WINSOME PERSUASION CHRISTIAN INFLUENCE IN A POST-CHRISTIAN CULTURE
FAILED DISCOURSE Some personal reflections Winsome Persuasion Better Angels Blessed are the peacemakers
WHAT DOES A PEACE MAKER LOOK LIKE? Google images for peacemaker
WHAT DOES A PEACE MAKER LOOK LIKE? What I wish peacemaker looked like:
FAILED PUBLIC DISCOURSE 2016 Election, Berkeley and the Free Speech Movement
FREE SPEECH PART II Pranav Jandhyala, Founder of Bridge USA at Berkeley Our organization hopes to create a future in which our campus and our country are venues for free and fair political discussion and debate from all sides. We stand for the preservation of spaces where political ideas can be shared and challenged without fear of violence. First event: a discussion of immigration policy. Liberal groups invited Maria Echaveste, (Clinton adviser) who spoke on April 17.
FREE SPEECH PART II Ann Coulter was scheduled for the next week.but was canceled for fear of violence and the University s inability to assure student safety.
CHARLOTTESVILLE Saturday's chaos erupted as neo-nazis, skinheads, Ku Klux Klan members and other white supremacist groups arrived for the rally. Counter-protesters were also on hand, and the two sides clashed, with people throwing punches, hurling water bottles and unleashing chemical sprays. Some came prepared for a fight, with body armor and helmets. Videos that ricocheted around the world on social media showed people beating each other with sticks and shields
CHARLOTTESVILLE Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe and Charlottesville Mayor Michael Signer lumped the blame squarely on the rancor that has seeped into American politics. McAuliffe said he spoke to Trump on the phone, and insisted that the president must work to combat hate. On Sunday, he reiterated that the angry political rhetoric needs to stop.
FAILED CHRISTIAN DISCOURSE Not only discourse in the general public, but Christian public discourse has failed Christians have ever said more and been understood less than we are today
FAILED CHRISTIAN DISCOURSE Are we a voice for good? 18,000 respondents in 23 countries were asked, Is religion a force for good? More than half (52%) answered, no.
FAILED CHRISTIAN DISCOURSE Are we religious extremists, or the silent majority? The results are quite interesting
What counts as religious extremism to evangelicals, skeptics and the average US adult? 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 83 76 75 60 55 60 52 51 47 42 34 10 1 5 15 13 5 24 0 13 11 Attempting to convert others Teaching children same-sex sexual relations are morally wrong Believing that same-sex sexual relations are wrong Protest government policies that conflict with their religion Quitting a job to pursue missionary work in another country Waiting until marriage to have sex Tithing Evangelicals Skeptics All U.S. adults PERCEPTIONS OF RELIGIOUS EXTREMISM
FAILED CHRISTIAN DISCOURSE And what about the perception of evangelical youth? Church has shown excessive contempt and unloving attitudes towards gays and lesbians made homosexuality a "bigger sin" than anything else. Church has not helped them (younger Christians) apply the biblical teaching on homosexuality to their friendships with gays and lesbians.
SUMMARY OF CHRISTIAN COMMUNICATION Public discourse is broken Christian discourse is broken as well we have been neither winsome nor persuasive! we are losing both the secular world and our own children
A WAY FORWARD First, understand that we are a counterpublic Characteristics of a counterpublic: Oppositionality, Engagement and Withdrawal When we engage in the public square, it is always an away game
OPPOSITIONALITY: LET S WATCH AN AWAY GAME
OPPOSITIONALITY: LET S WATCH AN AWAY GAME What stood out to you in this exchange? What assumptions were beneath the surface? What would have been better?
LEARNING RHETORIC FROM THE HOLY SPIRIT Prophetic Pastoral Persuasive analogous to the convicting work of the Holy Spirit (Jn 16:8) appeals to revealedword of God as final authority calls for acknowledgment of sin and repentance demands that the hearer confess and repent (change direction) analogous to the comforting role of the Holy Spirit (Jn 14:16, 26; 15:26;16:7) appeals to shared needs and suffering offers healing,nurture, and aid to those in need meets people where they are and ministers to their needs analogous tothe Holy Spirit bearing witness (Jn 15:26-27) and restraining evil (2Thess 2:6-7) appeals to the common good and general revelation seeks to change viewpoints or practices within the culture appeals to conscience and shared values; progressive steps toward a final goal
CHOOSING THE PROPER VOICE Reflections on the prophetic voice The angry prophet The Bible-says prophet Prophetic civility OT Prophets vs. NT Apostles
THE PASTORAL VOICE The most common response to prophetic excess is to flee prophetic declarations of truth and speak in a pastoral voice My current students St. Francis: Preach the gospel always, use words only when necessary A better example: Jesus
THE PERSUASIVE VOICE Seeking to persuade is quite different than seeking to proclaim Apologetics is it persuasive? Some lessons from Aristotle: the importance of ethos
THE PERSUASIVE VOICE Example of good ethos Ron Hattersley, a self-proclaimed atheist, reflects on seeing Christians at work in post-katrina New Orleans
THE PERSUASIVE VOICE Aristotle on ethos: Wisdom Characters/Virtue Goodwill
WINSOME PERSUASION AND THE GAY COMMUNITY A few concluding thoughts: 1. Avoid or downplay the prophetic voice (we are a counterpublic) 2. Practice a persuasive ethos listening, goodwill, wisdom 3. Form loose connections 4. Be creative...harriet Beecher Stowe