The Rhetorical Authorization of the Greensboro Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

Acknowledgments
Introduction: The Rhetoric of Christian Witness
1. Preparing the Way: C. S. Lewis and the Goodwill of Advent
2. Professing the Creeds: Dorothy L. Sayers and the Energy of Christmastide
3. Preaching the Word: Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Epiphanic Identification
4. Calling for Repentance: Desmond Tutu and Lenten Constitutive Rhetorics
5. Hosting the Guest: Marilynne Robinson and theEthos of Eastertide
6. Speaking in Tongues: The Church and the Heteroglossia of Pentecost
Bibliography
General Index
Scripture Index