Rhetoric (elective)

Course Description:  Definitions of rhetoric vary in the classical writers, but adopting one of them, with a peculiarly Christian backdrop and understanding, provides us with our working definition of rhetoric: "the art of a good man speaking well." In this class, students learn the "art" of using ethos, pathos, and logos effectively in their writing and speaking. Besides these three, the textbook for this class also covers the five canons of rhetoric, fallacies, the composition of arguments, copiousness, and presentation, along with readings from the classical masters of the art of rhetoric. Using what they've learned, the students write a paper taking a position on a controversial topic, either current or historic, and defend it from a biblical worldview. Once the paper is completed, they give defenses of their papers in front of their peers and guest judges. This experience prepares students to tackle difficult subjects with integrity, intelligence, confidence, and grace.