CHARLES E. WENIGER’S THEORY OF THE
RELATIONSHIP OF SPEECH AND NOMILETIGS AS
REVEALED IN HIS TEACHING PROCEDURES,
HIS WRITINGS, AND HIS PUBLIC ADDRESSES

THESIS FOR THE DEGREE 0F PH. D.
MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY

NDRVAI. F. PEASE
I 9 6 4

 

LIBRARY

Michigan State
University

 

 

 

(ropyrighl: by
Nat-val P. Pom

1964

 

[El-TIE... II

THESIS

(0 ' ij

Due
1“fierpret C
haliletics .
Mic addn
cure. holdi:
The “10! p4
PiCIfic Um
111601Ogical
mehigan. 1

N Served 1

 

A - --- "PV-Dw4_

unm-—cg-—. ~‘4oe _

c
_‘ fly.—
I

 

_.‘.._...— _e,.'.__.f

‘ “*‘“-w-‘a-.-‘._

 

5933-é

ABSTRACT

CHARLES E. "ENIGER'S THEORY OF THE RELATIONSHIP OF SPEECH
AND HOMIDETICS AS REVEALED IN HIS TEACHING PROCEDURES,

HIS WRITINGS, AND HIS PUBLIC ADDRESSES

BY

Norval F. Pease

The primary purpose of this study is to describe, analyze, and
interpret Charles B. Heniger's theory of the relationship of speech and
homiletics as revealed in his teaching procedures, his writings. and his
public address. "eniger'was trained in the fields of speech and litera-
ture, holding the Ph.D. degree from the University of Southern California.
The major part of his professional career has been divided between I
Pacific Union College in California and the Seventh-day Adventist
Theological Seminary, now a part of Andrews university, Berrien Springs,
Michigan. In both institutions he taught speech can biblical literature,
and served as dean.

weniger is presented in this study as an example of a speech-
trained teacher of. homiletics who has developed-a theory of homiletics
integrating the two disciplines. His theory is reflected in his I
definition of homiletics:

Homdletics may be defined as that branch of speech which,

employing all available means and taking to itself theswhole reahm

of human knowledge'with emphasis on the Bible, seeks by persuasion
to draw men to I better life and a more abundant entrance into the
kinngm Of GOdO .

Norval F. Pease

A rhetorical biography (Chapter I), based on taped interviews,
indicates the influence of (l) a conservative religious background, (2)
contact with the emphasis on persuasion during the twenties and thirties,
(3) a strong background in the liberal arts, especially literature, and
(4) a deep sensitiveness to the drama of human life. These factors
helped shape his concept of preaching.

The relationship of rhetorical and homiletical_theory since
St. Augustine is reviewed in Chapter II, with the conclusion that
homiletics has been greatly influenced by classical rhetoric, even
though some modern homileticians are moving may from classical patterns.

A study of Weniger's teaching methods (Chapter 111), based on
teaching materials in the‘weniger files, limits itself to four courses
taught to seminary students. This study reveals carefully perfected
techniques aimed at (l) adapting speech courses to seminary students,

(2) teaching homiletics in a frame of reference of classical rhetorical
theory, (3) emphasizing persuasion as a basic approach to preaching. A
questionnaire, submitted to a group of‘weniger's students, reports a high I
level of appreciation of his teaching methods and classroom gghgg,

An investigation of'Weniger's writings (Chapter IV), limited to
those relevant to the rhetoric-homiletics issue, reveals a constant
attempt over a period of nearly 35 years to communicate to the clergy the ,
basic principles of speech in the framework of classical rhetoric.
Special emphasis is placed in his writings on.g£hg§, pathos, lgggg, and
Delivery.

weniger's own public address (Chapter V) discloses examples of
the application of his theory to the public platform. Rhetorical

criticisms of a baccalaureate sermon and of a commencement address reveal

--.———W- q‘v-wwmmwmm —-.v

Norval F. Pease
an ideal of Invention as including "the whole realm of human knowledge";
a philosOphy of Arrangement based on the art of persuasion; a style
reflecting his training in literature; and a finesse in Delivery that
may be observed in listening to tapes of his addresses. Throughout both
the baccalaureate sermon and the commencement address runs a strong
religious emphasis, indicating his purpose "by persuasion to draw men to
a better life and a more abundant entrance into the kingdom of God.”

Weniger's theory of homiletics coexists in the modern world with
other strongly supportedtheories: for example, Posdick's problems
solving approach, and Barth's theological approach. weniger's theory is
‘more closely akin to classical rhetoric than either of these, in that it

considers preaching as "a branch of speech.”

 

1Charles E. weniger, "Taped Interviews with N. F. Pease,
December, 1962," p. 8.

U

- #c a“ .i,._,..

.————.__ — ._4 H.7—

"—7 .fi__._‘- -.-

CHARLES E. WENIGER'S THROW 0F 'DTE RELATICNSHIP OF SPEECH
AND HMIETICS AS REVEALED IN HIS TEACHING PROCEDURES ,

ms WRITINGS, AND HIS PUBLIC ADDRESSES

By

- Nowal F. Pease

A DISSERTATION

Submitted to
Michigan State University
in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for the degree of

DOCTOR 01' PHILOSOPm'
College of Connimication Arts-"Department of Speech

1964

_...H c... ”r—w‘" "

f M‘s”. -u .. d

g < -...'—..--¢——- .‘W'v—“v-

 

_——._.# w—o-H *w—v—v‘.
_...-.-f a

ACKNWIEDGMENTS

"No man is an island" is a truth that becomes increasingly
obvious during the preparation of a dissertation. It is my pleasure to
mention some of the peOple whose interest and c00peration have made this
study possible:

Doctor Charles‘weniger and his wife, Eunice, have given gracious
assistance during a period of suffering and stress when it might have
been easier for them.to be free from any extra burdens.

Doctor Kenneth.Hance, my major professor and committee chairman,
has gone far beyond the demands of duty in.giving of his time and
interest to this project.

Doctors David Ralph, Gordon Thomas, Fred Alexander, and
Walter Johnson--the other members of my comittee--have helped build the
foundation‘without*which a task of this type could not have been carried
to completion. I} I

Presidents Floyd Rittenhouse and Richard Hamill of Andrews
University, and Dean William Murdoch of the Seventh-day Adventist Theo-
logical Seminary have been.very kind in allowing me thme and opportunity
for study and‘writing. , 1

Dana Dutcher, my secretary, has labored endless hoursucheerfully
and efficiently, and has made my work easier by her insight into the

techniques of research.

iii '

My wife, Blanche, and my daughter, La Vonne, have been patient
and understanding during the many months while the affairs of the house-
hold have revolved around my doctoral program.

These whom I have mentioned, along with a host of friends and
colleagues, have provided motivation for this undertaking. The only way
I know how to repay them is to help and encourage other students who may
be endeavoring, through research, to make a contribution to human

knowledge.

 

 

mammoth-isms

Ammm O O O O O O O 0‘. O O O 'O O O O O O 0‘ 05". O O O 0

LIST OF

musoseeeeeeoteel‘eeeeeeoel-Ieeoee

MM“eeeeeeeee‘aeeajieeeeesteal-eases

Gunter
I.

II.

III.

RHBTORICALBIOCRAPHY

Influences of Early Life

College Years

College Teaching

Development of Interest in Persuasion
Seminary Teaching

Development of Interest in Homiletics
.Taped Interviews

A scam or ms munmsslr slim ammo

AND BMLETICS PRC“ AUGUSTINE '10 nu: ma: CENTURY

Augustine and Homiletical Theory
Classical Rhetoric and the hdieval ‘nieory of Preaching
Significant Developments During the Renaissance and
the Reformation
British Rhetoric and Homiletical Theory ‘
Relationship Beween Contemporary Homiletical 'nleory
and Rhetorical 'nleory .

CHARLES E. RBNIGBR AS A TEACHER (l SPEECHAND EMIBTICS
Persuasion.
Voice and Diction
Homiletics
History of Preaching
Sumnery of Teaching Techniques
Student Evaluations of Weniger as a Teacher

Page
‘ ii

vi

. vii

13

Chapter
IV. mm

WRITINGSOFCHARIESE. WENIGERIN'IEEAREAWSPEEQI

MD “mun“ O O O O O O O I O 0 O O O O O O O O O O

The Preacher and file Preparation
Articles in The Mini t , 1928-1964

Public Address of William Miller.
"Hhat the Seminaries Expect of Undergraduate Speech

Departments"

Summary

V. CHARLESE.IENI@R'SPUBLICADMSSES. . . . . . . . . .

Secular Speeches
Preaching in Church Services
Baccalaureate and Comencament Addresses

Before Honor
"Pi tfalls"

"The Idea of the University"
Smary

VI. mauslms O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O. O O O O 0

An Inalysis of Weniger's Definition of nomiletics

Comparison of Weniger' s Theory of Homiletics
With Contemporary Theories

Possible Explanations as to why Weniger Holds the

Speech -Persuasion 'meory

Influence of weniger's 'nleory

snuocm

O O O O O O O C O O O O O O O 0.. O O O O O O O O O
I

Page
124

176

Table
1.
2.
3.
4.

5.

LIST or TABLES
.* Page
Schedule of Speeches for Class in Persuasion . . . . . . 80
Analysis of student Attitudes . . . . . . . . . . . . lls
Methods of learning Voice and Diction . . . . .'.. . . . . 115
Analysis of words Describing .fleniger's Teaching Personality 116

Self-Grading Rating Scale on Blanents of Effectivn speech 14!.

IN'IRODUCT’ICN

I

P of Stu
The primary purpose of this study is to describe, analyze, and

interpret Charles E. Heniger's theory of the relationship of speech and

homiletics as revealed in his teaching procedures ,, his writings, and his ’

public addresses. It is intended that this research shall add to the

volune of material that, from the time of St. Augustine, has endeavored {I

to define the place of homiletics in the world of rhetorical theory. I

I

Except when specifically labeled as the opinion of the present investi- .
gator, value judgments are implicit rather than explicit. A variation I
from this rule will be seen in Chapter V, wherecertain of Weniger's
public addresses are subjected to evaluation according to the classical

canons of rhetorical criticism.

Definition of Terms

M terms will'jbe used frequently in this shady-”speech" and
”horniletics." The term "speech" will be understood as including the body
of rhetorical theory as classified under the headings of Invention,
Arrangement, Style, and Delivery.1 The term "rhetoric“ could be used
with equal accuracy, and is sometimes used, but "speech" is a more modern
designation, and seems more fitting in dealing with a contemporary tapic.
"Homiletics" is to preaching whet “rhetoric" or "speech" is to public

 

1It is recognized that the term "speech" is often used to refer
to oral comnication in its various four-public address, theatre,
speech and hearing science, etc.

”-H“----.-“ - .-

viii
address. In other words, "homiletics" is the body of theory governing

the art of preaching.

tations sed on the S
This study is selective in its approach to the Weniger materials.

Only those biographical data are presented that have specific relevance
to him as a rhetorician and homile tician. Pour seminary courses are
selected in the study of Weniger as a seminary teacher-"Persuasive
Speaking," "Voice and Diction," ”Basic Homiletics," and "Master
Preachers"2--two of which represent the "speech approach ”and two the
”homiletics approach." Weniger's writings on topics other than speech and
homiletics are mentioned incidentally widxout attempt at analysis. Of
his large ninber of public addresses, only mm are studied in detail--a
comencement address and e baccalaureate ' address, with brief treaunent
of a secular speech and a second counencement address. The rationale of
these limitations has been to focus the study on such areas and such
items as are peculiarly relevant to the objective of describing,
analyzing, and interpreting weniger's theory of the relationship between
speech and homiletics.

Significance of the Stay
So far as can be determined, no previous study of any kind has

been made of Heniger, except a chapter in a Master's thesis analyzing

one of his sermons.3 web has been written, as Chapter II will indicate.

 

2These courses are referred to throughout this study as
persuasion, voice and diction, homiletics, and master Preachers.”

3Gordcn Hyde, "A Selected Antholog of Adventist Sermons"
(unpublished water's thesis, University of Wisconsin, 1957). This
thesis did not deal with the area of homiletical theorye

‘)

on the re]
distinctix
not: than
speech mt
developed
Insight It
expressed
them in

I
vith the 1
here are
oriented c
therapy“:
and MM
relevance

11
Other Spec
J°h0 Rudh
1°81ca1 s¢

“I? Show

_- "-’"F—‘

Viv-

 

 

 

ix
on the relation between speech and homiletics. In addition to its
distinctiveness, this study .seems justified because, during a period of
more than forty years, Heniger endeavored to relate the discipline of
speech and the training of the clergy. During this long career, he
developed techniques of teaching that reflected his constantly growing
insight into the inter-relations between the bio disciplines. he
expressed his viewpoints in articles and manuscripts, and he put his
theory into practice in his speeches.

It is also recognized that there are homileticiens who disagree
with the proposition that homiletics is closely related to speech.
There are present-day writers who consider preaching as a liturgically-
oriented exercise, a mystical experience, or an adventure in group
therapy-~far runoved from the canons of Invention, Arrangement, Style,
and Delivery. This divergence of opinion would scan to add to the
relevance of such a study as is being attempted in this dissertation.

It is granted that similar studies might be made of the work of
other speech-trained men in the field of homiletics--for exunple,

John Rudin of Duke University, Charles McGlon of Southern Baptist Theo-
logical Seminary, and Ronald Sleeth of Southern hethodist University.

why should Weniger be singled out for study? Raving begun his teaching
career in 1919, having been actively connected with a theological
seminary since 1934, having served as dean of a college and of a seminary,
and having been among the chief proponents of the speech-homiletics
approach in modern seminary teaching, Wenigar would seem to qualify as

an authority worthy of sandy. ‘nle present investigator was a seminary
student under Henigar. in classes in persuasion, voice and diction, and

discussion. he was also a colleague of Ileniger on a seminary faculq;

and I
Heal.

3H8

spec
in a
prev

bili

trap.
Beet
and
Tani;
Side:
EXpep
these
scrip
fiddle
rElea
mum
59min;

Ship h

theta:-

 

H ”w' —-—-—I——-— *m—_.._.‘

 

 

 

and he is, at present, carrying the responsibility once carried by
Weniger as a teacher of homiietics. his background has made available
a wealth of material.

This study, therefore, seems amply justified on the grounds of
(1) the importance and relevance of the issue of the relation bemeen
speech and homiletics, (2) the competence and experience of Weniger as
an advocate of, a specific viewpoint on this issue, (3) the fact that no
previous study' of Ueniger's theory has been made, and (4) the availa-

bility of materials to the present investigator.

Materials or; Sources for g Study ‘

The primary sources for this study include (1): a thirty-page
transcript of taped interviews given this investigator by Heniger,
December, 1962, at Glendale, California, including biographical material
and statements regarding homileticel and rhetorical theory; (2) files of
Weniger's teaching syllabi, procedures, and materials cdvering in con-
siderable detail the courses he: taught during his seminary teaching
experience; (3) weniger's writings, including his Master's and Doctor's
theses, his published works, his articles, and his unpublist manu-
scripts; (4) notes and marmscripts of counencmnent and baccalaureate
addresses, as well as sermns and other speeches; (5) bulletins, news
releases, and personal correspondence concerning his speeches; (6)
returns from a questionnaire sent .‘to a sampling of weniger‘s former
seminary students; and (7) tapes of a commencement address, an address
to a'group of clergmen, a sermon, and'other material."

Secondary materials deal largely with the issue of the relation-
ship between speech and homiletics. They include (1) the writings of

rhetoricisns and homileticians of the past, such as St. Augustine,

 

 

 

 

xi

Thomas Wilson, George Campbell, Hugh Blair, John Quincy Adams, and. ' I
' I

John A. Broadus; (2) the writings of contemporary homileticians such as I
William Toohey, warren r. Faber,:William Carson Lantz, Ronald s. Sleeth,
H. Grady Davis, and Carl Lundquist; (3) the writings of rhetorical and .'
homileticsl critics who have discussed the relation of speech to homi-
letics, such as Charles Sears Baldwin, James J. Lurphy, E. c. Dergen,

Harry Caplan, Wilbur Seamel Howell, Russell 11. Wagner, Clarence W. Edney,

John P. Boshor, and Lloyd M. Perry.

The 9_rganization of the Study
Chapter I is a rhetorical biography covering the principal

events of Weniger's life as related to his work as a rhe‘torician-
homiletician. his chapter includes a rather comprehensive recent
statement by Weniger relative to his theory of homiletics. This infor-
mation is deemed necessary as a background for the ‘study of his teaching,
writing, and speaking attempted in later chapters. I
Chapter II surveys the historical background of the relation of
the taco disciplines. Beginning with Augustine, representative
individuals have been selected who, by their theory and/ or practice,
demonstrated attitudes toward speech and homiletics and their mutual
, relationships. Although these attitudes are seen to vary from person to
person and from age to age, an understanding of this background is
considered essential to a study of a modern theorist in this area.
Special emphasis is placed on contemporary theory relevant to the issue.
Chapter III is a detailed description of Weniger as a teacher of
speech and homiletics, and includes an analysis of the returns from a
questionnaire in which his former students evaluated his teaching. It

was in the classroom, this investigator is convinced, that he made his

 

 

, .' xii
greatest contribution. From early childhood to his illness in 1961,
Weniger never missed a year in the classroom, either as a student or as
a teacher. While engaged in academic administration, . he taught. While
attending college and university, he taught. 'me purpose of this chapter
is to show how his theory of the relationship of speech and homiletics
was revealed in the content and method of his teaching, and to show the
results of his teaching as reported by his students.

I Chapter IV deals with Weniger's writings. Although he was not a

I
» a
prolific writer because-of the pressure of educational amninistration and I
heavy'teaching loads during his more mature years, nevertheless, he did ,I

find time to write some material that is valuable in understanding and

interpreting his homiletical theory. ; 1111s chapter: helps to describe his I

contact with the clergy during his career. [I
Chapter V analyzes samples of Weniger's public address. Althouth

most of his fifty or sixty comnencement and baccalaureate addresses were I
given from notes rather than from manuscripts, several complete manu- [I
scripts and tapes are available. A baccalaureate sermon and a I
comencement address will be analyzed according to the canons of I
rhetorical criticism, and otter addresses will receive briefer attention.
In addition to the usual criteria of rhetoricalucriticism, which will
reveal all aspects of his speaking practice, the additional criterion
employed in analyzing these addresses is the question as to what they
reveal concerning his theory of the relation between the canons of
speech and the practice of preaching. Such an examination is essential
to the purpose of this study.

Chapter VI consists of conclusions concerning the endeavor to

analyze and interpret Weniger's theory of the relation of speech and

homiletics, based on the material presented in the preceding chapters.

- -mm—Ifl W

 

 

 

was I r I .
RHETTRICAI. srosnml ‘ 1'

Charles Elliot Weniger was born in Vallejo, California, in 1896.;
His father was chaplain of the local Odd Fellows lodge, and his-mother I
served as president of the welfare organization andillome and School Asso-
ciation of her local church. After his father died when Charles was we
years of age, his mother moved to San Francisco, and later to Oakland,
where Charles began his primary education in the licClymonds public
school. At this point, a step-father entered his life-~a policeman, who
often took Charles with him on his beat. Later the family moved to
Emeryville, where he attended the Emery district public school. He
recalls that he was always interested. in recitation; and, among other
activities, memorized the "Gettysburg Address” while in public school.

His high school work was taken at the Oakland High School where,
he recalls, "Jack London and Edward Roland Sill had preceded me as
students.“ While during his high school years Charles did not partici-
pate extensively in forensics or any other field of speech, he remembers
serving as leader of the young peeple's organization of his church when
he was thirteen, and he was also a member of a small private debating
society during his early high school years.

he finished high school in 1914 and enrolled at Pacific Union

College, a Seventh-day Adventist liberal arts college located about 75

 

1'Based on taped interviews with Weniger, Decesber, 1962.

21b1de. Fa la

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2
miles north of San Prancisco. . The college curriculun at that time con-
sisted of a general. course stressing general culture with emphasis on
religious studies. Only one course in public speaking was available.
this being taught by an English professor. Weniger says, "I took that
course, and I think this experience probably was the beginning of w
intense interest in speech."3 the instructor used Hinans' gu_b_l_i_c
seeking as his textbook, and Weniger believes that winans' "attention
theory" had an early and far ~reaching influence on his own theory and
practice. ‘ . 1

During his college years, he earned a portion of his expenses as'
a student assistant, teaching courses in Latin, and later, Creek and I
English. After finishing college in 1918 as presidentof his class,
with the degree of Bachelor of Arts, he decided to take a year of post- .
graduate work at Pacific Union College; but at mid-year he was asked to
fill a vacancy as head-resident in the men's dormitory; He was also
teaching Greek and English. He was invited in 1919 to join the staff of
Pacific Union College as an instructor of English.

It was at this time that weniger taught his first course in
public speaking, using‘flinans as his text. Just a 11.:1. later, at the '
request of the students, he introduced a second course in pub1ic speak-
ing,. using as a text Edwin Shutter, ‘l‘he Rhetoric of Oratory. his
course was a combination of parli-aentary law and advanced speech-
making, with particular attention. to occasional speaking. Regarding
this period of his teaching, Heniger declares:

nm was a very rich period in q early teaching experience

because 1 was beginning to see the relationship between the general
field of speech (of which ‘1 knu very little) and the particular

A a

31bid.

v--‘_ .-. - .b,

—~ - “*4

w‘m—vcfi-m-fl

 

 

field of preaching which lay right at my door. I had taken some
work in ministerial training in my college course; and in this
second year of speaking, there were a number of students who were
planning to be ministersfl

In 1927, he went to Washington Nissionary College, a Seventh-day
Adventist liberal arts college in liashington, n.c., as head of the
department of English, which included speech and journalism. lie
inncdiately included in the curricultsa the two courses in public speak-
ing which he had developed at Pacific Union College. During his four
years at Washington Missionary College, he developed an interest in,
and an appreciation for, the nation's capital that not only becne a
significant evocation, but also added enrichaent to his teaching
procedures. ‘

In 1931, Weniger returned to Pacific Union College, where he
became chairman of the department of English, journalism, and speech,
giving most of his attention to speech. he following seventeen years
at Pacific Union College were years of professional development. lie
added courses in voice and diction, oral. interpretation, persuasion,
radio speaking, phonetics, pub1ic lecturing, and the short speech. He
installed a Presto recording machine, the first to be used at am
college in California. He afforded Pacific Union College the added
distinction of being the first Seventh-day Adventist college to offer an
A.E. with a major in speech.

It was during this time that Weniger developed his great
interest in persuasion. He states:

In 1932, I went to the University of Southern California, where

w introduction to persuasion was made by Dr. w. R. Brigance. In

one course we went through the works of Aristotle, Cicero,
Quintilian, and the rest of the classical rhetoricians and brought

A—

albide’ ”a 2. 3s

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4

the work down to the near-contemporaries such as Winans and Monroe.
Dr. Brigance completely changed my point of view toward public
speaking and got me to see that it was not the content that was the
only thing to be emphasized, but that the method, with emphasis on
attention and motivation and motive appeal, were the things to be ,
striven for. I cannot express my gratitude to the late Dr. Brigance .
for this change in my point of view.

Persuasion because so important in aw mind, as a result of this
smer session under Brigance, that I developed three two-hour
quarter courses in persuasion-mas in the ethical, one in the psycho-it
logical, and one in the logical spheres. These were very successful 1
and were elected by many students, particularly minis rial students. ‘
Sometimes classes were as large as 30 or 40 students. ‘

During the cancer session in 1935 at the University of Southern
California, Weniger took work under Dr. Henry Lee Bwbank of Wisconsin,
who was, at that time, pioneering in the field of radio. Soon there-
after, Weniger introduced a course in radio for prospective ministers
and other students at Pacific UnionCollege. It was in .1933 that he
received his Master's degree from the University of Southern California
with concentration in speech and secondary concentration in English.

It was also during this period that he began his activities as a
speaker for service organizations and similar groups. One of his early
endeavors in this area was a winter course for bankers, sponsored by the
American Institute of Banking, and conducted in the city of Napa,
California. Bankers from surrounding cities cans to Naps for a two-hour
session once weekly throughout the winter. Ibis prograa continued from
1931 to 1947. Ueniger also became in demand as a speaker on various.
phases of democracy for such organizations as Rotary, Kiwanis, Lions,
Civitan, Association of University women, Business and: Professional

Women's Club, high school and college assemblies, etc.-.

 

51bid.‘, pp. 3', 4. (Dr. ‘Brigance was a visiting professor at
the University of Southern California at this time). ‘

During the stunner of 1934 the Seventh-day Adventist church
initiated a new educational venture known as ”111a Advanced Bible
School." he first few sumr sessions of this school were held on the
Pacific Union College cuapus with Weniger as a umber of the staff,
teaching classes in persuasion.6 In 1937 this school-mow the Seventh-
day Adventist theological Seminaryubegan its work on its Washington,
D.C., campus. Weniger was invited to be a guest instructor in speech
nearly every sinner until he becmae a faculty member of the institution
in 1948. Regarding this new area of interest, Weniger says:

'lhis gave me a very direct and complete connection with the
ministerial phase of things so that w purpose in teaching
persuasion in the seminary was specifically that of making better
preachers. Other courses developed at the seminary and directly
slanted toward preaching were voice and diction, discussion, and
oral interpretation.

After a nmber of years of teaching in the general field of
speech, Weniger was asked by the president of the seminary to teach the
course in homiletics. Of this experience, he says:

This marks av specific connection of homiletics with the general
field of speech. by teaching of homiletics was different from the
teaching of homiletics in many seminaries in that it placed stress
on persuasive elements rather than devoting most of the time to con-
tent and structure. I also spent a great deal of time on the ethics
of the preacher, the ethics of the sermon, the persuasive elements
in the sermon, mtivation, etc. , and other general speech-content
ideas that my colleagues in most of the seminaries seemed to have
touched very lightly. Indeed, I found at that time that the
standard homiletics textbooks gave practically no attention to these
elements; and so, in addition to the work in a standard textbook such
as Broadus or Breed, I found it quite necessary to assign reading
and to give lectures in the general field of rhetoric.8

In 1947, he continued his graduate study at the University of

Southern California, working toward the Doctor of PhilosOphy degree with

__
A_‘

6It was in 1936 that this investigator first met Weniger as a
member of his class in persuasion.

7muw1w.g pa Se ' ' 81b1de

 

 

Mg..- .’-~w~—

a major in speech and a minor in comparative literature. ”larch of the
work taken at this level," he states, Was a categorizing and organizing
of materials that I had worked out by wself without credit; but courses
that were entirely new were very satisfying. nae chief emphasis, when-
ever I could make it, was in the field of persuasion. "9 During this
period at the University he taught voice and diction and, when needed,
carried the course in homiletics for the dean of the School of Religion.
Regarding his basic philosophy of homiletics, he says:

My continued interest in graduate studies was in the relationship
between the general field of speech and the particular field of
homiletics. During this period, my own sermon outlining underwent a
considerable change. And as I developed further courses in
homiletics, I found wself following different devices in structure
from those ordinarily employed by the teachers of homiletics. For
instance, my students were captivated by the Monroe Motivated
Sequence as a sermon outline method, which, as ffi as I know, had
not been suggested by other homiletics teachers.

Ueniger completed his work for the doctorate, and the degree was A
conferred in 1948. he was honored with both the Phi Kappa Phi and the
Phi Beta Kappa keys at this time. Bis work at the seminary in
Hashington continued to include a limited mammt of teaching, although
his duties as dean of the seminary greatly curtailed his opportunities
for teaching and research. Bis earlier interests in off -campus
activities were continued in Hashington, where he was honorary chaplain
of the Silver Spring Civitsn Club for ten years. Since his departure
from Washington in 1960, this club celebrates “Charlie Ueniger Day"
annually in October. On eu- occasion in 1962, Weniger gave a short
address by long distance telephone from Los Angeles which was amplified

fit the banquet hall.

g

9Ibid” p. 6. (Ueniger began his doctoral progran at USC in 1943.)
lolbid. '

--_ -~v~ -— mm“

~n-..

» - - ~'->—\-y _,

 

 

H
I ' sm-

7

In 1960, Heniger accompanied his smninary in its nerve to Berrien
springs, Michigan, where it becmae part of Andrews University. In 1961,
while on a trip in Europe and the Middle East, he was stricken with a
severe illness and forced to spend many months in a hospital. A partial
recovery of health permitted him to be director of the Andrews University
Extension School in Southern California. At the time of this writing,"1
he is again in a critical state of health. '

In the interviews on which this chapter is based, Weniger talked
freely about his philosophy of the relation bemveen speech and homiletics.
Following is a transcription of a portion of the tape of the interviews:

homiletics may be defined as that branch of speech which,
employing all available means and taking to itself the whole realm
of hman knowledge with emphasis on the Bible, seeks by persuasion to
draw men to a better life and a more abundant entrance into the
kingdom of heaven.

I have defined preaching as a branch of speech, effecting its
results by persuasion. By this I mean that the overall, ultimate
end of preaching is persuasion-~that is, ”the ultimate end of all
preaching, of all sermons taken together as a whole.‘ . This end of
persuasion may not appear to be the sole purpose of a” single sermon,
but it is the ultimate purpose of all sermons.

In other words, the objective of the single sermon may be that
of. instructionufor example, to'explein the doctrine of tithing.
But although this is the end of the particular sermon, ultimately it
should be a step in persuasion toward the better life--the more
abundant Christian life-dwhich would include practicing the doctrine
of tithing. Further, the objective of a single sermn may be to
stimulate or even to please, as a sermon on the glory and beauty of
the New Jerusalem and of heaven. But in this case the ultimate step
would likewise be that of persuading the auditory to be ready to
enter into that kingdom of heaven through the better life. Still
further, the objective of the single sermon may be- to convince, as a
sermon proving by logical means that the seventh day is the
Sabbath . . .; but ultimately this must lead to persuading the
listener that he should experience a more abundant‘life here in keep-
ing the seventh day and be prepared for a more abundant life
hereafter in an eternal keeping of the Sabbath day. Or still
further, the preacher might endeavor to reach all of the ends in a
single sermon, with the final desire that of persuading the auditory.

_ - _..A --.--~_-.—...-_. , - - -

9

“July, 1964. f r:

 

jccc’.‘

cratww...re.hha\m&

 

I do not believe in a dichotomy. 1 do not believe in a dualism. I
am constrained to feel that the monistic point of view is the
ultimate concept in persuasion. All of these different ends are
involved in reaching the ultimate.

As I review the phases of speech in general which are added to
the teaching of homiletics or emphasized more than usual in the
teaching of homiletics, I note several elements. First, there is
the element of communication which involves a thorough study of the
nature of man as auditory in general. This applies to the preacher .’~
who does not know the nature of the audience to which he will preach.’
Second, there is the study of men in particular, which applies to
the preacher who is so fortunate as to be acquainted with the members
of the congregation which he will address. “his means that there :
must be a thorough study of people, for no sermon can be satisfac- '
torily given to any two audiences in the sane fashion. It must be ‘
adapted to the particular auditory and must recognize what men are
in general. . . . Further, in this matter of eomnunication, there
must be a thorough study of the preacher as a menu-what kind of a
man is he? He must be a man before he can be a preacher. As a
preacher, he must be a transparent median of mression. 'mis
comprehends a detailed study of his dress, his stance and gestures,
his movement, his posture, his speech as an instrument, the caliber
of his voice, etc.

Another element particularly stressed in my adaptation of speech
in general to the particular field of homiletics is that of the study
of appeal to hmnan motives-wall the way from self-preservation to the
desire to be a child of God, which is perhaps the highest of hunan
motives. This comprehends a thorough study of psychology. Again,
this emphasis means the employment of all the interest devices
available, far beyond that usually suggested in current textbooks in
homiletics.

Perhaps, most of all, as another element, it emphasizes the
coverage of all human knowledge and experience, as the classical
rhetorician stressed the point that the orator was the ultimate end
of the educational process and that he must know all things in order
that he might reach all men with his mssage of oratory. So the
preacher, if he is to reach all men from the lowest to the highest,
from the uneducated to the sophisticated, nmst, at least imagina-
tively, have a knowledge of a wide sphere of hmnan knowledge and
experience if he is to reach these various classes. I thoroughly
believe in St. Paul' s dictum. "I met be all things unto all men,
thetbyallmeanslmaysave some. . . .'

In all of this treatment of homiletics as a branch of speech, I
must emphasize that the elements of speech in general mat be used
at their highest level, for spiritual values are infinitely superior
to all other values, and spiritual things are spiritually discerned.
’lhis means that not only must the intellect be convinced, but the
will must be moved, and this comes partly through the operation of
the Holy Spirit upon the hearts of the auditory. ‘mis implies and
involves the inspiration of the holy Spirit, both in the preparation

m

O-_
C!

0th
sho
rel
d131
Ciel
Stu:

 

NA“-

ci“

r..

of the minister and in his actual delivery. He met be inspired
continually as he prepares his sermons, and then must be fluid
enough in his preparation to permit the Holy Spirit to recreate his
preparation and to t or add or substitute for the? things of his
initial preparation. .

Weniger's viewpoint regarding speech and homiletics takes
specific form in his recomendations regarding theological education:

I am asked to designate the requirements in speech at the
Bachelor of Divinity level. I have the following suggestions which
are subject to further thinking. If the student comes into the
seminary with what I assume is‘an adequate foundation in speech, his
program would be of one type; and if he comes with an inadequate
foundation, his program would be considerably different. By an
adequate foundation, I mean this minimum courses in fundamentals
of speech, voice and diction, oral interpretation, and persuasion.
I- observe that Dr. fiance favors adding a course in discussion, and
with this I thoroughly agree. I consider the others a bare minimal
which might total about ten semester hours, or possibly twelve.

If the student comes into the seminary with this background, I
feel that he may not need a further course in voice and diction as
such; but he should be exmnined on entrance withrespect to his use
of voice and speech and given such individual remedial help as is
necessary to care for his platform and conversational needs.

If he has had a course in oral interpretation, I feel that he
still needs separate work in the oral reading of the scriptures and _
of sacred writings; and upon thisI would place great stress inasmuch
as I am convinced to believe that the imprOper oral reading of the
scriptures is one of the most serious difficulties in our contempor-
ary worship. In w opinion, the congregation should be spiritually
,fed by every word of God that falls from the preacher's lips, and

the high point in the worship service should be the simple expressive .‘

reading of the scripture lesson. - This probably would involve a
distinct course of at least two semester or quarter hours' value.

If the student comes with an introduction to persuasion, I still
feel that he needs an advanced course in persuasion involving--
since he probably did not touch them during college, to any great
extent--the great rhetoricians whom I shall name: Aristotle, Cicero, ,
Quintilian, St. Augustine, Blair, Hhately, Campbell, Spencer, and I
winans, with the addition of such minor men as Monroe and certain "
others that occur along the way. . . . In my Opinion, the B.D. man
should have an acquaintance with the foundation source material ,
relative to these rhetoricians. he is usually thereby astonished to’
discover the high emphasis placed upon ethical values by such men as,
cicero and Quintilian. I have seldom had finer response to such ,7
studies than in the study of Quintilian which I have usually

,5
I,
I
’l

l’ZInterviews, pp. 8-11.

I

i
..'
1'
.'

10

required at the seminary level and in part at the undergraduate
level. - ‘

If he has had a course in discussion at the undergraduate level,
he still, in any opinion, needs a course in discussion in order that
he may adapt his general principles to the conduct of the business
meeting and other church meetings and take adequate part in the
organizations which he sponsors or of which he ..is a part in his
comunity. his is a recent addition to our thinking, but probably
a very important addition. If the student has these three courses
'at the seminary level, and the homiletics instructor (who, I hope,
has speech training) adequately employs the materials of these
courses in his teaching of homiletics, I think that we should have a
much stronger preacher than we are turning out from most of our
seminaries.

.—
~—~
~---‘.-w.
-‘ - - .

It is almost inconceivable that a man should enter the seminary /
without any work in speech. In almost all instances, he has at '
least a fundamental course--an introduction to general speech -.-but I
have actually found a few . . . that come with no speech whatsoever. fl
Some have never made a public speech or given a sermon throughout .:
their four years of college. In these instances, I hardly know what ’-
to suggest; but I think probably a foundation course in the general ’
principles course in oral comunication needs to be given. . . . In 5
the case of this type of student it is certainly essential that he ;
have courses in interpretation (with emphasis on the Bible) , in ,
voice and diction with a complete canvassing of his own speech and '
voice resources and the endeavor to remove the difficulties and
strengthen the strong points, and in persuasion. 'nle persuasion
course should be made more extensive than the course given at the
undergraduate level. I could wish that a full semester to the
extent of three or four hours might be devoted to it. It would also
certainly be desirable that he have an introduction to discussion
motivated practically entirely from the point of view of the pulpit
and the church necessities. In other words, I should like to see
speech definitely incorporated in every B.D. curriculum. I cannot
conceive of our training a minister adequately unless the field is
recognized as an overall field of which homiletics is a part; and I
look forward to the time when our seminaries will unite the teaching
of homiletics and speech in one department with no suggestion what-
soever of a variance in the methodolog or content of the two fields,
one of which, in my opinion, is only a branch of the other.13

Weniger reveals, in part, his homiletical theory in statmnents
made in his interviews:
With Paul Scherer of Union Theological Seminary, I feel that all

of the materials of the B.D. curricular-biblical, historical, and
so on--should be the content of the materials presented in the fields

 

lalbgde. ppe .13'16e

- ' “ -"“-“-’ -.¢—. _‘ -

m—~—-—‘--*' >v ‘4

'W‘T—fihm—wv" -

lav—W"

ll

of speech and homiletics, in addition to the precise and specific
technical matter in the fields.

William Stidger, in one of his delightful essays, calls our
attention to preaching as a hopper into which all of the different
metals are poured. From this comes the final result, which is
preaching. This is something of an interpretation of a part of my
definition in which the preacher is required to be in touch with all
knowledge and experience in the human realm if he would meet all
kinds of peOple. . . . The teacher of homiletics and speech should
be so familiar with the background and content of the historical,
biblical, etc., fields that he would require these fields to be
brought into the production of the student in the course in
homiletics. .

In other words, I feel that a study of a certain doctrine in a
doctrines course should find outlet in the production of a sermon on
that doctrine. The study of an historical epoch in church history
should find outlet in the production of a sermon that would at least
use this material for illustrative uses in the sermon. 1"

Logic must be involved in homiletics. If the emotional appeal is
to be of any ultimate value (for it. is in itself ephemeral), logic
mat be added to make it effective. To be only emotionally directed
toward an ideal is insufficient. "hen the auditory wakes up the
next morning and gets to thinking about the sermon heard the night
before, real thinking demands some logical foundation for what was
only perhaps an emotional reaction. This use of logic transcends
the simple use of logic as suggested by Aristotle, and perhaps con-
sidered by him the real foundation of deliberative discussion.

I also feel that homiletics often partakes of the nature of
epideictic oratory. This is particularly true in the case of any
occasional sermon such as the one given in die baccalaureate pulpit
or at the laying of a foundation stone or the Opening of a
building. 15

You ask whether, in my opinion, St. Augustine has a contribution?
to our discussion of homiletical theory. In his endeavor to analyze 7
Christian oratory under classical patterns, it seems that he
finally came to a conclusion that may not be too dated after all--
although it does partake of the nature of classical criticism--
preaching may be a fourth division of the branches of oratory. In
my own definition of preaching I do not feel the necessity of this
conclusion, taking as I do a more comprehensive viewmint than
Augustine; but I do think that Augustine has given ,a great deal of
material which ought to be in the hands of our advanced students.16

One obvious conclusion from this study is that Weniger cannot be

accurately characterized as either a "speech men" or a ”homiletics man."

—

1*

1(’Ibid., pp. 21, 22. 15mg, p. 26. . “Ibid” p. 30..

vw ——.—-_“-——-—-- w.-

 

12
His experience and his philosophy stamp him in a dual role. He may be
described either as "a speech man teaching homiletics" or as "a
homiletics man trained in speech." Both factors of his professional
life constantly show through. his dual role he articulated in a
definite philosophy. Later chapters will reveal the effects of this
viewpoint on his teaching, his writing, did his speaking.

of c.
theta
swan
select
preach:
Blair,
gators 1
Studied
Sapling

In8115b,

 

 

,A ,-M vmm
VF—

.“ ‘."‘~‘ ‘

mm 11

' A suavar or was neunmsan BB‘NBBN RHBIORIC m audience
!
m aunts-Imam m mmm cam;

Introdugtion
' he primary purpose of this chapter will be to examine the works

of certain selected homileticians, rhetoricians, and homiletician-
rhetoricians whose writings reveal in a definite manner an attitude
toward the relationship between homiletics and rhetoric.. he individuals
selected include Augustine, some of the writers of medieval tractates on
preaching,.Brasmus, Melanchthon, Hyperius, homss Wilson, Campbell,
Blair, John Quincy Adams, John A. Broadus, and certain modern investi-
gators on the subject. It is obvious that many more persons might be
studied with profit, but it is felt that these selections give a
sampling of the patristic, medieval, Renaissance and Reformation, early
English, later English, American, and contuporary periods.

i he final focus of the chapter is on contemporary American
homiletical theory, especially as it is reflected in theological
education. The purpose of structuring! the background material in this
way is to explore the innediate philosophical and professional back-
ground without an understanding of which the work of Charles B. Weniger
can hardly be understood. j I

In an attempt to capture the significance of the contributions

of these individuals, this investigator has given considerable aphasia

-F- __

. _ . ~.-~q-.c ’~—"$-‘

14
to the work of others who have been interested in similar or related
problems. Examples would include James J. Murphy's article on Augustine
and Christian rhetoric , Harry Caplan's distinguished work on medieval
tractates on preaching, B. C. Dargan's insightful work, h; Art of
Reaching in the Light of Its History, Clarence Bdney's article on
Cmnpbell's lectures, Lloyd hrle Perry's dissertation on American

Protestant homiletical education, and significant statements from

‘ william Toohey, Warren Faber, Ronald Sleeth, Grady Davis, and

Carl Lundquis t.

Augustine
One of the most illuninating docthents on the nature of

homiletics, and on the relationship between rhetoric and homiletics, is
Augustine's 92 Doctrine Christiana, often referred to as'On Chriggan
Doctrig or Chrigtian Ingmtion} his doctnent consists of four
books, the first three of which werewritten in an. 397, and the fourth
added in 426.2 Charles Sears Baldwin believes that ".' . . no book has
ever revealed . . . more succinctly, more practically, or more
suggestively than the 2g Doctrina Chrigtiana" the fact that ". . . a
constant concern of homiletic is: to exercise it by a valid rhetoric."3

' In discussing the relationship of De ygcgina Christians to

rhetoric and homiletics, it has been customary to limit attention to

 

1English translations of this work are found in The Writing; of
St. Augustine, Vol. IV: he Fathers of the Church (New York: Cima
Publishing Co., 1947); On Christian Doctrine, trans. D. W. Robertson

(New York: Liberal Arts Press, 1958); and Nicgg and Post Nicene Path; rg,
VOL II. eds Philip scuffe ' :9

ZNPNP, vol. 11, p. 515.

_ 3Charles Sears Baldwin, Medieval'Rhetoric and Po‘gtic
(Gloucester, Hass.: Peter Smith, 1959), p. 73.

a. .I’F‘O "firm."

e- -au-- v

-7 “wen..-"

 

 

15
Book IV. his has been the case because Book IV deals specifically with
such rhetorical matters as eloquence, style, and diction. It would seem
that a more correct approach would be to look at all (four books.
Books I, II, and III deal with interpretation of scripture or the science
of hermeneutics. Book IV follows with its primary emphasis on eloquence.
At the beginning of Book I the author states:

. There are two things on which all interpretation of scripture
depends: the mode of ascertaining the prOper meaning, and the mode
of making known the meaning when it is ascertained. He shall treat
first of the mode of ascertaining, next of the mode of making known,
the meaning.“ . .

At the beginning of Book IV, Augustine repeats this statement, indicating
that the first three books had dealt with "the mode of ascertaining the

meaning" and in Book IV the author would ". . . an a few things about

V' "’—'—-—< .. . - _ _- _

the mode of making known the meaning.’.?5

he classical canons of rhetoric would classify Books I, II, and
III under the caption of "Invention.":; In these books, the author formu- i
lates rules for the interpretation of scripture, thus providing for the j
development of subject matter (for preaching. Book IV deals largely with f
the canon of Style, but touches Delivery. he canon of Arrangement, ,‘
though not dealt with explicitly, may be considered as implicit in the
interpretative function. .

Augustine's adherence to classical patterns of rhetoric is
indicated by his frequent references to Cicero in Book IV. The Cima
translation includes nearly 150 references to Cicero in the footnotes.
These references include some direct quotations; but, for the most part,

they reflect a similarity of ideas. As an example of direct quotation,
in Book IV, Chapter 12, Augustine says:

 

4mm, Vol. 11, p. 522. ' 51b;d.. p. 571..

“04%.

-- ‘ -.

_,. -fl.’~uflmwm rue-we

“ 1..-”

.
‘— ‘A-MMO -m "~vwgfimqu‘ . mun-cv- Dev-r

16

Accordingly a great orator has truly said that "an eloquent man
must speak so as to teach, to delight, and to persuade." hen he
adds: "To teach is a necessity, to delight is a beauty, to persuade
is a triumph. "6

Again, the author deals at length with the three levelsfof style as
defined by Cicero--the majestic, the temperate, and the'tsubdued.7 He
cites exalnples of these sales from the Christian scriptures and from
the church fathers, and he constants on what he considers the prOper use
of these styles in preaching.

Augustine's dependence on Cicero is particularly interesting in
view of the reluctance of the Christian church of hisltime to quote or
recognize pagan authors. James J. Murphy has discussed this phase of

the problem in depth in his article, "St. Augustine and the Debate About

a Christian Rhetoric."8 burphy recognizes the importance of De Doctrine

as a criticism of sophistic rhetoric and as a base for Christian preach-
ing, but he also sees this work as Augustine's solution of the church's
dilema regarding the use of works of. pagan authors. he says:

he basic issue was whether the church should adopt in toto the
contemporary culture which Rome had taken over from Greece. he
fate of rhetoric, as a part of the Greco-Roman culture, was involved
not only in the debate over the larger issue, but in more limited
controversies about its own merits. Indeed, the contrast between
Verbum (Word of God) and verbum (word of man) was stressed from the
very beginnings of the church, long before the broader cultural
issue was joined.

Murphy assesses the contribution of E Doctrine to the solution of this

problem, especially as it pertained to rhetoric, as follows:

A_.

511nm, p. 583. 7Ibid., pp. 587ff.

8James J. hhtphy. "St..Augustine and the Debate About a
Christian Rhetoric ," anrtggly Jamal of Speech , Vol. XLVI (December,
1960). pp. 401-410.

9Ibid., p. 401.

/7

I ,

A. « N".

1- f.~y'-. . v.9

nag w-.. - t—e‘

yon-4‘ 00...

um.

1 ".14 ~

$uv rvp‘ -r~mfi'HMQ-s

..- a- a!“ M.“ “W’s.“ ‘J‘ CI“

17

It is plain throughout that he [Augustine] intends the student
of this subject to master the ordinary things taught in the schools.
Although Augustine severly limits the number of things which a
student might profitably learn from the profane culture, he is
equally quick to point out that the young should pursue "those
human institutions helpful to social intercourse in the necessary
pursuits of life." A

Augustine takes his stand, therefore, in the great debate about
the use to which the new Christian society is to put the Bagiengg
mtmdi. he declares that the art of eloquence should be put into
active service1 and not rejected out of hand because it is tainted
with paganism.

he De Doctrine, as a whole, provides an answer to one of the
questions that has bothered rhetoricians and homileticians alike-~the
question of the relation between matter and form. As mrphy puts it:
he sin of the sophist is that he denies the necessity of sub-
ject matter and believes that M alone is desirable. An
opposite vice, one to which historians of rhetoric have never given 1
a name, depends upon the belief that the man possessed of truth will 1'
ipso facto be able to comunicate the truth to others. . . . ;
Augustine apparently recognized a danger in this aspect of the I
cultural debate of his times, and used the De Doctrine to urge a ,'
union of both matter and form in Christian preaching. ’
It is significant that the five most fmnous pulpit orators of
the fourth and fifth centuries were rhetorically trained-"Basil, .
Gregory Nazianzen, Chrysostom, Ambrose, and Augustine.” Of these five, f
Augustine became the homiletician; and it was his lot to build a bridge .-
between classical rhetoric and homiletics. As the first major homile-
tician of the Christian church, he established a pattern that affected
all subsequent homiletical theory. . In fact, there was little deviation
from his pattern until the thirteenth century. he science of homiletics,

therefore, was created by a rhetorician. he style was a baptized

 

10 ll

Ibide, ppe 407-408.

123. C. Dargan, he Art of Pgeaching in thg Light 2f Lg Histog

(New York: Doran, 1922) , pg 50.

Ibid. . p. 409.

Cicero, bu

fans me

C
m

lished in
Caplan's a
between me
this chapt

article.

 

”'1
in

ms and t
theme of C
sumived 1

Classical

translatio

 

. . 0-H “amp-m.- .6--

..nn.—o.’ all

18
Cicero, but the subject matter was that of the Christian scriptures. Old

forms were being used to convey» new concepts.
Classical Rhetoric and the Medieval Theory of Preaching

The above title is borrowed from Barry Caplan's' article pub-

lished in 1933. 13

Within the knowledge of the present investigator,
Caplan's article is the only serious attempt to reveal the relationship
between medieval rhetoric and medieval homiletics. ' For the purposes of
this chapter, it seems apropos to attempt a digest of this important
article. .

The dominant position of rhetoric as one of the seven liberal
arts 'and the identification of Cicero with rhetoric is the introductory

theme of Caplan's article. He points uout that "the classical rhetoric

survived in many forms."14 These forms included manuscripts of
classical rhetoricians. works of minor rhetoricians. comentaries on and
translations of Cicero and other writers. Among these various works was

I

‘ !

the Ecclesiastica rhetorica, "virtually a forensic rhetoric for canon i
’ 1
I

law, and professedly deve10ped in accordance with rhetorical doctrine."15

|with grammar it was a fundamental subject in cathedral schools, monas- /

caries. and city schools. . . . And as one of the artes sermocinales it I

.'

was included in the W of the religious orders.”16 ,'

 

13Harry Caplan. "Classical Rhetoric and the mdieval Theory of
Preaching," Classical Philology, Vol. XXVIII, No. 2 (April, 1933). Cf.
Harry Caplan, "A Late Medieval Tractate on Preaching," Studies in ,
Rhetoric and Public Speakng in Honor of James Albert Winans (New York: ‘
The Century 00., 1925), pp. 61-90; Harry Caplan, "Rhetorical Invention
in Some Mcdiaeval Tractates on Preaching," Speculum, Vol. II, No. 3
(July, 1927), pp. 284-295; Harry Caplan, "Review: Artes Praedicandi
(0. P. 111.41. Charland)," W Vol. XIII, No. 3 (July, 1938).

14%.. p. 74' 15M. ‘ lélbidop p. 760

Aft

 

 

consider 8

was, is

Wergne VJ.

  
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
 

oratory to
field for
iron vice,

Itazrous

well over
are tmpubl
Ca
Md preach
on classic
‘ Fr
question
Placed on
rdiatom. "

“‘0 (itclar
\5
17

 

19'

t

21‘

23‘

 

19
After presenting this general background, Caplan states, "What I
consider significant in mediaeval literature, as in the cathedral sculp-
tures, is the theological environment of rhetoric."17 William of
Auvergne wrote a rhetoric of prayer, applying the divisions of Roman

oratory to prayer. 18

"But obviously," Caplan continues, "the widest
field for rhetoric in the Middle Ages was in preaching, the dissuasion
from vice, and the persuasion to virtue, the winning of souls to God. "19
Nxmerous manuals were written, treating on the theory ‘of preaching.
These manuals represent twelfth to fifteenth century productions on the
art of preaching. These tractates are "systematic, carefully developed
treatises," and "ware scattered plentifully over the libraries of
Europe."20 At the time of Caplan's article, he knew of the existence of
well over 2.50 manuscripts of these tracts, the great majority of which
are unpublished.21 . 1‘
. Caplan proceeds to indicate the attitude of medieval theologians
and preachers to rhetoric. He considers the dependence ;of these tracts
on classical rhetoric and points out the "general lines zof inheritancefldz2 ,
From the times of the church fathers, there had..been a recurring
question among Christian leaders as to how much dependence should be
placed on secular learning. Augustine had established :a tradition in his
De Doctrine by quoting favorably from Cicero and by "joining eloquence to
religion. "23 While there were those like the Spaniard, Paulus Albarus,

who declared, "'nxe rhetoricians, wordy and redundant, have filled the

17Ibid. : 181bid., p.-77.
191b1d. - 2°1bid., p. 79.
21 . 22 ;

Ibid.

Ibid., 3. 80.

23Ibid., p. 81.

20
air with empty wind,"24 the more general viewpoint was that of Rabanus,
who in his De clericorum instructione wrote in effect:

Rhetoric, by which I understand the art of speaking well in
civil questions, which seem to belong to mundane science, still is
not extraneous to ecclesiastical discipline, for skill in this art is
useful to the preacher for fluent and prOper teaching, as well as for
apt and elegant writing, and for delivering a sermon. He does gell
who learns it fully, and so fits himself to preach God's word.2

The great doctor, St. mamas Aquinas, is quoted as saying, "Eloquence and
learning can profitably be used by a preacher."26 Caplan smarizes the '
medieval attitude as follows:
Thus, even though we remember that in some cases rhetoric found
a welcome place in civil matters but was not admitted to theology;
even though occasionally the Psalter was considered sufficient to
train a monk for his career; and even though at times there was
legislation within the religious orders against recourse to the pro-
fane arts, yet rhetoric clearly had an accepted place in theology
and preaching. To be sure, the art did not in the Middle Ages attain
to the full flower of its great days in classical civilization, when
there existed a free environment for deliberative oratory. When
scholars pass this judgment, they cannot be gainsaid. Yet it is
equally true that rhetoric in thg mediaeval period flourished far
more than is generally believed. 7
Inasmuch as the emphasis of medieval preaching was on the simple
and unadorned, the principal area in which classical rhetoric was dis-
trusted was within the area of style. Caplan points out that this
criticism was in itself rhetorical as it indicated a greater emphasis on

content than on style.

An analysis of the tractates reveals dependence on- many classi-
cal rhetoricians including Isidore, Cicero, Aristotle, Seneca, Horace,
Quintilian, Sidonius, Symachus, Plato, Lucretius, Persius, and Ovid.
"me richest legacy bequeathed to mediaeval rhetoric from the ancient

period, Caplan declares, ”was the inventional use of the tops or

 

24%.! Pp. 80, 81' 2591-9-09 pp. 81, 82.

27

26.1114}, P0 82' mo. pp. 83, 840

cmflplac
the right

for preset
the heave

virtue.

'D
doiioitior
as "open .-
informing
the some
popular.
there. (3
Syllogist

observes :

631951.15 1c
allthorn

mmgie

tud‘98. 1

_~.~ .-..~ -M -.-e-

21
comonplace, the artistic finding of the right argument conmunicable to
the right audience in the right circumstances."28 me proper materials
for preaching were generally included under ten m: God, the devil,
the heavenly city, hell, the world, the soul, the body, sin, penitence,
virtue.29

The medieval homileticians also concerned themselves about
definitions and types of preaching. Alain de Lille described preaching
as "open and public instruction in faith and morals, devoted to the
informing of men, originating in the way of reason and proceeding from
the source of authorities. "30 As to type, the thematic was the most
popular. The usual division was (1) a theme from the Bible, (2) a pro-
theme, (3) divisions and subdivisions arranged largely in an artistic
syllogistic order.31 Regarding the syllogistic approach, Caplan

observes:

Were the modern student, fortified by a knowledge of Aristotle's
Rhetoric, to contend that the rhetorical enthymeme, not the syllo-
gism is proper to the art of rhetoric, the mediaeval preacher would
perhaps reply that sacred eloquence differs from secular in that its
subject matter lies not in the realm of opinion and probability, but
in truth and divine science; that it is as sound a procedure to use
a dialectical method in the demonstration of truth as in the
investigation of it; and, further, that in Aristotle and Cicero and
Quintilian he had precedents for the policy of adapting to rhetorical
purposes the methods of the allied art of dialectic.32

In the tractates examined by Caplan, much attention was paid to
expansion. Topics of expansion were noted as follows: (1) agreement of
authorities, (2) word study, (3) study of prOperties of objects, (4)
analogies, (5) ratiocination and argunent, (6) comparison, (7) simili-

tudes, (8) use of acmstics and hidden terminology, (9) multiplication

 

281bid., p. 86. . zglbid. 3°Ibid.

3lIbid., p. 87. 32 id., p. 88.

. 1'. ”flute-'- -. ~..¢.-

- us <..-~... v-N"'

\~-

havever .

22
of synonyms, (10) dialectical tapics, (ll) explication of scriptural

metaphors, (12) cause and effect in the moral realm, (l3) anecdotes,

(14) observation of end and purpose, (15) setting forth essential weight
of a word, (16) interpretation of Hebrew names, (17) etymology, (18)
parts of speech, (19) rhetorical colors, (20) four senses of scriptural
interpretationnhistoricel or literal, allegorical, tropologicel,

anagogical. 33

Medieval homiletic theory did not ignore the importance of

ethical persuasion. For example, St. Bonaventure said that a preacher

should possess several qualities: (1) he should be of the right age--
about thirty, (2) he must be mature, (3) he must not be deformed, (4)

he must be strong, (5) he must be eloquent, (6) he must be well trained
in gramar and scripture, (7) he must be able to speak without error and

confusion, (8) he must be unreproachable in life and habits, (9) he must

be industrious, prudent, and not contentious.“

Delivery, also, was not neglected. Gestures, tempo, loudness,

tone, mannerisms, enunciation, length of discourse were considered

worthy of attention.35 Audience analysis was strongly stressed:

Humbert has one hundred chapters on different audiences. . . .
St. Bonaventure studies the comonplace vices of certain
audiences. . . . Jacques de Vitry had 120 categories of hearers.
The Ecclesiastica rhetorica reminds the speaker that there are seven

primary emotions: fear, pain, sadness, shame, indignation, wrath,
and hate of sin.

 

This thematic preaching of the Middle Ages had its critics,

Roger Bacon saw in it "an infinite childish dullness and a

_*

cheapening of God's word. "37 Caplan acknowledges the .“pedantry and

33223.9: m» 89.‘ 9o. “mtg” pp. 91., 92. 351mm, 1). 92.

36%.. p. 93’ 371b1de. pa 94s

coacentrst
to praise
can find It.

texterity

 

the theory

 

It
relations}

in part:

L.
therei
of thc
this 3
from
media
greats
recogc
synth
in t:
scrip
and c
Ihe
yet if
C1855'

 

C
was an 81
the”! of
Mdieval

quality.

'I
Varie
In fc
only I

Fret;

ID (I:

Hr)
/£
I_e.__1.n . “ 2

 

23

concentrated formalism" of such preaching, but adds, “We can find much
to praise in the methodical ordering of the thematic sermon. . . . He
can find much to laud, too, in the inventional scheme, 'and in the

dexterity and practical variety of treatment, and can appreciate that

the theory served its day well."3§
In his closing paragraph, Caplan gives his estimate of the

relationship between classical rhetoric and medieval preaching. He says

in part:

The influence of classical rhetoric on mediaeval preaching was
therefore definite and considerable. Furthermore, from the nature
of the preacher's education, from me wide interest in rhetoric in
this period, from the persistence of the rhetorical tradition, and
from the quality of some elements that we have considered in the
mediaeval theory, I regard it as legitimate to assume an even
greater contact and influence than one finds expressed or
recognized. . . . But the Middle Ages never achieved that complete
synthesis of homiletics and classical rhetoric that we begin to find
in the Renaissance. It is only in that period and later that manu-
scripts appear in which the classical authors are fully searched
and carefully excerpted for the specific use of preachers. . . .
Tme preaching of the Renaissance Sand modern times drank more deeply,
yet mediaeval theory tasted more .than superficially at the fount of
classical rhetoric. 9 '

Caplan's work seems to refute successfully the notion that there
was an a1m08t entire eclipse of classical rhetoric in the preaching
theory of the medieval period. There were, however, other factors in
medieval preaching that, in the Opinion of some, detracted from its
quality. These factors are observed by Dargan, who says:

The sermon retains its character as an expository discourse. It

varies still from the more extended address-to the briefer homily. '
In form and content it remains what the fourth century deve10ped. ’
Only the decline of power is apparent. . . . The allegorical inter-
pretation--except in Theodoret and a few others of the Antiochian

school-~has the field. The enforcing of churchly duties is a large
element in preaching. 'nie growth of liturgical forms, while

381bid.

aglbids, pp. 94-96s

-t--.._ - l- .

depressing to preaching, has yet given to it a recognized and
permanent place in the services of the church.

Regarding preaching in the seventh and eighth centuries, Dargan
continues:

The eXposition of scripture is wretched. Allegory is gone mad.
The clergy are ignorant as well as corrupt, the sermons show little
thought and less learning.

me ninth, tenth, and eleventh centuries revealed little improvement:

As to the character and contents of. the sermons that have come
down to us from that age little needs to be said. The preaching was
much as in former times; the best part of it was borrowed from the
older preachers, and it was filled with legends, with discussions of
the chu uzghly virtues, and the like, to the obscuration of the simple
gospel.

The twelfth century, according to Dargan, showed a distinct improvement
in preaching. He refers to the medieval tractates described by Caplan
as “mmerous treatises which taught the art§of preaching." He continues,
"It is true that these treatises themselves show little originality or
power, but the use of them was at least favorable to a better rhetorical
practzi.ce."“3 Despite these improvements, the old allegorical interpre-
tation still persisted. Although the preaching orders of the thirteenth
century contributed somewhat to the improvement of preaching, still
"wild allegorizing, puerile fancies, forced meanings and applications,
gross misunderstanding, and sometimes positive irreverence, were only
too con-non in handling the word of God."u' The rise of mystical preach-
ing in this century added a new dimension, but did not correct the basic

weaknesses of the medieval pulpit.

403. C. Dargan, A History of Preaching, Vol. I (Grand Rapids,
Mich.: Baker, 1954), pp. 113, 114.

411bid., p. 113. 421b18.. p. 166.

43Ibid., p. 189. 441b1d.. p. 230.

i‘sdi.
depending on
rhetorical h
mastine's |
sisting of i
assesses o
interpretati
heritage of
this was per:

rather than

 

The
centeries h.
Wanibutio
afflicting h

rhetoric. N

1c
ESPQCL'
first.}
read a}
{Em-0d.
Patris
allay .
theta:-
litera

Ch
3%“ (1
\

45
Pp' 93.115

46

Medieval preaching may be evaluated from many viewpoints,
depending on the Opinion of the observer. Caplan has reminded us of its ;
rhetorical heritage. Dargan has reminded us of its weaknesses. If ’
Augustine's tradition is followed, and preaching is conceived as con-
sisting of interpretation and comunication, may it not be that the
weaknesses of the medieval preachers were due more to faulty methods of
interpretation than to inadequate theories of conrnunication? The
heritage of the classical rhetoricians did not teach interpretation--
this was peculiarly Christian. The problem was one of hermeneutics

rather than rhetoric, a problem for which Cicero had no answers.

Significant Developments Durng the Renaissance

and the Reformation
me revival of letters during the fifteenth and sixteenth

centuries had marked effects on preaching and homiletical theory. These

45

contributions are well smmnarized by Dargan. Among the major factors

affecting homiletics, Dargan names ". . . the revived study of ancient

a

rhetoric." He says:

Along with the other great classical writings those which deal
especially with the principles of rhetoric came up for fresh and
first-hand study. Aristotle, Cicero, Quintilian, and others were
read anew and with greater zest. The time for dry compilations and
reproductions, for sapless imitations and barren rehashings of
patristic and scholastic theories of public speaking had passed
away. Men were going back to those original sources of higher
rhetorical zit which had given law to the classic periods of ‘
literature.

Chief among the Renaissance homiletician-rhetoricians was

Erasmus (1457-1536). In 1511 was published his De Duplici Copig

M

45Dargan, Th; Art of Preachigg in Q e Light of Its Histogy,
pp‘ 93.1150 .

461bid., pp. 94, 95.

26
Verbormn:e_t:R_er1mi. commonly known as his 9923;. This work was a popular
textbook in rhetoric, passing through sixty editions during Erasmus'
lifetime.“

During the last year of Erasmus' life, his Ecclesiastes, sige
Concionator Evangelicus (Gospel Preacher) was published.“8 This book,

described by Dargan as "the most important work on the theory of preach-
ing since Augustine," is divided into four books--the first discusses
"the dignity of the preaching office and the virtues and character
appropriate to the office." This is obviously in the area of ethical
appeal. Books two and three deal with "doctrines and precepts on the
art of preaching derived from rhetoricians, logicians, and theologians."
The fourth book deals with m for pulpit use."9

Dargan reveals Erasmus' treatment of rhetoric in its relation-
ship to homiletics and preaching as follows:

Erasmus first takes up Grammar as the necessary precedent of
Rhetoric. This is the order of the Liberal Arts in the trivicmi; and
by grarmnar of course he understands more than is meant in the modern
restricted use of the term. Cranmer, or Letters, as then understood,
included the elements of all linguistic and literary studies, both
as taught in the preparatory (gramar) schools, and as pursued in
the universities. Accordingly Erasmus recommends the careful study
of language and literature as essential to the preacher. He is
careful to urge the importance of a knowledge of Hebrew, Greek, and
Latin, but does not fail to say that the preacher should also have a
good knowledge of the vernacular so as to speak both clearly and
elegantly in the papular tongue. He urges the careful study of the
classic authors, the Fathers, theologians, and other literature. He
also advises the reading of sermons, past and contemporary.

All these preliminaries being now disposed of, Erasmus comes to
the heart of his subject and proceeds to discuss such of the pre-
cepts of rhetoric as seem to be of special value to the preacher.

5” i
471818.. p. 99.

“Ibid” p. 100. me sumary of this work is based on Dargan' a
digest of the 1704 edition published at Leyden by Peter van der Aa.

“9Ibsd.. p. 101.

Soze
preach
semis
Earth
rheto
that

port;
Delib

C I
. i
Fur-ks

Sta 8
be of
58:50

 

 

Some Of these precepts and principles evidently do not apply to
preaching, and some are unsound in themselves; but many are of

service, and the Holy Spirit does not disdain to use them in .!

furtherance of the gospel. In regard to the three kinds of
rhetoric-~judicia1, deliberative, epideictic--. . . Erasmus remarks
that the first only applies to preaching so far as general precepts ,
pertaining to all public speaking are comon to both species.
Deliberative, or persuasive, rhetoric, however, gives many important
hints to the preacher, especially in regard to the formulation and
statement of propositions. Epideictic, or laudatory, rhetoric may
be of help in the matter of praise and thanksgiving to God in
sermons, and in funeral or memorial addresses. . . .

He proceeds to a discussion of what he calls the office, or as
we may more clearly conceive it, the strictly rhetorical duties of
the preacher. In the general consideration his first duty is to
teach, to please, to move. Here we have the Ciceronian dictum as
applied by Augustine: doceat, d lectet, flegtet. . . .

Another way Of considering the rhetorical functions of the
preacher comes to light in the accepted divisions Of Rhetoric.
First comes that into Invention, Arrangement, Style, Memory,
Delivery. . . . Erasmus compares invention to the bones, arrangement
to the nerves, style to the flesh and skin, memory to vitality, and
delivery to action or motion. These are the essential things in
preaching, and they underlie the other mode of presenting rhetorical
theory, i_._e_., according to the parts of speech: Exordium, Narration,
Division, Confirmation, Confutation, Conclusion. . . .50
The fifteenth and sixteenth centuries produced not only Erasmus
but also such men as John Reuchlin (1455-1522), a humanist homiletician
who depended heavily on classical rhetorical principles, and Luiz of
Granada (1504-1588), a Catholic writer who followed the classical
patterns. But these centuries cannot be passed without attention to the
Protestant Reformation. "Modern preaching, both in practice and theory,
received its most powerful and salutary influence from the Protestant
Reformation. "51 While this is the Opinion of a Protestant, it seems
likely that the Protestant emphasis on preaching also had its influence

in Catholic circles, just as reformation theology forced a re-definition

of Catholic theology in the Council of Trent.

——

SOM” pp. 104-107. 51Ibid., p. 122.

\ -V‘-"‘
K. -,

vi

 

d'T-5'3-‘rc...

a,

 

N.“ I Mire. hi, Wilmgqlfi '19.. u
_

 

28

The thrust of Protestant reformation preaching might be said to
be in the area of Invention. A new interest in biblical theology and
hermeneutics helped to produce a type of preaching that was largely
interpretative or expository. Reformation preaching was "more didactic
than evangelistic,"52 leading, in time, to a lack of emphasis on factors
of persuasion.

While the leading reformers themselves left no treatises on the
art of preaching, they did have something to say about preaching.
Luther, in his Table Talk, said, "A preacher should be a logician and a
rhetorician."53 Calvin's emphasis was on biblical exposition, but he
said little, if anything, about homiletical theory. Similar cements
would apply to Swiss and English reformers. Regarding the reformers as

a whole, Dargan declares:

In general we may remark that while the reformers laid more
stress on the content and 9.1.“; of preaching than on its form and
method, they did not wholly neglect these either in their example or
their teaching. They seemed to take it for granted that in requir-
ing skill and training for a prOper study and proclamation of the
Word of God they were demanding that the preacher should both know
and know how to use the accepted and tested principles of rhetoric 5‘
as these were applicable to the preparation and delivery of sermons.

Treatises on the art of preaching written during Reformation

times include Philip Melanchthon's Elementorum Rhetorices Libri Duo.
Melanchthon was a relative and pupil of the humanist rhetorician-
homiletician, Reuchlen; and as a professor at Wittenberg he taught many
preachers the art of rhetoric. His work on rhetoric mentioned above
follows the canons of classical rhetoric, with illustrative material

drawn from preaching. Dargan says:

_—__

5223181” p. 126- 53Quoted in Dargan, p. 127.
541bid., p. 132.

29

The work is of trifling importance in itself, but shows that the
Reformers gave attention in their education ofsgreachers to the

principles of homiletics as based on rhetoric.
1

Of greater importance is a work by Andrew Hyperius (1511-1564).
Trained in rhetoric, he finally settled in Marburg, where he taught and

preached a Calvinistic theology. His principal homiletical work, On the

Makipg pf Sacpgg Discoupsgp, has been pronounced the first really

'scientific" treatise on the theory of preaching. The authOr refers to
the five elements of rhetoric, and to Cicero's three aims of discourse,
maintaining that these general rhetorical principles shouldgbe wisely

applied to preaching. Dargan characterizes Hyperius"workyas follows:

This truly great work of Hyperius marks an epoch in homiletical
‘writing. As a fact the book does not seem to have had as wide use
as its merits demanded. Yet there are traces of its influence upon
other writers, and no doubt its principles found some dissemination
in the teaching of the schools. The Humanists, including
Melanchthon, had criticized and rejected the errors and extremes of
the scholastic homiletics, but they had taught rhetoric as applied
to preaching. Hyperius went further and taught preaching only as

related to rhetoric. .
Howell deals with Hyperius in laudatory fashion:

The sacred rhetoric of Hyperius . . . is a fresh and stimulating
application of Ciceronian theory to the problems of sermonqmaking, f
and . . . it is unquestioggbly one of the best'works Of its kind in .

the Ciceronian tradition. |
Howell quotes Hyperius, as translated into English in 1577, as follows:

That many things are common to to [sic] the Preacher with the
Orator, Sainct Augustine in his fourth Booke of Christian doctrine,
doth cOpiously declare. Therefore, the partes Of an Orator, whiche

are accounted of some to be, Invention, Disposition, Elocution, 5
Memogy, and Pronunciation, may-rightlye be called also the partes of i
the Preacher. Yes and these three; to Teache, to Delight, £2_ :
Turne; Likewise againe the three kyndes of speakyng, Loftye, Base, 9
Means: . . . Tb be short, whatsoever is necessarie to the Preacher f
in disposition, Elocution, and Memcrye, the Rhetoritians have )1

_ sslbide, pa 134s 56%., p0 1420 I ,

”Wilbur Samuel Howell, logic and Rhetoric in England, 1500-1700 f

(Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1956), p. 115.

30

exactlye taught all that in their woorkhouses; wherefore (in my
opinion) the Preachers may most conuenientlye learn those parts out
of them.

Certainly he that hath beene somedeale exercised in the Scholes
of the Rhetoritians before he be received into the order of Preachers,
shall come much more apte and better furnished than many other, and
may be bolde to hOpe, that he shall accomplish somewhat in the
Church, worthy of prayse and commendation.58

Erasmus, Reuchlin, Luther, Calvin, Melanchthon, Hyperius, and
doubtless scores of other religious leaders Of the Renaissance and the
Reformation paid heavy tribute to the classical rhetoricians. These
preachers and homileticians, like many of their predecessors and
successors, proclaimed the Christian message within the form patterns
established by Aristotle, Cicero, and Quintilian, and they Often
acknowledge their debt. '

Granted, there were differences. The subject matter Of Christian
preaching had a distinctiveness that could not be denied. The Christian
attitude toward the Bible affected Invention, Disposition, Elocution,
htmory, and Delivery in.varied but distinct ways: (1) The objectives of
Christian preaching deviated from those of conventional oratory to the
extent that it was sometimes named as a fourth type in addition to
deliberative, judicial, and ceremonial; (2) Christian ideology affected
the principles of ethical appeal and the legitimate means Of persuasion.
Nevertheless, the classical rhetoricians had established a pattern that

could not be abandoned lightly because it was so much a part of the

fundamental reality of public address of all types.

British Rhetoric and Homiletical Theogz
The purpose of this section is to Observe the place of homileti-

cal theory in the work of certain selected English Rhetoritians from the

E

531bid., p. 112.

1'
I
l

g”
i
1
t
i
f
I
i
.9

, 31 '
sixteenth through the eighteenth centuries. The selection is limited to
well-known rhetoricians who have given some emphasis to homiletical ‘
theory.

The first rhetoric in English was Leonard Cox' The Arte or

little original contribution to homiletical theory but depends on '

Crafte of Rhetogyke, dated variously at 1524 or 1530. This work makes

Melanchthon as its principal source. The author concludes that his book;
is only for beginners-more mature students should consult Aristotle,
Cicero, or other rhetoricians. Like Melanchthon, Cox uses religious i

subjects for illustrative material.j59

 

i
The first complete rhetoric in English was Thomas Wilson's Arte ;

60

of Rhetorigue, first published in 1553 and written with a homiletical

 

bias. From the preface, in which he speakes of eloquence as a gift fro?
God--lost by man and again recovered by the grace of God--to the many ‘ f'
references in the text to preaching, this bias is evident. This work i
was designed, in part, to aid in the teaching of preaching, and was
based largely on Aristotle, Cicero, Quintilian, and the Rhetor'ica ad
Herennium.61 I
While Francis Bacon was not a homiletician, his emphasis on
applying reason to the imagination for the better moving of the will had
implications for homiletics. Bacon believed that rhetorical address

must be "always and foremost, logically sound; imaginative dress,

 

59Leonard Cox, The Arte g; Crafte Q_f Rhetoryke.

60Thomas Wilson, The Arte of Rhetorige, A Facsimile Reproduction
(Gainesville, Florida: Scholars' Pacsimiles and Reprints, 1962).

61Russell H. Wagner, "mamas wilson's Contributions to Rhetoric,"
Historical Studies of Rhetojr_iLc and Rhetoricians, ed. Raymond F. Bowes
(Ithaca, N.Y.: Cornell University Press, 1961).

 

Lira; fl

 

alscoush hi!
profound in:
subject mat!
Very
survives fro
cores from t1
51:52". Blair.
Campl
cotplete work
Aberdeen in t

RiIOSO h"! 0 f

Cashews lec

1° Becaus

Of the
situa:

2--3eca;5
Thetor

BECauSG
rhater:
fiodern
schola
Cept."
I!
PrinCi
ples of
°Perace

We

Philo

32 l

althOugh highly desirable, is not fundamental."62 His theories had a
profound influence on the philosophy of science, and indirectly on the
subject matter and method of preaching. '

Very little work of value in the field of British homiletics
survives from the eighteenth century.63 ‘Probably the.best material
comes from two rhetoriciansuboth of them clargymen-(horge Campbell and
Hugh Blair. '

Campbell's Lectures on Pulpit.Eloguence seems to be the most

complete work in the field. These lectures were first delivered in
Aberdeen in the years 1772 and 1773 by the author of the better known

PhilosOEhy of Rhetoric. Clarence Bdney has listed nine reasons'why

Campbell's lectures deserve attention:64

1. Because they provide an interesting and instructive explanation
of the adaptation of the principles of rhetoric to the preaching
situation. 9

2.. Because they reveal that Campbell was a life-long student of
rhetoric.66 ,

3. Because they are evidence that Campbell distinguished between

rhetoric as a "science" and rhetoric as an "art" or, as one

A modern scholar has explained it, between rhetoric as a

. "scholarly study" and rhetoric as "a body of principle and pre-

_ cept." Campbell's PhilosOphy attempts to trace the mind's
"principal channels of perception and action, the radical prin-

, ples of that art, whose object it is, by the use of language, to
operate upon the soul of the bearer." The purpose of his
Lectures was not to provide "a full institute of rhetoric" but
to make "a useful minister“ of each of his students. The
Philosoghy is an intensely intellectual but highly useful

 

62Karl R. Wallace, “Bacon' 8 Conception of Rhetoric," Speech ,
lbnographs, III (1936), pp. 21-48. ' ;

63Dargan, The Art of Preaching in the Light of Its History, . :

6“Clarence W. Edney, "Campbell's Lectures on Pulpit Eloquence,"
Speech Mbnographs, XIX, No. 1 (March, 1952).

65 66

Ibid., p. 1. ? Ibid., p. 2.

 

to pe:
convi:
reasox
make :
make :
some 6

Follow
delibe
indivi
the co
sermon

 

33

excursion into the psychological, phi1050phical, literary, and
epistemological foundations of rhetoric. The Lectures contain a
decidedly practical explanation of the rudiments of homiletics.67

Because they contain a more detailed analysis of the ends of
speaking than is to be found in his Philosoghy.68 [For example]
Persuasive discourse which is calculated to influence the will is
the most complex of all the forms of public address. The Speech
to persuade includes all the ends of oral discourse; it informs,
convinces, pleases, and moves. It is a combination or blend of
reason and emotion which purposes to bring about action. "To
make me believe, it is enough to shew me that things are so; to
make me act, it is necessary to show that the action.will answer
some end."69

Because they demonstrate the adaptation of classical theories of
disposition to the pulpit discourse.

Following the procedure of Aristotle in regard to forensic,
deliberative, and epideictic speeches, Campbell considers
individually the structure of the explanatory, the controversial,
the commendatory, the pathetic, and the persuasive types of
sermons.

The Text. Campbell, possibly because of his knowledge of
classical theories of rhetoric, advocated some principles of
homiletics quite contrary to practice in his day. Among these
was his recommendation that the preacher make use of a biblical
text. . . .

The Exordium. . . .
The Narration. . . .

The Progosition. . . .

The Partition. 0 o o

The Body. . . .

The Peroration. Campbell's instruction in regard to the con-
clusions of sermons has a distinctly homiletic touch. Until he

. discusses the requisite conclusion.for each type of sermon,

Campbell adheres strictly to his classification of speeches in
terms of speaker purpose. One would expect that the conclusion
of each type would tie inuwith its distinctive fuhction of
explanation, conviction, communication, pathos, or persuasion.
This is not the case. Campbell declares that "the whole of
preaching either directly or indirectly points to persuasion"
and, consequently, the conclusion of any sermon should contain

L

67mm” p. 3. 68 id. ' Ggibid” pp. 1.. 5.

I

34

an emotional appeal designed, in some degree, to move the bearer
to action.70

6. Because, at a time when the elocutionary movementnwas strong in
England and.was becoming increasingly mechanical, he placed
himself definitely among those who advocated a natural and con-
versational mode of delivery. . . .

Campbell was content to describe five faults which he had
observed in the delivery of preachers and to suggest that his
students pursue the matter in more detail in treatises on
rhetoric. Quintilian mentions all and Cicero some of these
defects: an extravagant and violent.manner, high strained pitch
of voice, flat monotony of voice, sing-song pattern, and rapid
rate of utterance. Campbell, as did Sheridan, recommends that
the minister speak from the pulpit as he ordinarily would in
earnest and affective conversation. . . . 1

7. Because they insist, as does the Philosoghy, upon careful and
precise use of language. . . . 2

8. Because they supplement the concepts found in his Philosophy and
allow us to draw more accurate conclusions concerning his theory
of public address. . . .73

9. Lastly . . ., because they serve to enhance the impression of
Campbell as a transitional rhetorician. Both his Lectgres and
his Phi10302hy serve to place him at the point‘where classical
instruction takes its modern trend. . . .

In Lecture V, Campbell compares his classification of sermons
with the kinds of orations treated by the Greeks and Romans, and
concludes that the controversial speech is comparable to the
classical "judiciary" oration, the commendatory speech is com-
parable to the ancient "demonstrative" oration, and the
persuasive speech is comparable to the classical "deliberative"
oration; neither the informative speech nor the pathetic Speech,
he concludes, have analogous counterparts in classical

theory. . . .7 .

Edney's review of Campbell's Lectures fails to include certain
practical counsel regarding communication. For example, the opening
sentence of Lecture I reads:

' It is not enough for the Christian.minister, that he be
instructed in the science of theology, unless he has the skill to

 

70.1—11.4." p. 7‘ I 71M" pa 8. 721b1do

73Ibid., p. 9. 741b1d., p. 10.

Imam ’Zyv'j~4""‘"-—' 4

furnish.
serve h:
.3 :

AP... at .

9 :0-

b 1

munica...
The
was present
But
Christie
imadiat
to his (1
article,
expressl;
indeed c;
As part of h:

read rs that

And i
adVantage
COUld rec‘
it EPPear:
the aPOStJ
Vinegd GM
Jesus was

 

35

apply his knowledge, to answer the different purposes of the
pastoral charge.7

Campbell enlarges upon this theme with such statements as the following:.

Indeed it may be said, that the study of the science of theology;
is itself a preparation, and in part it no doubt is so, as it 5
furnishes him.with the materials; but the materials alone will not
serve his purpose, unless he has acquired the art of using them.
And it is this art in preaching which I denominate Christian or
pulpit eloguence. Tb know is one thing; and to be capable of com-
municating knowledge is another.7

The problem of distrust of eloquence as a tool of the preacher
was present in Campbell's day:

But . . . there are prejudices against this study in the
Christian orator, arising from another source, the promises of the
immediate influence of the divine Spirit, the commands of our Lord
to his disciples, to avoid all concern and solicitude on this
article, and the example of some of the apostle [sic] who disclaimed
expressly the advantages resulting from the study of rhetoric, or
indeed of any human art, or institute'whatever.7

As part of his answer to this question, Campbell reminds his hearers and
'readers that Apollos of apostolic fame'was "an eloquent man" as well as
mighty in the scriptures. Campbell adds:

And is not his success manifestly ascribed, under God, to these
advantages? There is no mention of any supernatural gifts, which he
could receive only by the imposition of the hands of an apostle; and
it appears from the history, that before he had any interview with
the apostles, immediately after his conversion, he mightily con-
vinced the Jews, and that publicly, shewing from.the scriptures that
Jesus was the Christ.78

Regarding the relation of rhetoric to the art of preaching,
Campbell says:
But though we do not from this place propose to give an institute
of rhetoric, it will not be improper to give some directions in

relation to the theory of it, and particularly to the reading both
of ancient and modern authors, whence the general knowledge of the

75George Campbell, Lectures on Systematic Theology and Pulpit
Eloguence (Boston: Lincoln and Edmands, 1832), p. 93.

761232.. p. 94. 779451.. p. 95. 731mm, p. 97.

SubjcCC‘
be had.

:hetoric ha!

Cam;
preachirg i:
The

Would t1“
Sure the
advance:
use be a

is are,
not expr
that $031
express.

As a
Cfipbell decl
directly or ,-

Hugh
:hetorician u
3331, in his f
LECture XXIX

speaking as d;

assemblies, t2“

 

36

subject which is too much neglected by theological students, may
be had.59

Campbell felt that "every thing valuable" in contemporary works on
rhetoric had been copied from Aristotle, Cicero, and Quintilian.
Campbell's sense of balance between content and communication in
preaching is stated as follows:
The word of God itself may be, and often is handled unskillfully.
Would the preacher carefully avoid this charge, let him first be
sure that he hath himself a distinct meaning to every thing he
advanceth, and next examine, whether the expression he intends to
use be a clear and adequate enunciation of that meaning. For if it
is true, that a speaker is sometimes not understood, because he doth
not express his meaning with sufficient clearness, it is also true

that sometimes he is not understood, because he hath no meaning to
express.

As to the place of preaching in the rhetorical spectrum,
Campbell declares, "I acknowledge, that the whole of preaching either
directly or indirectly points to persuasion."81

Hugh Blair is the other late eighteenth century English
rhetorician who gave attention to homiletics.t Blair, himself a clergy-
man, in his famous Lectures on Rhetoric and Belles Lettres devoted
Lecture XXIX to "Eloquence of the Pulpit."82 Blaire considered public
speaking as divided into three kinds: the eloquence of popular
assemblies, the eloquence of the bar, and the eloquence of the pulpit.
After dealing with the advantages and disadvantages of preaching, he
raised the question of the relationship between rhetoric and preaching:

It may perhaps occur to some, that preaching is no proper

subject of the art of eloquence. This, it may be said, belongs
only to human studies and inventions: but the truths of religion,

with the greater simplicity, and the less mixture of art they are
set forth, are likely to prove the more successful. This objection

 

791b1d.’ p, 93, 8OIbid., p. 115. 811bid., p. 197.

82Hugh Blair, Lectures on Rhetoric and Belles Lettres (Phila-
delphia: Hayes and Zell, 1854). Pp. 312b-326.

37

would have weight, if eloquence were as the persons who make such an
objection commonly take it to be, an ostentatious and deceitful art,

the study of words and of plausibility, only calculated to please,
and to tickle the ear. But against this idea of eloquence I have
all along guarded. True eloquence is the art of placing truth in
the most advantageous light for conviction and persuasion. This is

what every good man who preaches the gospel not only may, but ought
to have at heart.

Blair agrees that the end of preaching is persuasion. "Every
sermon, therefore, should be a persuasive oration. Not but that the
preacher is to instruct and to teach, to reason and argue. All per-

suasion, as I showed formerly, is to be founded on conviction."84 This

6

idea he develops more fully in the following statement::

It is not to discuss some abstruse point that he ascends the
pulpit; it is not to illustrate some metaphysical truth, or to
inform men of something which they never heard before; but it is to
make them better men; it is to give them, at once, clear views and
persuasive impressions of religious truth. The eloquence of the
pulpit, then, must be pepular eloquence. . . . I scruple not there-
fore to assert, that the abstract and philOSOphical manner of
preaching, however it may have sometimes been admired, is formed
upon a very faulty idea, and deviates widely from.the just plan of
pulpit eloquence. Rational, indeed, a preacher ought always to be;
he must give his audience clear ideas on every subject, and enter-
tain them with sense, not with sound: but to be an accurate

reasoggr will be small praise, if he be not a persuasive speaker
also. . '

Blair included ethical appeal as an important factor in
preaching. he believed that the preacher, "in order to be successful,
must be a good man."86 ‘He believed, further, that the unique elements
of preaching, as compared to other discourse, are "gravity" and
“warmth." "The union of the two," he declared, "must'be studied by all

preachers as of the utmost consequence."87

In the area of Invention, Blair emphasized that a preacher's

subjects must be chosen in reference to the needs of his audience.

be

r

83Ibid., p. 314. 841b1d. ” 351bid-. p. 315-

861bid. ' 87Ibidi, p. 316.

1

38

"Usefulness and true eloquence always go together," he said, "and no man

can long be reputed a good preacher, who is not acknowledged to be a

useful one."88

Regarding arrangement, Blair stressed the importance of "one

main point to which the whole strain of the sermon should refer."89 He

also warned against "tedious fulness.” "If he seek to omit nothing

which his subject suggests, it will unavoidably happen that he‘will

encumber it, and weaken its force."90 7
i

The element of interest was stressed by the author-~WA dry
I

sermon can never be a good one," he said.91 He alSo advocated audience

analysis, as the following statement reveals:

It will be of much advantage to keep alwaysin view the ;
different ages, characters, and conditions of men, and to accommo- ;

date dirggtions and exhortations to these different classes of
hearers.

““Ov‘---

PerSpicuity is named as the first element of style. Dignity and

simplicity, the author declares, should be combined. .A "strong, ' I
~ I

‘

expressive" style is preferred rather than a sparkling one.

Blair deals with the question of written sermons versus extempo- 7

raneous sermons. He says:

The impressions which come warm and glowing from the mind,
during the fervour of pronunciation, will often have a superior
grace and energy to those which are studied in the retirement of the
closet. But then, this fluency and power of expression cannot, at
all times, be depended upon, even by those of the readiest genius;
and by many, can at no time be commanded, when overawed by the

presence of an audience.
He recommends writing and memorizing for young preachers. He opposes

the reading of sermons, and suggests notes in the event that memory is

not equal to the task.

881bid. 891bid. 9°Ibid., p. 317.

 

9lIbid., p. 318. 921bid. 93Ibid., p. 321.

aw.
ix.

that has 'E

V”--
..

begin
or su;
confus

rhetorical

have been c;

D.
A;
~

 

39

Toward the close of the chapter, Blair gives a bit of counsel

that has been echoed by many homileticians:

When a preacher sits down to write on any subject, never let him
begin with seeking to consult all who have written on the same text
or subject. This, if he consult many, will throw perplexity and
confusion into his ideas; and if he consults only one, will often
warp him insensibly into his method,.whether it be right or not.

But let him begin with pondering the subject in his own thoughts;
let him endeavor to fetch materials from‘within; to collect and
arrange his ideas; and form some sort of plan to himself, which it
is always proper to put down.in writing. Then, and-not till then,
he may inquire how others have treated the same subject.9

It is certainly a justifiable conclusion that‘the British

rhetoricians (l) were, in.many cases, interested in homiletical theory,
and (2) promulgated principles of homiletical theory based on classical
rhetorical patterns. Homiletical theory during these centuries would

i

have been much poorer without the contribution of these rhetoricians.
Relationship Between Contemporary Homileticgl_$heogy_
and Rhetggigal Theory

A study of a contemporary homiletician-rhetorician, such as is
being attempted in this dissertation, must be made with an understanding
of the relationship of these two disciplines in the modern world. This
chapter thus far has pictured homiletics and rhetoric as companions
since the time of Augustine. Through medieval, Reformation, and Post-
Reformation times, the two great impulses behind homiletical theory were

biblical and classical.95 In fact, so greatwwere the classical contri-

butions to preaching that Dargan, in discussing these relationships,

941b1d., p. 321.

95Dargan, The Art of Preachigg in the Light of Its Histogy,
pp. 13-41.

 

 

(.0.
quotes Sydney Smith's famous saying, "The ancients have stolen all of
our best ideas'"96

Nineteenth century America produced some hardy homileticians;
and they, like their predecessors, owed a debt to classical rhetoric.
"Many of the outstanding rhetoricians of the period--including men like
Witherspoon, Adams, Goodrich, Channing, and Porter-“were also homileti-
cians."97 Shedd is quoted as defining homiletics as "the term that has
been chosen to denote the application of the principles of rhetoric to
preaching. It is synonymous, consequently, with Sacred Rhetoric."98
Philip Schaff said, "Homiletics is the theory of pulpit eloquence, or of
preaching. It is rhetoric applied to the pulpit, or sacred rhetoric as
distinguished from general rhetoric. It deals with the composition and
delivery of sermons."99

John Quincy Adams, from the standpoint of a rhetorician, added
Christian preaching as a fourth classification of oratory. He said,
"The eloquence of the pulpit is to the science of rhetoric what this
western hemisphere is to that of geography."100 He insisted on applying
"the principles and the method of Aristotle, so far as they can be

applied, to this more recent species of public‘speaking."101 .

 

96Quoted in Dargan, p. 32.

97John P. Hoshor, “American Contributions," Histo ogy of Speech
Education in America, ed. Karl‘Wallace (New York: Appleton-Century-
Crofts, r1954), p. 144. 3

98Ibid.

99Philip schaff, Theological Propaedeutic (New'York: Scribner,
1896), p. 473.

1°°John Quincy Adams, Lectures on Rhetoric and Oratogy, Vol. I
(New‘York: Russell and Russell, 1962), p. 322.

1011bid., p. 324.

41‘
John A. Broadus' textbook in homiletics was characterized by
Dargan as "the leading textbook on homiletics in all the world."102
This book, first published in 1870, was revised by J. B. Weatherspoon
for a 1944 edition. The author's preface to the first edition is
included in the preface of the new edition, in which Broadus states,
"The author's chief indebtedness for help has been to Aristotle, Cicero,

"103 In the introduction is a

and Quintilian, and to‘Whately and Vinet.
discussion of the relation of homiletics and rhetoric in which the
author says, "Greek rhetoric was a ready instrument for the proclamation
of the gospel to the gentile‘world."104 After recounting the develop-
ments of the early Christian centuries, Broadus concludes, "Thus arose
the science of 'homiletics,' which is simply the adaptation of rhetoric
to the particular ends and demands for Christian preaching."105 In use
for nearly a century, this book has kept alive the classical emphasis in
homiletics. I

Further insights into the relationship between rhetoric and
homiletics are provided by Lloyd Merle Perry, who has done a study of a
selected group of 68 homiletics trade and textbooks used by Protestants
in.America between 1834 and 1954.106 In his endeavor to reconstruct the‘

philosophy of these works, Perry says:

 

__'f

102Dargan, The Art of Preachi in the Li ht of Its Histo .
p. 2310 ‘

103John A.. Broadus, On the Preparation and Delivegy of Sermons
(rev. ed.; New York: Harper, 1944), p. xiii.

loaIbido, p. 80 loslbido. p. 10.

106Lloyd Merle Perry, "Trends and Emphases in the Philosophy
Materials and Methodology of American Protestant Homiletical Education
as Established by a Study of Selected Trade and Textbooks Published
Between 1834 and l954“(unpublished Doctor's dissertation, Northwestern
University , 1961).

42

There are traces of ideas similar to those advanced by certain
speech educational phiIOSOphies. The rhetorical approach to speech
phiIOSOphy appears to dominate these writings, as evidenced by the
nhmber of references to Cicero, Augustine, Aristotle, and Quintilian.
A total of 528 references are made to these four writers in the

sc0pe of the works covered.

Perry continues by showing how three other approaches to speech education
of the nineteenth century-~the Delsartian, the subjective, and the

objective-dwere likewise reflected in the homiletics texts of the day.

Coming down.to the twentieth century, Perry observes:

The persuasive approach, which also came to a position of
prominence between 1920 and 1930, emphasized persuasion as the
process of getting decisions made. This same emphasis is found in
the greater number of books on homiletics, though the homileticians
do not place as much emphasis on the discovery and classification
of motives as did those connected with the persuasive approach to

speech. 108

Perry continues his comparison of contemporary speech and homiletical

theories as follows:

‘ The compositional approach flourished between 1915 and 1940 and
made use of the contemporary psychological thought of the day,
applying the same to rhetoric. This approach stressed the fact
that a long time is needed to gather ideas for the speech. The .
homiletical writers are in general agreement on this point. There ;
appears to be a mutual agreement between the composition approach
and that of most of the homileticians to the effect that ideas,
when gathered, should be centered around one unifying thought. Two
additional ideas appear to have been mutually agreed upon, namely, ;
that the speaker when presenting his message should converse with f
the audience, and that his gestures should come forth spontaneously. f
The text and trade books do stress the importance of the content of .
the speech and its composition, even as did Dr.‘Winans in his compo-l
sitional approach. The compositional approach, however, places more.
emphasis on persuasion than most of the homiletical writers.1°9

_—-_. -

Summarizing his viewpoint, Perry says:

Homiletics is the term that has been chosen to denote the
application of the principles of rhetoric to speaking. It is
synonymous, consequently, with sacred rhetoric. Homiletics is the
science and art of preaching. It designates all that belongs to the

 

107Ibid., p. 21. 1°8Ib1d., p. 23.

1°9Ibid.

43'

'composition and delivery of sermons. It is the application of the
principles of rhetoric to formal Christian discourse.1

As general as this equating of homiletics and rhetoric seems to
be, there are, however, dissenting voices. At the Speech for Religious
Workers Interest Group connected with the Speech Association of America
meeting in Cleveland, Ohio, Becember, 1962, Father William Toohey of

Holy Cross College, washington, D. C., is reported as having made the

following statement:

One of the important corollaries that follow upon the discovery l
of the prOper concept of preaching is the fact that the unique
quality of the content places preaching in a category apart from 4
those other forms of discourse which, as Aristotle contends, has as
their "most important ingredient" rational demonstration through
severe argumentation. Preaching does not fall within the province
of speaking which entails statement and ensuing argument; preaching }
works in the service of faith, and is not concerned with discovering?
suitable arguments to prove a given point. A.misconception of the !
precise nature of preaching leads to the erroneous notion that a
training in public speaking is a training for preaching, or that f
homiletics is merely sacred rhetoric. No one could justifiably deny:
the many services rhetoric renders to the development of an ,
effective preacher; but it'would be lamentable to assume that this I
means that preaching is only a particular type of deliberative i-
oratory--public Speaking from a pulpit; or to say, as some have, 3 '
that the details of the art of preaching are the same as 11{hose for f
the lawyer, the legislator, and for orators in general.

l
v

I 4

Father Tbohey maintains that, because "the preacher deals in revelation
(supernatural truth) means that his subject matter has a unique quality
which distinguishes it from all other communicative material."112

At the same meeting, the Rev. Warren E. Faber, dean of the Bible
College, Baptist Theological Seminary, Grand Rapids, Michigan, presented
a contrasting point of view when he spoke on the topic, "Does the

Preacher Need Rhetoric?" He said in part:

1101bid., p. 39.

111WilliamToohey, Newsletter, Speech for Religious Workers
Interest Group, Speech Association of America (February, 1963). PP. 2, 3.

1121bid., p. 1

44

.After a seemingly illicit relationship with rhetoric in the days
of the Apostolic Fathers, and an unhappy marriage in the centuries
that followed, some preaching appears to be experimenting with
separate maintenance. Although there are problems involved in their
relationship, abandonment of rhetoric may prove to be a most
unsatisfactory experience in.a culture where oral communication is
often suave and sophisticated. . . .

Some preachers and theologians tend to reject the application of
rhetoric to preaching upon the basis of the uniqueness of preaching.
This is partially right. Insofar as preaching is considered as the
timeless link between God's great redemptive act and man 's appre-
hension of it, the medium.through which God contemporizes his
historic self-disclosure in Christ and offers man the Opportunity to
reapond in faith, it is essentially a divine act as well as human,
and rhetoric has little to offer.

‘Preaching, however, is a human act as well as a divine act. To
the extent that the preacher is involved in the communication
process . . .[he] needs the instructive, critical, corrective, and
liberative help of rhetoric. . . .

The recognition of preaching as a divine-human act, and of
rhetoric as a methodological approach to those aspects of preaching
which involve human activity and are common to all speakers secures
a limited but significant place for rhetoric in the training and
ministry of the preacher. It demands that he be exposed to enough
rhetorical theory to insure a measure of competency in those areas
of human reaponsibility where failure and ineffectiveness can only
be attributed to weaknesses in his ability to communicate.11

William Carson Lantz, associate professor of speech and homi-
letics at Fuller Theological Seminary, discusSes the two theories of

preaching under the headings of "rhetorical” and “mystical."114 He

poses the problem as follows:

Suppose you are teaching speech (including homiletics) in a
religious school and some of your students ask you: "Why should we
study the techniques and'theories of public speaking? After all, it
is God Himself who is speaking through us to the hearts of men.
Preaching is really God's doing, and we are merely instruments, so

113Warren E. Faber, "Does the Preacher Need Rhetoric?"
Newsletter, Speech for Religious Workers Interest Group, Speech Associa-
tion of America (Hay, 1963), pp. 1, 2.

114WilliamCarson Lantz, "Rhetoric and Theology-~1ncompatible?"

The Digest of Research in Religious Speaking (October, 1963). Reprinted
fromflWestern Speech Journal, march, 1955

45

why do we need to study, drill on, and attempt to put in practice
any human skills and abilities?”

Perhaps to those who do not have direct contact with the
religious type of education, this question may seem unreal. Some
teachers may wonder if it is asked. Yes, it is asked and has been
asked down through the centuries.of the Christian Church, and even
before. In fact, it has been one of the basic problems in religious
thinking and practice.115 .

Lantz substantiates his statement that this is a basic issue by
citing examples from.contemporary experience and from the history of
preaching. He concludes this part of his study with the following
summary: ‘

Coming to the days since the Reformation, it is not uncommon to
find such statements as that of George Whitefield in speaking of his
own preaching, "God's assistance had sometimes taken the place of
sermon preparation." [2. E. White, "George Whitefield and the
Paper War in.New England," Quarterly Journal of Speech, XXXIX
(Feb., 1953), p. 61.] In one study, it is pointed out, concerning
certain recent American preaching, "Because of the emphasis upon
incarnation (the term incarnation in this context refers not to
Jesus Christ, but to inspiration; or mystical experience in preach-
ing) and upon the Word, adaptation tb the audience is a minor
canon." Similarly, is shown the effect of the extreme mystical
approach upon theory concerning ethos, arrangement, style, and
delivery. [J. J. Rudin II, "The Concept of Ethos in Late American
Preaching" (abstract of Ph.D. thesis), Speech monographs, XVIII
(Aug., 1951), p. 197.] In speaking of American homileticians before
the turn of the century, one investigator claims,."They held the
authoritarian view of the ministerial office. To them, the preacher
was a divinely inspired ambassador, sent to deliver the GOSpel to
the peOple. His message, largely doctrinal in nature, was subject
to no change whatever." [Elton.Abernathy, "Trends in.American
Homiletical Theory Since 1860," Speech monographs, X (1943), p. 69.]
Other investigators have,also pointed out this mystical theory [e.g.,
Barnet Baskerville, "Principle Themes of Nineteenth Century Critics
of Oratory," Speech monographs, x1x (ner., 1952), p: 221.1 6

Lantz meets this mystical theory by a reductio ad absurdum,
showing that the same arguments both disavow all Christian service and
all preaching activity. On the positive side, he quotes Baldwin's

summaryof Augustine's position:

h.-

115Ib1d., p. 3. 1161bid., p. 4.

The

and

46

Since his (the preacherkfi strength is derived from a source
deeper than human skill, his best preparation is prayer. Neverthe-
less, human skill is to be cultivated. Prayer itself proves the .'
folly of making no other preparation. He who abjures human lore of
preaching because God gives us our messages might equally well
abjure prayer because God knows us and knows our needs. The Pauline
Counsels specify how Timothy should preach. As God heals through
doctors and medicines, so he gives the gospel to men by men and
through men.117 ‘ "'
ideal presented by Lantz is a positive synthesis of the rhetorical
the mystical. He concludes:

Keep your belief in God and the mystical experience if you must,
but this does not mean ydu cannot also keep rhetoric. Your use of
classical, systematic rhetoric, natural and human as it may seem, is
not a denial of God. It is simply a recognition that God uses it and
works through it. . '

The relationship between theology and contemporary speech and

communication theories was discussed by Ronald E. Sleeth of Vanderbilt

Divinity School in a paper given at the S.A.A. Religious Interest Group

in December, 1961. This topic obviously impinges on the subject of the

. \
relation between rhetoric and homiletics. In a precis of his paper, six

criticisms of communications and speech theories, as leveled by theolo-

gians, are listed:

The first attitude . . . that theology has toward contemporary
communication theories is to ignore them. This attitude is made up
of suspicion, ignorance, fear, and defensiveness. . . . Many
curricula are built around the ancient trivium of Bible, history,
and theology. Therefore . . . theology simply ignores communication
as a live Option and at best hopes that if it is ignored it will go
away.

A second criticism of communication by theologians is on -
theological grounds. Theology contends that the transmission of the
religious message is a divine function in‘which God directly . . .
is at work. . . . To them, communication seems to elevate the human
and minimize the divine. They see communication theory as affirming

that right techniques rightly learned can put across the message.
I

11711315., pp. 4, 5. (Quotes c'. 3. Baldwin, Medieval Rhetoric

end Poetic, p. 67).

1181bid.’ p. 5.

47

The theologians believe that this is a misunderstanding of the
Christian message.

Third, . . . if what distinguishes man from the animal is his
ability to talk, and if man is created by God, then the very nature
of communication has theological connotations. . . . Theology would
contend that it is no accident that we speak of the Word of God.

This becomes the basis for communication and our words among men are
reflections of this greater Word. Thus, the task of the communicator
is a theological one seen in the light of God's creative Word.

Fourth, . . . theology is suspicious of communication because of
its apparent instrumental or pragmatic use of the religious
message. . . . The theologians feel that communicators are tinkerers,
dealing with non-essentials, . . . and that a communicator's main
desire is to polish a man's delivery and oral effectiveness apart
from any concern with substantive matter. . . . The theologian would
insist that sacred rhetoric is a unique rhetoric in that the content,
its delivery, and the Divine are all inextricably tied up in the
communication of that message. Further, in the case of preaching,
they would affirm that effective delivery of a religious idea is not
necessarily a sermon. .

Fifth, the theologians are scared of contemporary theories of
communication because of their fear of manipulation. They see in
studies of persuasion and in other Speech disciplines the heavy hand
of manipulating the audience through speech skills to ”force" them
to a speaker's point of view. . . . One should not overlook the
theologian's own temptation to authoritarianism and dogmatism, but
in matters of communication he affirms the freedom of man and
suspects communicators of limiting that freedom by concentrating on
methodology designed to "win," "get results" and "succeed."

Sixth, . . . in contrast to persuasion, he sees discussion,
group dynamics and general semantics all used as ends rather than
means. . . . Thus, he contends that communicators are consorting
with strange new gods, and views which border on the heretical. 19

Sleeth's paper points up the fact that there i§_an issue. Substantial
modern theologians §£g_challenging the place of rhetoric and speech
training in the work of the preacher. Such an attitude on the part of
theologians is certain to affect the viewpoint of homileticians, and it

is also certain to influence trends in homiletical education.

 

119Ronald E. Sleeth, "Theological Criticisms of Contemporary
Speech and Communication Theories," (a precis) Newsletter, Speech for
Religious Workers Interest Group, Speech Association of.America
(May 15, 1962).

48
These trends in theological eduCation are of utmost importance.
to this study. Two recent studies have been conducted in this area--
one by H. Grady Davis, professor of functional theology at Chicago
Lutheran Theological Seminary, and the other by Carl Lundquist, president

of Bethel Seminary (Baptist), St. Paul, Minnesota. The Davis study will

be considered first because it deals more fully with basic theory.120

The Davis study is a report on eight regional conferences held
during the winter and spring of 1960. These conferences, endowed by the
Lilly Endowment, Inc., brought together about 175 teachers of preaching
from the seminaries belonging to the American Association of Theological
Schools. Several items in the Davis report are relevant to this study:

First, the last of the six basic points reported by Davis as
common to the Opening addresses on the subject of the theology of

preaching reads as follows:
1

Preaching is therefore a unique kind of speaking, of language.
It is like no other form of communication. It is a dialog between
God and the hearers, in which the preacher remains a hearer while
speaking God's word. It is an interaction between God and the
hearers, a recreative action, which the preacher must serve while
being himself one of those acted upon.12 Q

After summarizing the theological background, Davis proceeds to
describe teaching procedures. He reports:

. Responsibility for instruction in preaching, especially for
evaluating the students' preaching, is increasingly shared by other
members of the theological faculty besides the professor of homi-
letics. In some smaller schools practically all members of the
faculty are engaged in some form of this work. The department of
Speech or communications, if it is separate from that of homiletics,
as it is in a minority of the schools of the Association, is nearly
always involved in the instruction.' In a few seminaries, mostly

' theological schools associated with universities, there is no

 

120H. Grady Davis, "The Teaching of Homiletics, The Present
Situation in American Seminaries," Encounter,' vol. XXII, No. 2.

1211bid., p. 5. ,

. 4 49

department of homiletics, preaching being considered merely a
Specialized phase of communications in general.

Davis notes the conflict between the theories propounded by those who
discussed the theology of preaching and the practices in the various
schools: . - f
Thus the place of preaching in the theological curriculum
varies from central to precarious. It seems Clear that to implement 1
any such theology of preaching as was suggested in the first period ;
of the program would in many schools require a complete rethinking
of the purpose of education for the ministry. If that theology has
influenced the thinking and teaching of the professors, it has not I.
yet exerted any decisive influence on the curriculumcommittee.123
Davis discusses the type of training of the men who are teaching}
homiletics. He concludes that homiletics teachers are divided into
three categories: first, successful preachers with limited graduate
work; second, men trained in theology or hermeneutics and impressed into
homiletics teaching; and third, men trained in speech or writing without
critical concern about competence in theology or hermeneutics.124 Note-
worthy for his absence in this analysis is the homiletics teacher trained
in both theology and communications.
Lundquist's paper represents an address given as part of a
panel on "Relationship of Speech and Homiletics in.American Protestant
Seminaries" presented to the Interest Group of Speech for Religious
Workers of the S.A.A. at St. Louis, Missouri.125 Lundquist reports a
personal visit to thirty-three of the Protestant seminaries in the

United States, fifteen of which were Baptist, and the other eighteen of

which were chosen because he felt that in them "some progressive work

—‘

122Ibid., pp. 6, 7. 12322$§:s P- 7- lzalhiér: PP° 11: 12'

125Carl Lundquist, "Relationship of Speech and Homiletics in
American Protestant Seminaries," mimeographed c0py of speech (December,
1960).

50
was being done either in speech or in homiletics. . . ."126 In regard
to the relationship between Speech and homiletics in these schools,

Lundquist reports:

I. In many schools there was a clear separation of responsibilities
into coordinate areas with a minimum of direct relationships. The
teachers of speech and the teachers of homiletics knew that they
were in their separate categories and where the lines were drawn and
had learned to accommodate themselves to the situation.

II. There were schools where the lines of reaponsibility and under-
standing between thc teachers in these two areas were not clear and
where there was a great amount of tension that led to frustration
and in some cases to almost bitterness; and in a case or two despair.

III. There were a handful of schools where speech and homiletics had
been integrated into a single appgpach and something near the ideal
that has been envisioned here had been worked out. At least this

has been done on enough campuses to give me encouragement to believe
that it can be done on all campuses. . . . I trust this would help_
lift the level of_preaching that is being‘done in our churchg§_
across America today.127

The causes for the tension between speech and.homiletics are
listed by Lundquist as seven in number. The first of these causes was
the lack of speech background of homiletics teachers. Only 3.3%,
according to Lundquist's figures, held Ph.D.s in speech. In fact, only
6.7% held Ph.D.s in homiletics! In the speech field, the percentages of
appropriately trained personnel was much higher.

This meant that those who are teaching in the field of speech
have done much more graduate work in this specialized area or areas
than those who are teaching in the field of homiletics and by and
large the teachers of homiletics are not too conversant with what is ‘
going on in the speech field or the significance of the developments 1
today.

The second reasonfor tension, according to Lundquist, is

suspicion of speech as a sub-academic discipline. In this area, homi-

leticians who are accustomed to being persecuted by those in the

"content" fields turned persecutors.

126Ibid., p. 1. 127Ibid.,p. 2. 1281bid. _., p- 3-

51

This suspicion around Speech as a worthy academic discipline is
one of the problems that all of us have to wrestle with. It grows
in part out of the fact that the homileticians and the deans are not
aware of the philosophic and the historical depth to the whole
discipline of speech, as well as much of the content value in Egg.
application of this to our d_y. There were many professors and many
deans of theological schools who prided themselves on filling preach-
ing job vacancies with a man who had no training in homiletics 9;.
speech. They much preferred to find someone who knew church history
or who knew theology or who knew exegesis and could bring the con-
tent value of his background and quickly pick up enough in the area
of homiletics or speech to carry out the preaching emphasis on the
campus.129

The third reason for tension is "the absence of a universal and

coherent and consistent_pattern or organization relating speech and

"130 Some institutions had both

homiletics together on our campuses.
Speech and homiletics departments. Some taught no speech courses.
There was no consistent provision for diagnostic procedures or remedial
speech. Vastly different offerings in both Speech and homiletics were
found on the different campuses. I

A fourth reason for tension is.named as "basically different
phiIOSOphical approaches to teachipgnpreaching toward which spgech is
related variously,"131 Five approaches are named: (1) Some taught
preaching as an art of communication; (2) some as the point of integra- _
tion for the total curriculum; (3) some as the basic element innworship;w
(4) some as a means of developing personality; and (5) some as the
acoustical expression of pastoral care.

A fifth reason for tension is the lack of professional contact
by the homileticians for inter-disciplinary stimulation. A sixth is
lack of professional literature in theffield. These two are similar in

nature .

 

lzglbid. . IBOIbid.

1311b1d., p. 4.

52

A final reason “lies in the field of mistakes made by speech
men."132 Speech trained men sometimes fail to realize that "homiletics
has as much kinship to such fields as linguistics, and hermeneutics, and'
exegesis as it does to speech."

It is against such a background-~both ancient and modern-~that
the‘work of a man like Charles Weniger must be viewed. He represents
the rare breed of man trained in both theology and speech. The
heritages of both disciplines meet in men like Weniger and produce a
unique philoSOphy of preaching. It is the conviction of this investi-
gator that he, and a few other similarly trained and motivated men, have
introduced a new factor into the field of theological education. Each
in his own way has harnessed the two disciplines together, and has
endeavored to use them both in the training of the clergy. This is not
a new emphasis-eAugustine started it and others followed his example--

but it.seems to be less prominent than it should be in modern seminaries.

 

1321bid., p. 6.

CHAPTER III

CHARLES E. WENIGER AS A TEAClfl'iR 0F

SPEECH AND HOMIIETICS

In the introductory chapters Weniger was identified as one of a
small group of speech-trained seminary professors of preaching. Along
with McGlon, Sleeth, Rudin, and a few others, Weniger represents the
tradition that considers homiletics as a subdivision‘of the ancient
discipline called rhetoric-nor the modern discipline called speech. I
These men grant that homiletics and preaching are unique in certain I
respects, but they insist on their kinship to the parent art.

Weniger's philOSOphy was expressed primarily in the classroom, 1'
his activities in writing, preaching, . and administruion taking a
secondary place to his major interest. This being the case, the primary 6

l

.‘
source of information regarding his theory concerning the relation of z
‘ I

speech and homiletics is his teaching materials. The plan of this chapter:

will be as follows:

First, considerable attention will be given to Weniger's method
of teaching persuasion to theological students. This portion of the
chapter will be based on the theory that persuasion is the area in which,
speech and homiletics have most in common. Preaching being what it is,
its number one objective, according to Weniger, is to persuade.

Next, a summary will be given of Weniger's procedures in teaching
voice and diction to theological students. This technical area, it will

be seen, was adapted by him to the needs of the clergy in unique was.

u",lvp ‘n‘ hu.i } -

 

54

Third, Weniger's teaching of homiletics will be discussed at
length. Weniger functioned in a dual capacity in the classrooms He
taught standard courses in speech, with interesting adaptations to
theological students; and he alSo taught homiletics from.the standpoint
of a speech teacher. Only as these two aspects of his teaching approach
are viewed in their relation to each other candWeniger's philosophy be
discerned.

Finally, Weniger's course called "Easter Preachers" is described
to reveal how his speech training influenced his approach to the history
of preaching.

These four seminary subjects--persuasion, voice and diction,
homiletics, and "Master Preachers"--represent a large segment of a
minister's professional training. Persuasion is applied psychology;
voice and diction is applied anatomy and physiology; homiletics is sermon
Invention, Organization, Style, and Delivery; and "Master Preachers"
adds the historic dimension.. It*will be evident that these courses

constitute rich Opportunities for developing and communicating a

philosophy of preaching in its relation to Speech.

Persuasion

Persuasion is a standard part of the curriculum of departments
of speech. The concept of the suasory function of speech is older than
Aristotle, although he recognized it in his Rhetoric. The principles of
persuaSion are used by all, and there is probably no profession that
uses them.more than the clergy. The question.arises,'Why should not the
clergy be trained in their preper use?

This is exactly what‘Weniger has endeavored to do. In his early

teaching experience he taught this subject to college students who were

55
preparing for the ministry; and, later'as a seminary teacher, he adapted
his course to the needs of the clergy. He is one of the few teachers of
homiletics who has introduced a course in persuasion as part of the
homiletical training of the clergy. 'mis section endeavors to explain

why he did this and how he did it.

I

During the summer session at Ithe University of Southern California
in 1932, Weniger took work from Dr. W‘.- Norwood Brigance. Regarding this

experience, he says:

In one course we went through the work of Aristotle, Cicero, i
Quintilian, and the rest of the classical rhetoricians and brought ,7
the work down to the near contemporaries such as Winans and Monroe.
Dr. Brigance completely changed my point of view toward public
speaking and got me to see that it was not the content that was
the only thing to be emphasized, but that the method, with emphasis
on attention and motivation and motive appeal, were the things to be ,
striven for. I cannot express my griititude to the late Dr. Brigance I
for this change in my point of view. . g

a- -_
.~.
~ -- >—-

As a result of this experience with Dr. Brigance, Weniger
developed three two-hour quarter courses in persuasion at Pacific Union
College. The first course was in the ethical area, the second in the
psychological, and the third in the logical. "These," he recalls, "91ers
very successful and were elected by many students, particularly minis-
terial students.“2 In these classes he not only used the works of
classical rhetoricians, but also acquainted the students with the
preacher-rhetoricians: Whately, Blair, and Campbell. "It was very
edifying to the ministerial students," he declares, "to discover that
the rhetoric of their period was written and spoken by theologians.”3

In 1934 the institution which later became the Seventh-day

Adventist Theological Seminary began its work on the campus of Pacific

 

1Interv’iews, pp. 3, 4. See Chapter I, p. 3.

21bid. 3Ibid., p. 5.

.

l

3' 9"“? ”lemma

l
l”!§}t§'..€“'_‘.

9",l-n ’
&,ba¢b. L

.: an .“
D‘U‘I H

1'. "‘ N
.0 “9‘

(b

rt C)

4

’1

7
- .fl
“‘ «‘54
e

'l‘) (D H

II

I

‘n Q

g‘ 5 He.
0 “a.

56
Union College, where Weniger was selected to teach his course in persua-
sion to the ministers and theological students who attended.4 The
institution was moved to Washington, D. C., in 1937, and Weniger taught
at its summer sessions nearly every summer until he was appointed a
regular member of its faculty in 1948. Regarding this experience he
says, "This gave me a very direct and complete connection.with the minis-
terial phase of things so that my purpose in teaching persuasion in the
seminary was that of making better preachers."5

Weniger's definition of homiletics indicates one reason why his

course in perSuasion figured so strong in his teaching of theological
students. He defines‘homiletics as follows:

Homiletics may be defined as that branch of speech.which,
employing all available means and taking to itself the‘whole realm
of human knowledge with emphasis on the Bible, seeks by persuasion
to draw men to a better life and a.more abundant entrance into the
kingdom of heaven. 7

In explaining this definition, Weniger declares:

I have defined preaching as a branch of speech, effecting its
results by persuasion. By this I mean that the overall, ultimate
end of preaching is persuasion-~that is, the ultimate end of all
preaching, all sermons taken as a whole. This end of persuasion
may not appear to be the sole purpose of a single sermon, but it
is the ultimate purpose of all sermons.

The source materials for this section include Weniger's syllabus,

file of “materials," and record of “procedures,"‘which he used in teach-

ing his class entitled "Persuasive Speaking" at the Seventh-day Adventist

 

4Itwas the privilege of this investigator to take this course
under‘Weniger at Pacific Union College in 1936.

5Interviews, p. 5.
.'61bid., p. 8. See Chapter I, p. 7.

‘7Ibid., pp. 8, 9.

A_I.4 ;1_‘. out

.1
2.

b

 

57
Theological Seminary during the summer session, 1955. This class was
taught to theological students and ministers.

Although there was no textbook assigned for the course, the
introduction to the syllabus recommends that one of the following books
be "in the student's hands": Brigance, Speech Composition; Monroe,
Principles and Types of Speech; or Winans, Public Speaking.

The course was divided into seven units as follows:

Unit One: "Introduction to the Theory and Practice
of Persuasion"

Unit Two: "Interest as the Foundation of Persuasion"

Unit Three: "Ethical Appeal (Ethos)"

Unit Four: "Pathetic Appeal (Pathos)"
Unit Five: "Logical.Appeal (Logos)"
Unit Six: "Influences of'Persuasion"
Unit Seven: "Persuasion in Practice"

 

The course will be described, unit by unit.
Unit One, "Introduction to the Theory and Practice of Persuasion,"
begins with the following directions to the student:

1. Study basic theory in.Brigance, 120-196;'Monroe, 116-145, 293-
353; Sarett and Foster, Basic Principles offiSpeech, 473-497;
Winans, 183-348. Review Oliver, The Psychology of Persuasive
Speech, or Brembeck and.Howell, Persuasion: A Means of Socigl’
Control.

 

2. Select, have approved, study, and report on persuasive theory
(a) in one classical rhetorician, [a footnote at this point
states that Thonssen and Baird, Speech Criticism, is an adequate
introduction to the classical rhetoricians}, and (b) in one
contemporary author.

3. Select, have approved, study, and report on persuasive theory in
one orator.

4. Cover and note lectures on history and theory of persuasion, and
of persuasion in Deuteronomy; reed suggested background material:

58
Genung, guidebook to the Biblical Literature, 222-228.
Moulton, Literary Study of the Bible, 268-285.
Modern Readers' Bible,_158-l71; 182-195; 1366-1373.

5. Give a 6-minute persuasive speech (on a prOposition of policy)
for which you have had a sentence outline approved. (See
Brigance, 40; Mbnroe, 220; Sarett, 379; or Winans, 404.) Begin
outline with a comprehensive statement of what.you prOpose
(embodying the word "should").

Note: Submit for approval your first, second, and third

choices of requirements 2a, 2b, 3, June 14; approval will be

returned June 16. Outline for requirement 58is due June 16;

dates for Speeches will be assigned June 20.

It must be remembered that this was a four quarter hour course,
and the instructor had 43 class hours at his disposal. The first 13 of
these hours were Spent on Unit One. weniger's "Procedure" notes for
these 13 class periods include the following significant items
(mechanical items relating to class organizational procedures are
omitted):

6/9/55 Distribute Unit One.

Outline course and discuss Unit One.
Begin lecture on Genesis and Development of Persuasion.

6/13 Continue lecture: Aristotle's Rhetoric.

6/14 Lecture on Backgrounds of Moses' Deuteronomy.

6/15 Lecture on Mbses' Oratory.

6/16 Continue lecture on Mbses' Oratory.

6/20 Lecture on.Persuasion in Mbses: Ethos.

6/21 Lecture: Pathos.

6/22 Lecture: Pathos, Logos.

6/23 Lecture: Rhetorical Devices for Reinforcing.

6/27 - '
6/30 First round of speeches.

 

8Charles E. Weniger, Brief Syllabus, Course P 280, Persuasive
Speaking, Summer, 1955. Hereinafter referred to as Syllabus P 280.

 

 

i an! ant-Hr.- J'WV‘CZIYIuiiz'

"\

'l)

u
n;

S9
The procedures of Unit One of the course are obviously intended
(I) to acquaint the student with the theory of persuasion by exposing
him to books and lectures and by requiring him to become acquainted with
ancient and modern rhetoricians, and (2) to acquaint the student with
the practice of persuasion by assigning him a "persuasive Speech."
There is one unique element in this unit--Weniger's series on "Persuasion

' This series was given, along*with

in the Orations of Deuteronomy.‘
other background lectures, while the students were reading and making.
preparation for their talks. This series of lectures was specifically
geared to theological students, and represented a clear adaptation of
persuasion to a seminary situation.

These lectures on Deuteronomy represented a reorganization of
Weniger's Master's thesis, written for the department of speech at the
University of Southern California in 1933, entitled "Persuasion in the

Orations of Deuteronomy.‘ Weniger's basic hypothesis is presented in

his introduction as follows:
To the more thoughtful student who undertakes the study of the
book as presented in a literary form such as that employed by
Dr. Moulton in his Medern Readers' Bible, Deuteronomy becomes a
series of magnificent orations unified in a unique fashion and
characterized by certain distinctions that set them apart from all
other cycles of oratory.
He quotes Moulton, who declares that "the orations of Deuteronomy are as
noble models as the orations of Cicero.'?10 Other authorities are cited

who agree with this estimate. One commentator declares regarding the

book:

 

9Charles E. Weniger, "Persuasion in the Orations of Deuteronomy"
(unpublished Master's thesis, university of Southern California, 1933),
p. vii. -

. loRichard c. Moulton, The Modern Readers' Bible (New York: The
Macmillan Co., 1919), p. x. Quoted by Weniger, Op. cit., p. viii.

r _‘..“:v‘ 1.1.1'

[.7

 

In“

60
It is a broad appeal to the nation, as a whole, to bring its
sacred services and general conduct into harmony with the divine
requirements, and so become "a holy nation." These laws are there-

fore presented in a persuasive‘form, with motives and reasons from
life and history.11 '

Weniger states the purpose Of his thesis as an effort to "pre-
sent a study of the oratorical portions of Deuteronomy in an endeavor to
define the methods employed by the crater to effect belief and produce
action in the lives of his hearers."12

Chapter I is entitled "A Brief Survey of the Elements of
Persuasion." This survey includes the contributions Of Aristotle,
Cicero, Quintilian, Blair, Campbell, and Whately Of the classical-
tradition. O'Neill and Weaver, Phillips, Higgins, Winans, Brigance, and
Foster represent contemporary textbook writers. Overstreet, Lippman, .
Mary Follett, Pillsbury, Allport, Thomson, and Whiting‘Williams represent
the social psychologists. The interest of businessmen in persuasion is
summarized by William G. Hoffman, Dale Carnegie, and.A1bert T. . '
Poffenberger. This survey helps to supply criteria for the study of

Deuteronomy.

Chapter II is entitled "Deuteronomy: History, Content, and

Influence."

The antiquity of this document is attested to as follows:
The cycle of orations known as the Book of Deuteronomy was
brought to light through oral reading of the document in 622 3.0.

during the reign of King Josiah of the Kingdom Of Judah.

Focusing the facts of oratorical history presented in this
section upon the date Of the revelation of Deuteronomy,‘we may make
these significant comparisons in point of time:

1. Deuteronomy appeared over 200 years before Pericles gave his
"Funeral Oration" (411 B.C.).

 

11w. G. Jordan, Commentary on the Book of Deuteronomy (New York:
The Macmillan Co., 1911). Quoted by Weniger, op. cit., p. xi.

12Weniger, Op. cit., p. xii.

the

61

2. Deuteronomy appeared nearly 250 years before the death of
Lysias (g, 380 B.C.).

. 3. And, finally, Deuteronomy appeared nearly 300 years before
Demosthenes spoke "On the Crown” (330 B.C.). . . . Thus it
appears that the chronological priority of the oratory of
Deuteronomy lends to the book a unique significance in the
history of oratory.13

As to the textual authenticity of the document, Weniger says:
~ I

Whether this was the discovery of an authentic c0py of a book
compiled by Moses (according to the traditional view), whether it
was a bringing to light of a book which had been secreted in the
temple some time between the time of Hezekiah and that of Josiah,
whether it was composed in the days of Jeremiah and according to his
ideas, whether it was a “pious fraud" produced by zealous reformers
sometime during the reign of Manasseh or even as late as the early
years of Josiah . . ., is beside the point for the purposes of this
study. Around these questions have centered the storms of modern
Old Testament criticism. Whatever may be the contemporary attitude
toward the book, we can be sure that, as Genung states: “. . . It
derived its tremendous influence and authority from the implicit
belief that it was the original book of the law (11 Kings 22:8), the
essential covenant (32:2) and constitution of Israelite faith. It
purported to continue the actual words of the nation's traditional
founder and lawgiver, Moses, and beyond these by only one remove
the awesome words of Jehovah whose being had become so remote. " As i
such the Book of Deuteronomy "is genuinely and authentically |
Mosaic." It is entirely consistent with the various schools of ;
criticism to employ the name of Moses as that of the orator of the
Deuteronomic cycle, and this practice is uniformly followed in our
treatment of the subject.14 ,

As to the persuasive influence of Deuteronomy, the results of
revelation of the document in 622 B.C. are well attested: _ - 5

The oral reading of Deuteronomy produced a revolution in Hebrew
religious Observances, "the most sudden reformation movement in all
history" (Moulton). There was a national vow; a passover greater
than that celebrated in the days of King Hezekiah was solemnized; I
all signs of pagan.worship were obliterated; houses of license and
heathen sanctuaries fell; high places were cut down.and chariots to I
the sun destroyed. It‘was almost a frenzy of religious reformation.
Dr. Houlton avers: "It is not an exaggeration to say that no work
of literature which has ever appeared has produced a greater sensa-
tion than the Book of Deuteronomy." A crisis in Hebrew history was
met and, for a time, the nation was saved from.the destructionnwhich
threatened to overwhelm it. Such was the immediate result of the

t

\

13M." P. 35’ 14Ibido, pp. 42, 43c

 

 

62

propagation of the ideals presented in the four orations of
Deuteronomy.

The far-reaching influence of Deuteronomy is reflected in its‘
use by Jesus, who quoted Deuteronomy 8:3; 6:16; 6:13; 6:5; 10:12; 30:6;
and by Paul, who referred to 30:12-14.

Weniger confines his study of Deuteronomy to the four orations of
Hoses, with particular emphasis on the persuasive elements in these
orations. The first oration is entitled "Moses' Announcement of His
Deposition" and includes chapters 1:6 to 4:40:

The text of Deuteronomy indicates that the first oration is
delivered to the children of Israel on the eastern side of the
Jordan River just before they are to cross into the Promised Land.
This oration is Moses' personal announcement of his deposition from
the office of leader. It is divided into two distinct sections:
the first presenting an historic survey of the authority wielded by.
Moses; the second, an extended exhortation to the children of Israel
to keep the law when he has gone and cannot uphold its sacred pre- 5
cepts before them. i

The historic survey begins with a description of how Noses led I
the people at the command of Jehovah from.Mt. Horeb, where the law ;
and constitution of the Hebrew peOple were given, on toward the
Promised Land. The first movement of the nation revealed such a
growth in population that Moses was unable longer to supervise the 5
details of organization in person; his authority was revealed in the
appointment of subordinates. Under such organization the nation

-passed through the wilderness and safely reached KadeshéBarnea, on 2
the outskirts of Canaan. Here, however, when commanded to advance Q
upon the foe and to dispossess the Canaanites, the people rebelled 5
against the authority of Moses and began their wandering in the {
wilderness until the rebellious generation should die. Moses himse1f
was involved in Jehovah' s wrath: "The Lord was angry with me," he,
says, "for your sakes." He will not be allowed to enter the Promised
Land. Moses reviews the thirty-eight.years of wandering in the I
desert, but shows that even during this period Jehovah watched over
them. A new period Opened when the nation crossed the brook Zered:
the fear of this malitant peOple fell upon all nearby tribes. .Moses'
authority was evident in his directing Israel which nation to exter-
minate andnwhich to spare. Consequently, his personal hopes of
entering the Promised Land revived; he begged Jehovah to let him go
into the goodly land; but the plea.was denied and the former announce-
ment of his deposition from leadership confirmed: Moses‘will not‘
pass over Jordan. '

 

151b1d., pp._43, 44.

63

At this point Moses turns from simple historic survey to fervent
exhortation. Since his work is ended, the words he has commanded are
not to be altered. It remains only for Israel to obey the law.

Such obedience will mean their supremacy among the nations. Tb
empha ice their duty to keep the law, Moses recalls the miraculous
circumstances of its giving and the fact that Jehovah did not appear
in a form-~they only heard a voice. They must therefore take heed
never to make the form.of any thing to bow down to and not to'wor-
ship any creature or thing in heaven or earth save Jehovah only.
Jehovah has made a covenant with Israel, his own inheritance: He
will protect them above all nations; but he is a jealous God-‘Moses
himself had felt the divine jealousy--and if Israel sins, he will
destroy them from among the nations of the earth. However,.Moses
does not close with this statement of Jehovah's judgment; the
peroration of the oration introduces a note of mercy: Jehovah's
love for his people predominates.

Thus the first oration presents the general authority of Moses.
and a general view of the law: it constitutes a sort of introduction
to the series.16 ' '

The second oration, entitled “The Delivery of the Covenant to
the Levites and Eldersfl'is found in chapters 5:1 to 11:32. Weniger's
srmnmry of this oration is as follows:

The scene of the first oration is repeated for the second, but
this time the oration is connected with a public Ceremony: the Book
of the Covenant is to be formally conveyed into the hands of the
leaders of the peOple. It is a day of installation. Moses appears,
surrounded by the Levites and Elders, with the newlydwritten
Covenant held in his hands. As in the first oration, he begins with
the scene on Mt. Horeb and describes the giving of the law. He
recites the commandments one by one as Jehovah's voice gave them,
and recalls how frightened the peOple were and how they begged Mbses
to stand before Jehovah in their place, earnestly pledging their
obedience to all Jehovah's commands. It is Mbses' task to present
these commandments--now gathered into one code to the people and to
urge their obedience. But they are fearful of Jehovah's law; so
Ebses begins with the sacred Name and places side by side their love
for that Name and their love of the'law, which is ever present
among them.

From this point the order of ideas in the oration is not so much
a logical thought progression as it is a somewhat faintly marked
swing of ideas from.future to past. Moses depicts the material
prosperity which shall be theirs in the days to came, and begs
Israel not to forget Jehovah in time of prosperity, but rather to
teach their children that Jehovah, who delivered Israel from Egypt,
is the author of the commandments, the keeping of which insures the
prosperity of the nation.

15Ibid., pp. 51-54.

Further, Hoses cxhorts Israel in future times of conquest to
make no alliance with other nations, but ever to recognize by the
terms of the Covenant that they are a peculiar people; all that per-
tains to idolatry shall be a devoted thing. .At this point Moses
swings to the events of the wilderness experience and shows Jehovah's
continued guidance, to emphasize the idea that wealth has not come by
their making, but power to get wealth is itself the gift of Jehovah.

. The orator again turns to the future and portrays the fall of
powerful tribes before their advance. But, he admonishes, Israel
must beware of thinking that victory is the result of national
righteousness; let them remember their many rebellions against
Jehovah and realize that Jehovah has required of them only loving
obedience. Again surveying the future, Moses describes the Promised
Land under the special care of Providence for its nurture--Egypt
depended on human labor for its increase; Canaan depends upon God's
rain from.heaven. Therefore Israel must know that disobedience to
Jehovah's requirements will mean material failure until the nation
perishes from the land. Moses thus returns to his fundamental
point:- national proSperity depends upon obedience to Jehovah's law;
disobedience means national ruin. He gives several concrete sug-
gestions for making the law a part of their lives and holds up
promise of great reward for faithfulness, even to the conquest of

nations greater than Israel. J

1

Moses concludes by mentioning the ceremonial of the blessing and ’
the curse, which becomes the subject of the third oration. The Book '
of the Covenant is then formally handed over to the Levites and I
Elders to be read before the people as the basis of a national '
treaty with Jehovah.17

The third oration is entitled "At the Rehearsal of the Blessing'
and the Curse,” and is found in chapter 28. Weniger's summary of this
oration is as follows:

The third oration apparently belongs to the same day as the
second oration. After the formal delivery of the Book of the
Covenant, arrangements seem to be in progress for the rehearsal of
a great ceremonial-~that of the Blessing and the Curse. An ordinance
fixes this ceremony as an institution to be established in the
promised land, but before Israel's entrance into Canaan, it is
thought best to have a rehearsal of the ceremony. Accordingly, the
twelve tribes are divided into two groups stationed upon opposite
slopes in a spot resembling the mountains of Ebal and Gerizim of the
land of Canaan, one group to represent the Curse, the other to
represent the Blessing. The rehearsal begins, the Levites chanting
the Curses in full ritual form, the people answering Amen. But it
is only a rehearsal-~there is no similar chanting of the Blessings.
Instead, Hoses takes the matter into his own hands, and presents the

 

17Ibido, Pp. 54-560

65

Blessings in the form of oratorical discourse instead of Levitical
ritual, and then repeats the ground of the Curses in the oratory of
denunciation. It is the latter material that constitutes the sub-
stance of the third oration.

Moses bases material prosperity entirely upon obedience to the
commandments of Jehovah. If the people keep Jehovah's laws, they
will be blessed above all other nations on earth; they will be
prosperous in business and agriculture, in family life and national
economy, in all that can raise them to a place of international
recognition as the most favored of nations.

But-~and here the oration rises to the height of terrific

denunciation, three times passionately denouncing the results of

isobedience--if the peeple of Israel do not obey the laws of
Jehovah, innumerable curses will come upon them: curses of market
and farm, the decay of family life and the failure of national
economy, bodily sickness and mental terror, famine and.war and con-
quest at the hand of an enemy, until finally Israel shall be humbled
and carried captive to a strange 1and--the people that might have
been the head of all nations had she obeyed Jehovah becoming the

tail of nations and an astonishment and a bydword throughout the
earth.

A second stream of denunciation contrasts serving Jehovah “with
gladness of heart, by reason of the abundance of all things“ with
serving the enemy "in hunger, and in thirst, and in nakedness, and
in want of all things”--all because Israel did not obey Jehovah's
law-~until in the siege laid by the mystic enemy the most terrific
sufferings the mind can conceive are graphically portrayed.

The third stream.of denunciation reverts to the "glorious and
fearful Name," and paints a picture of the fading of the joys of
promise into plagues and sicknesses and exile, with indescribable
mental anguish, until finally the people which was intended to be
the saved of all the earth should return into the land of its bond-
age, voluntarily selling themselves as slaves to those fromnwhom
they had been delivered with a climax‘which should become the height
of ignominy--the markets would be so glutted that no one would buy
them. 22ers is to further clizaxuthe oration in its entirety is in
the nature of a peroration.18

The fourth oration is entitled "The Covenant in the Land of flesh"
and is found in chapters 29:2 to 31:8. Weniger's summary of this
oration is as follows:

The fourth oration seems to follow immediately after the third.

As in the first oration, Mbses again begins with an historic survey,
but this time it is very brief. In it he merely calls the peOple's

 

18Ibid., pp. 57-59.

66

.attention to the fact that the long journey through the wilderness
with all its trials had come to a successful close only because of
the tender care of Jehovah. The speaker then seems to review the
various classes of peeple in his audience and turns to them as
individuals, rather than addressing the whole crowd. Thus he makes
the point that distinguishes this oration from.the three preceeding:
he turns from national religion to personal religion, taking, as

Dr. Moulton says "the greatest stride that can be taken in religious
deve10pment." And as he observes the various classes before him, he
fears that there may be some man or woman, or some family or tribe,
who shall think to cover his own sin in the national righteousness.
Such a one, Hoses declares, Jehovah will single out and upon him
bring all the curses of the Covenant; such a tribe or family, he
says, will become a hissing and an astonishment to all other people.

But judgment is tempered with mercy. If when the blessings and
the curses portrayed in the orations have come upon them, the people
of Israel repent and return to Jehovah, he will turn their captivity,
and put the curses upon their enemies. Israel should be assured that.
the gracious word of life is in their very heart, if they will but
listen to its call. In his final appeal, Hoses calls heaven and
earth to witness as he sets before them life and death, the blessing
and the curse, and urges them to obey Jehovah, thus choosing life
and happiness.

With a few words of personal farewell, in.which he repeats .
Jehovah's mandate that he shall not go over Jordan; and of encourage-:
ment, in which he commends the people into the hands of Joshua, his a
successor, Noses closes the address, retires from his office, and |
the orations of Moses are concluded.

After these summaries, Weniger proceeds to his central theme,
"Analysis of the Elements of Persuasion in Deuteronomy." He handles
this analysis by means of the Aristotelian headings: ethical appeal,
emotional appeal, andlogical appeal. ;

l-bses commends himself to Israel in five distinct ways: (1) a
review of the facts of his successful leadership of Israel, (2) a claim f
to personal revelations from God, (3) an assertion of devotion to l
Israel, (4) an appeal to his hearers' powers of judgment, and (5) an
20

expression of personal courage.

What Jebb writes of Demosthenes' "De Corona" can be said.with
equal truth of the oratory of Moses: "The nobility of this great .

 

20

191bid., pp. 59-61. Ibid., p. 64.

 

 

 

 

“(7?

[1‘

R-“«_

._ LA
I “‘5.

!r\

\w‘ e

67

speech declares itself not least in this, that the inevitable

recital of personal services never once sinks into self-
glorification."2*

The second means of ethical appeal is Moses' claim to having
personal revelations from.God and the repeated assertion of this
claim. Moses speaks with an authority born of the conviction that
he is in direct personal touch with God. Again and again he states
the divine imprimatur: "The Lord said unto me." '

Weniger names two methods of emotional appeal in Moses' sermons:
(l) a patriotic appeal to the national dignity of the Hebrew common-
wealth, and (2) an appeal to the nation's sense of gratitude and
obedience to God for his love to them.2.3 Regarding these emotional

appeals, Driver is quoted as follows:

In setting forth these truths the author exhausts all his
eloquence: in impressive and melodious periods, he dilates upon the
claims which Jehovah has upon the Israelites' allegiance, and seeks,
by ever appealing to the most generous and powerful motives, to
stir Israel's heart to respond with undivided loyalty and affection.24

The major emotional appeals are reinforced by appeals to a
variety of lesser "drives." "most prominent among these are the desire
for reward, and its opposite, the fear of punishment."25 Among the
"drives" listed are (l) "the wish for worth," (2) acquisitiveness, (3)
parental desire, (4) desire for food, (5) contentment and domestic ease,
(6) escape from danger, (7) victory over enemies.26

The two fundamental emotional appeals of the Deuteronomic cycle--

national self-respect and gratitude to God-~are used especially in

the first two orations, although their presence is detected all

through the group. On the other hand, although there is a
lebid., p. 65. 221bid. 23Ibid., p. 73.

248. R. Driver, An Introduction to the Literature of the Old
Testament (New York: Scribners, 1900), p. 89. Quoted by Weniger, p. 74.
,ZSWeniger, on. cit., p. 79.

26Ibid., p. 80.

68

distribution of the lesser motives throughout the cycle, emphasis on

H»

the natural human drives" is concentrated in the third and fourth
orations.

Weniger points out that, by the time the auditors of these orations in
Josimh's day had listened to the first and second orations, they had
become resolved into a "psychological crowd." As such they were largely

deprived of the "power of cool reason" and were "emotionally responsive

to the primal "drives" of human nature."28

Regarding logical appeal, Weniger states that "the persuasion of
the four orations of Deuteronomy is effected with very little mere
appeal to the intellect and absolutely no formal logic."29 He goes on

to suggest that "suggestive examples may be more forceful than true
i

induction and probable consequences more striking than exact

syllogisms."3O

There is in the oratory of Deuteronomy but one argument, and
that is an extended argument of causal relationshipt‘ Moses builds
his appeals upon a framework of the argument from cause to effect.
He makes national prosperity dependenf upon obedience, and national
failure dependent upon disobedience.3

This method of reasoning was perhaps very appealing to the
audience of Josiah's time for two reasons: (1) it‘was given as from
the mouth of one whom they considered an authority. . . and (2) the
political, religious, and social conditions prevailing in the land
were already becoming a fulfillment of the curses prophesied as the
result of disobedience.

After discussing the ethical, emotional, and logical appeal of
these four orations, Weniger adds a section on "Some Devices for
Reenforcing Appeal." These devices he lists as (1) figures of speech,

(2) vivid imagery, (3) concrete and specific diction, (4) empathy,
(5) rhythm, and (6) repetition.33

 

27w" P‘ 83‘ 28%., p. 820 Zglbido’ P. 830
. 3°221gp. P- 84- 3llhidg. ' 321bid., pp. 88, 89.

'33Ibid., p. 90.

weniger's final chapter is entitled "The Unique Contribution of
Hebrew Rhetoric to the Persuasive Appeal of Deuteronomy.“ The items
discussed are (l) the rhythm of the Hebrew oratory as shown in Deute-
ronomy, (2) the general analytical nature of the Hebrew language, and
(3) the concretcness of the Hebrew vocabulary.34 Regarding rhythm,
Weniger declares:

There is something about the rhythmic flow of language that
invites and compels attention, pleases the imagination, and hence,
from an emotional point of view, conduces toward persuasion. There
is a sensuous element in rhythm.35

A discussion of Hebrew parallelism.follows with examples from

Deuteronomy.

Another rhythmic device used in Deuteronomy is that of "free,

flowing periods."

One illustration is that of chapter 8, verses 7-9:

For the Lord thy God bringeth thee into a good land, a land of
brooks of water, of fountains and depths, springing forth in valleys
and hills; a land of wheat and barley, and vines and fig trees and
pomegranates; a land of oil olive and honey; a land wherein thou
shalt eat bread without scareceness, thou shalt not lack any thing
in it; a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills thou
mayest dig brass.36

This rhythmic value, as reflected in the second oration, is further

commented on:

Moses presents a pendulum swing in thought between the future
and the past. One moment he presents a picture of the promised
land, the next a glimpse of the land from which they had been
delivered; one moment, a prophecy of their conquest of the nations,
the next a recollection of the miraculous way God had led them to
get wealth, and so on. There is no logical progression in the order
of thoughts in the oration, but rather a series of contrasted pic-
tures in rhythmic periods intending to impress the hearer with the
wonders of God's leading in the past and to challenge him to follow
God in the future.37

,’

 

342229:, p. 100- 351bid., pp. 101, 102.

36Deuteronomy 8:7-9.

37Weniger, op. cit., p. 109.

70
Regarding the persuasive effect of this poetry, Weniger states: 1

It is perhaps difficult for us of the occidental twentieth
century to realize the emotional effect of the oral reading of
Deuteronomy upon the auditors, unless we have heard the reading of
the sacred Hebrew writings by an accomplished rabbi in the Jewish
synagogue. The enthusiasm of such reading, the melody of phrasing,
the harmony of sounds, makes a distinct impression upon the hearer,
although he may not understand the meaning of the words intoned. . . .
The trained synagogue reader of the year 1933 A.D. probably approxi-

mates the oral interpretation of the reading of Deuteronomy in the
year 622 B.C. by King Josiah.38

Regarding the analytical nature of the language, and its effect

in persuasion, Zeniger says:

The structure is simple, not complex. There are relatively few
conjunctions, and where one is used, the chief connective seems to
be "and." It is evident that such a structure makes for clearness
of comprehension and is eSpecially favorable for auditory impression
where a message must be understood the instant it is heard. Since
clearness lies at the basis of persuasion, this particular linguistiC'

tendency must be considered an underlying factor in logical
persuasion.

The concreteness of the Hebrew language is also presented as
basic to persuasion.
The "Summary, with Conclusions" of Weniger's thesis is repro-

duced here in order to give an overview of his argument:

SUMEARY, WITH CONCLUSIONS

1. The four orations of the Book of Deuteronomy present an
important contribution to the history of persuasive speech, for

a. They were read aloud in Jerusalem.in the year 622 B.C. and
thus antedate Demosthenes by nearly 300 years.

b. The oral reading of the cycle produced an immediate reforma-
tion in the land of Judah which was one of the most remarkable
reforms in history. -

c. The promulgation of the teachings of Deuteronomy effected a
revolution in Hebrew life and thought and set in motion currents of
thought that still persist in modern civilization.

 

38Ibid., pp. 110, 111. (This material was written in 1933).

39Ibid., p. 112.

13.3“ 1.1%,».‘JH144 isfljj~

 

 

 

71

2. The Deuteronomic cycle of orations, although it was con-
ceived and delivered twenty-five hundred years ago and before the
classical study of the formal art of rhetoric, and although it was
produced in an Hebraic environment remote from classical influences,
nevertheless meets many of the requirements of both classical and
modern theories of persuasion. The persuasion of the series proceeds
as follows:

a. The ethical appeal of the oratory of Deuteronomy, which is
chiefly positive, is produced in two ways: Moses commends his own
character and recommends the character of his subject (God) to his
hearers. The first he effects by reviewing his successful leader-
ship, claiming personal revelations from God, asserting loyalty to
his peOple, appealing to their sound judgment, and expressing
personal courage; the second he effects by naming God's characteris-
tics, reviewing his goodness, and prOphesying his goodness yet to
come. Ethical appeal, although it occurs throughout the cycle, is
concentrated in the first and second orations, which serve as a sort
of introduction to the series.

b. The emotional appeal of the orations has two basic aSpects:
a patriotic appeal to the national dignity of Israel, and an appeal
to the peOple's sense of gratitude and obedience to God for his
goodness. These appeals are reenforced by two fundamental motives:
the desire for reward and the fear of punishment; and with these are
linked many of the lesser natural "drives." Emphasis is placed on
"the wish for worth." Emotional appeal, although it is distributed
throughout the orations, preponderates in the third and fourth,
‘which act as a sort of peroration to the series.

c. The logical appeal of the cycle is slight. It consists
mainly of an extended argument from causal relationship, both from
cause to effect and from effect to cause, reenforced by many
examples from.the history of the Hebrew people. The argument is
that obedience to God's commandments brings national and domestic
prosperity, while disobedience brings calamity and ultimate ruin.
The argument is basic throughout the series, but is concentrated in
the third oration.

d. These appeals are reenforced by such devices of rhetoric as
figures of speech, vivid immgery, concrete and specific diction,
empathy, rhythm, and repetition. The nature of the Hebrew language
makes several unique contributions to the persuasive effect of
Deuteronomy, such as parallelism, analytical structure, concreteness
of vocabulary, certain discriminations in the choice of synonyms,
and idiom.

From.these statements, we draw two conclusions:,
1. The four orations of Deuteronomy should be recognized as
constituting an important contribution to the history of persuasive

speech. A

2.; The speaker who desires to be a successful persuader must
recognize that men's decisions and activities are more dependent on

72
ethical and emotional appeal than upon mere appeal to the intellect;
in other words, that menuwill believe in the message of a man'whom
they consider worthy of belief and‘will follow his suggestions when
appeal is made to the many "drives" that impel human conduct,

although, for lasting effect, there must be a sound logical basis
such as that of causal relationship and evident example.

The student who goes to Deuteronomy for mere intellectual
reasoning will be disappointed, but he will learn from a careful
study of the methods of the orator of Deuteronomy that men have
hearts as well as heads and that of the two their hearts are more
easily reached.40 .

The values of this series of lectures on Deuteronomy as recalled
by this investigator, were as follows: (1) These lectures gave a new
setting to a familiar section of the Bible, and made it contribute to an
understanding of the art of persuasion, (2) these lectures illustrated
the principles of persuasion laid down by the great rhetoricians of
classical and modern times, (3) these lectures were immeasurably
enhanced by weniger's inimitable ability in the area of oral interpreta-
tion, and (4) these lectures were a good teaching method in that they
followed.Augustine's recommendation that oratory should be taught by
example. These values were of particular significance to a class of
theological students and ministers, and would not carry the same weight
in the usual college or university setting.

Unit Two of Weniger's syllabus in "Persuasive Speaking" is
entitled "Interest as the Foundation of Persuasion." At the heading of
the unit is the following direction to the student:

Select a speech or sermon of your approved orator (this refers

to item 3, unit one) worthy of intensive study as a model of

persuasion, and secure approval. Submit card giving full bibliog-
raphy of your reason for choice.

f‘olbid” pp. 120-123. “Weniger, yuabus P 280, p. 2.

 

Hole

1‘5'n‘23‘fiw. . ...L:.~n. u.y.. d .m-

M

73
Unit Two is divided into four sections: (1) Devices for Secur-
ing and Holding Interest, (2) The Art of Illustration, (3) Application,
and (4) Oral Reports.
The directions to the student under "Devices for Securing and
Holding Interest" are:

a. Study intensively basic theory in at least two of the
following: Brigance, 120-133, 218-268; Mbnroe, 174-185, 194-199;
Phillips, Effective Speaking, 63-133; Sanford and‘Yeager, Principles
of Effective Speaking, 67-101; Sarett, 413-424 (1936 edition).

b. Note devices of interest employed in current newspaper,
magazine, and billboard advertising., Collect several significant
advertisements, and analyze interest appeals.

c. Study the approved speech of your selected orator with
Special attention to the use of interest devices, and prepare to
report. This study makes a step in accumulating materials for a
forthcoming report.

Under "The Art of Illustration" the following instructions are

given the student:

a. Study White, Christ's Object Lessons, l7-27.
b. Study Phillips, l7-47, with special attention to 28-36.

c. Read Beecher, Yale Lectgres on Preachigg, First Series, 154-
180; and selections from.the following: Brigance, 256-261; Brown,

The Art of Preaching, 124-135; Carnegie, Public Spgaking and
Influencigg men in Business, 419-439, etc.; Winans, 141-148.

d. Read Conwell, “Acres of Diamonds" (in Carnegie, 521-549),
and note the number, nature, and purpose of illustrations employed.

e. Study your approved speech with special attention to variety,
character, and purpose of illustrative material. Prepare to report,
and retain cumulative results.43

Under point three, "Application," Weniger simply says, "Become
interest-conscious and illustration-conscious in listening and in.your

own speaking."44

“szid. ' _ 43 id.

halbid.

74

The fourth point, "Oral Reports," lists nine sources and tapics

to be used by the class for oral reports on the subject of illustration:

a. Byran, The Art of Illustratigg Sermons.

b. Nathewson, The Illustration_in Sermon, Address, Conversation,
and Teaching.

c. Dowling, John, The Power of Illustration.

d. Spurgeon, The Art of Illustration.
e. Trench, On the Study of Nerds.

. f. Advertisements of the Travelers Insurance Company as printed
in the National Geographic Magazine.

g. Mdllard, The Power of Illustration.

h. Jesus' use of illustration, see Index to_the writings of
Mrs. E. C. White under "Illustrations," 412, and "Christ, illustrated

truth from nature," 196; n.b., Luke 15, and‘White, Christ's Object
Lessons, 185-211.

1. Hardinge, A Survgy of the Theogy of Illustration of
Ellen Gould.White. '

An.examination.of‘Weniger's "Procedure" chart indicates that six
I
class hours were spent on.Unit Two. Significant entries in the chart
follow (no attempt.is made to include all organizational details):
7/5 Submit card requesting approval of address for intensive

study (plus bibliography). Purchase one popular magazine.
Distribute Hardinge' 3 study on Ellen.G. White persuasive
theory.

General discussion of current theory: ethos.
Committee discussion of selected orators.

7/6 Discuss interest devices.

7/7 Comittee work on advertisements.
Lecture on Dowling.

7/11 Reports on'Millard, Spurgeon, Hardinge, Trench, National
Geographic.

7/12 Further reports.

7/13 Further reports.

—-..

infc
8w
Yea
adv
In

0D

 

75

An analysis of this unit reveals attention to basic sources of

information regarding interest as the foundation of persuasion. The
standard authorities listed include Brigance, Phillips, Sanford and
Yeager, and Sarett. Of special interest in the field of business and
advertising are references to Carnegie, and certain advertising materials.
In addition to these sources, there are a number of sources, particularly
on the art of illustration, designed especially for theological students.
mese include Beecher, Bryan, and Spurgeon. In addition to these
general works, several references are of special relevance to Seventh-day
Adventist theological students. One is Leslie fiardinge's Master's
thesis, "A Survey of the Theory of Illustration of Ellen Gould White”;
and the other is Chrigt's Object Lessogg by Ellen White from which one
section is assigned.

Ellen White's theory of illustration is indicated in the follow-

ing excerpts from the assigned portion of Chgst's Object Lessons:

So it was in Christ's teaching: the unknown was illustrated by
the known, divine tzgths by earthly things with which the people
were most familiar.

Jesus desired to awaken inquiry. He sought to arouse the care-
less, and impress truth upon the heart. Parable teaching was
papular, and commanded the respect and attention, not only of the
Jews, but of the peOple of other nations. No more effective method
of instruction could Re have employed.“6

Again, Christ had truths to present which the people were
unprepared to accept, or even to understand. For this reason also
He taught them in parables. By connecting His teaching with the
scenes of life, experience, or nature, He secured their attention

and impressed their hearts."7

Jesus sought an avenue to every heart. By using a variety of
illustrations, He not only presented truth in its different phases,

 

“Ellen G. White, Christ's Objgcg Legacy (Oakland, Calif.:
Pacific Press, 1900), p. 11.

451mm, p. 21. 47 id.

he

uni

 

flags}. 35‘. .L...‘ 7.1V.

I v. {3 ..

hi

76

but appealed to different hearers. Their interest was aroused by
figures drawn from the surromdings of their daily life. None who
listened the Saviour could feel that they were neglected or
forgotten.

The implications of this material for ministers are obvious.

Unit Three of the syllabus is entitled "Ethical Appeal (Bthos)."
nu following seven points direct the students in their sandy of this
unit:

1. Review the principles of ethical appeal as a factor in
persuasion: Brigance, 140-151; Monroe, revised, 2-13; Sarett, 6,
18-22; flinans, 304-308. Cf. Osborn, Your Voice Pers'onalig; Peat,
Voige and Personality.

2. Consider the ethical appeal of Jesus. Reed White, he Desirg
of Ages, 253-255, etc.,; Kleiser, 61153;; the Ear Spgaker.

3. Read Spencer, How to be a Top-Plight Salem, 17-63, etc.,
and apply it to yourself as a speaker.

as Study WV, he SEECh Pegsomllgz (19“ eds), 3'36. apply
to your own experience Murray' s ten minim-n requirements for speech
integration (19-22); study mrrsy' s Integration Check List with
yourself as s case-problem, and draw valid conclusions. Consult
other available materials.

5. What contribution to the theory of ethical appeal is made by
your approved classical rhetoricisn (reference to sssigrment in
Unit One). .

6. Consider the ethical appeal of your selected orator in

general and as revealed in your approved speech-model. Retain
specific results for report.

Weniger' s "Procedures" sheet seems to indicate that we class
hours were spent on Unit 'nuree. Brief notes reveal some of the topics:
7/14 Emphasize personality checks: various lists“:
7/18 Paper: candid confidential report on Unit Three. [Weniger

seem to have asked his students for e self-evaluation of
their own ethos.)

weniger's‘ approach to ethical appeal covers several fronts:

(1) Be asked his students to review several texts on the subject, (2) he

_— A_

“11:31.. pp. 21, 22. ' “Weniger, augm r. 280, p. 3.

77
asked his students to study the ethical appeal of the rhetorician they
were investigating, (3) he asked them to do the same for their orator,
(4) he asked for a confidential self-evaluation, (5) he stressed Murray's
Integration Check List, (6) he touched salesmanship, and (7) he stressed
the ethical appeal of Jesus. These points are restated to emphasize the
intensely personal approach Weniger made. tor ex-nple, the thrray check
list includes the following points:

1. The integrated speaker has a set of speech attitudes which
help his effectiveness in communication.

2. The integrated speaker has poise and emtional control.

3. The integrated speaker has spontaneity and emotional
responsiveness to speech situations.

lo. The integrated speaker adjusts his audibility or loudness to
his audience and situation.

5. fire well-integrated speaker has a physical bearing, action,
and directness that help comunicate the thought intended.

6. The well-integrated speaker has a pleasant and agreeable
quality of voice.

7. The integrated speaker uses gestures.

8. ‘nze integrated speaker has variety, flexibility, and a fine
control over pitch, intensity, and duration. .

9. The well-integrated speaker has refined and correct enuncia-
tion, articulation, and pronunciatiOn.

10. 'lhe well-integrated speaker uses correct oral grammar and
diction.so

The part of Unit Three of particular significance in a seminary
is the section on the ethical appeal of Jesus. In an interview with
Weniger, December, 1962, this investigator was told that he considered

the quotation from Ellen White's Desire of Am, assigned in point two

_4_

soxlwood Murray, The Spggch Pgrgonaligz (Chicago: Lippincott,
1944). PP. 19-22.

78

of this unit as "the finest characterization of Jesus' speech personality 43

1
ever written."51 The statement referred to reads as follows: f'
I
Jesus met the people on their own ground, as one who was I,
acquainted with their perplexities. He made truth beautiful by ,‘
presenting it in the most direct and simple way. His language was '
pure, refined, and clear as a running stream. His voice was as .
music to those who had listened to the monotonous tones of the ;
rabbis. But while His teaching was simple, He spoke as one having
authority. This characteristic set His teaching in contrast with

that of all others. The rabbis spoke with doubt and hesitancy, as

if the Scriptures might be interpreted to mean one thing or exactly
the Opposite. The hearers were daily involved in greater incertainty.
But Jesus taught the Scriptures as of unquestionable authority. What-
ever His subject, it was presented with power, as if His words could
not be controverted.

Yet He was earnest, rather than vehement. He spoke as one who
had a definite purpose to fulfill. He was bringing to view the
realities of the eternal world. In every theme God was revealed.
Jesus sought to break the spell of infatuation which keeps men
absorbed in earthly things. He placed the things of this life in
their true relation, as subordinate to those of eternal interest;
but He did not ignore their importance. He taught that heaven and
earth are linked together, and that a knowledge of divine truth pre-
pares men better to perform the duties of everyday life. He spoke
as one familiar with heaven, conscious of His relationship to God,
yet recognizing His unity with every member of the human funily.

His messages of mercy were varied to suit His audience. He knew
"how to speak a word in season to him that is weary" (Isa. 50:4);
for grace was poured upon His lips, that He might convey to men in
the most attractive way the treasures of truth. He had tact to meet
the prejudiced minds, and surprise them with illustrations that won
their attention. Through the imagination He reached the heart. His
illustrations were taken from the things of daily life, and although
they were simple, they had in them a wonderful depth of meaning. The
birds of the air, the lilies of the field, the seed, the shepherd
and the sheep-"with these objects Christ illustrated imortal truth;
and ever afterward, when His hearers chanced to see these things of
nature, they recalled His words. Christ's illustrations constantly
repeated His lessons.

Christ never flattered men. He never spoke that which would
exalt their fancies and imaginations, nor did He praise them for
their clever inventions; but deep, unprejudiced thinkers received
His teaching, and found that it tested their wisdom. They marveled
at the spiritual truth expressed in the simplest language. The most
highly educated were charmed with His words, and the uneducated were
always profited. He had a message for the illiterate; and He made
even the heathen to understand that He had a message for them.

 

51Interviews, pp. 7, 8.

79

His tender compassion fell with a touch of healing upon weary
and troubled hearts. Even amid the turbulence of angry enemies He
was surrounded with an atmosphere of peace. Due beauty of His
countenance, the loveliness of His character, above all, the love
eXpressed in look and tone, drew to Him all who were not hardened
in unbelief. Had it not been for the sweet, sympathetic spirit that
shone out in every look and word, He would not have attracted the
large congregations that He did. The afflicted ones who one to Him
felt that He linked His interest with theirs as a faithful and
tender friend, and they desired to know more of the truths He taught.
Heaven was brought near. They longed to abide in His presence, that
the comfort of His love might be with them continually.

Jesus watched with deep earnestness the changing countenances of
His hearers. he faces that expressed interest and pleasure gave
Him great satisfaction. As the arrows of truth pierced to the soul,
breaking through the barriers of selfishness, and working contrition,
and finally gratitude, the Saviour was made glad. when His eye
swept over the throng of listeners, and He recognized among them
faces He had before seen, His countenance lighted up with joy. He
saw in them hopeful subjects for His kingdom. Hhen the truth,
plainly spoken, touched some cherished idol, He marked the change of
countenance, the cold, forbidding look, which told that the light
was unwelcome. When He saw men refuse the message of peace, His
heart was pierced to.the very depths.52

Unit Pour is entitled ”Pathetic Appeal (Pathos)." Suggestions
to the student follow (note that, as in. the case of Unit Three, this
topic is interwoven with the general assigmnents of the course):

1. Study suggestion, social pressure, mental stereotypes, and
fundamental human wants as factors in emotional appeal. Review
materials in Brigance, 155-195; lbnroe, 129-145; Phillips, 48-62;
Sarett, 473-497; Hinans, 185-244; etc.

2. Check theories of pathetic appeal in your approved classical
rhetorician.

3. Note the appeals to fundamental hunan wants found in current
advertising, and apply the principles to public speaking situations.
Collect several especially significant advertisements and explain the
application of the appeal to hunan wants.

4. Study emotional appeal in your approved speech, and smarize
findings with specific examples from text.

5. Oral reports on selected works.53

52Ellen G. White, Degire of Ages (lbmtain View, Calif.: Pacific
Press, 1940), pp. 253-255.

”wants“. gnaw r 280. p. 3.

 

V2

17. L ., K. 43". 3..., 3.5: .11.? .1.) iii!!!“

A

 

80.

The "Procedures" sheet indicates that approximately two days
were spent on this item. Entries include: .' ‘
7/19 Discuss current history . . . on motive appeal.

”20 Conclude 7119 discussion. Comittee work on pathos in
selected addresses. .~

The next six class hours were spent on speechesi from class
members. Each of the 21 mbers of the class in the .5...“ of 1955 gave
a speech on a speaker, plus a report one classical thatorician or on a
modern authority in some phase of persuasion. The schedules of the

speeches may be reconstructedas follows:

, mu: 1
scum or streams roe answerer-muss s 280

 

 

 

 

 

 

l . I

grunt“: r Speaker ; A Hhetorician ; , ' lbdern Shady
l Lincoln Hayakmva
2 Webster Whately *
3 Luther ’ Campbell -
4 Bryan Lee
5 Bossuet . Donnelly
6 Pitt ‘ Blair «
7 Spurgeon , a ‘ Carnegie
8 Paul 3 Williams

. 9 Talmage ! Overs treet
lO Chrysostom f Trench

, ' ll . Whitefield i Gumball
12 i Bryan, E » Lee
13 Paul 3' , Higgins
14 A. Campbell t Cicero
15 Savonarola . 7 ' . Poffenberger
16 Spurgeon _ 3 .. ’ Webb and lbrgan
l7 Churchill i r - Martin, Le Bon
l8 Mann ‘, Quintilian
l9 Wesley 1 , i Hollingsworth
21 _ Lincoln ' ’ ’ Thonson

 

“a V-..” -~

_- .

81
This schedule reveals the range of the material covered in the reports.
Adaptation to seminary needs is shown in that thirteen of the menty -one
speakers chosen are preachers. However, the structuring of the reports
makes it practically necessary for each student to spend some of his time
outside of clerical subjects.

Imediately following the series of talks, three meetings were
devoted to a class discussion on semantics. Reference in the ”Procedure"
sheet is made to Chase, km of Words, and (kg and Wise, Basgs of
my, Chapter Ix.

Unit Five is entitled "Logical Appeal (Logos) ." Directions to
due students read as follows:

1. Review the elementsof logical argument (induction,
deduction, syllogism, enthymeme, causal relationship, fallacy, rules
of evidence, analysis, etc.) and methods of adapting arguments to
audiences. See Winans, 21:7 -304, and technical works on argumentation

and logic. Cf. Monroe, 243-246; Sarett and Foster, 435-465. Poster,
Aggumentation and Debatng is standard. See Creighton and Jevons on

logic. See Crocker, Amntation and abate.

2. Note the form and value of sentence-outline (briefing). as
explained in Winans, 395-420. Cf. Brigance, 38-43; lbnroe, 234-238;
Sarett and Poster, 379-380, etc.

3. Read Aristotle, The Rhetoric, pp. 5, 10, 147-149 (in Lane
Cooper's translation) .

4. Study your approved speech from the point of view of logical
appeal, and retain results for report. Be specific.

5. Test your own logical thinking and speaking.“

'nue ”Procedures" chart does not set aside specific class hours

. for the discussion of Units Five, Six, and Seven. The remainder of the
term is largely devoted to student speeches and office conferences. It
is probable that the principles of the last three units were woven into
the activities of the remaining class periods.

A

“Ibtds. 9e 4e

82
Unit Six is entitled "Influences of Persuasion," and it includes
only one directive :

Determine the influences (both imuuediate and remote) of the
public speaking efforts of your chosen orator, with particular
attention to the speech under study.5

Unit Seven is entitled "Persuasion in Practice." It makes
specific the requirements for due final class appearance of the student,
and is the consummation of some of the work assigned in Unit One. The

directions are as follows:

1. Present an oral report on your approved orator and speech,
in the form of a finished platform lecture (25 minutes). Organize
biography, social history, persuasive appeals and devices,
influences, etc., in such a way as to convey your interpretation of
emphasis and dominant appeal of speaker and speech. Let this be
evidence of your knowledge of course-content and of the extent to
which 193 employ accepted techniques. g

2. Submit in written form, not later than August 15, the follow-
ing materials: ,

a. Sentence-outline (not more than 3 pp.)
' b. Bibliography (chief sources, in style of Campbell Pgrm Mk ).
c. Abstract (250 words).

3. Arrange a conference with your instructor preceding your
public lecture.

4. Prepare to introduce a class lecturer. See James Baker,
The Short Spgch, 96-104; James O'Heill, Modern Short Spgeches,
3-12; Willard Yeager, Eff tiv S or Eve casion 159-168;
etc. '
his final unit illustrates one‘aspect of Weniger's teaching--
his ability to make class appointnents seem immensely important. These
were not mere "talks," they were "platform lectures," 25 minutes in
length and duly introduced. Students who were scheduled to speak cane
dressed in their "Sundq best"--thsy would have felt out of place other-

wise. Every class period was a "production," following unbelievable

A

55 id.

83
hours in preparation and reading. Although "A" grades were hard to come
by, students crowded into his classes and seldom complained--they becmne
slaves, and liked it.‘

Vo co and Di tion

Weniger's course, voice and diction, reflects an attempt to
adapt a standard, technical speech course to the needs of a class of

theological students. The textbook for the course was Virgil A.

Anderson's Trainigg the makigg Voice. The first assignment, covering

one week, was introductory, and was entitled ”Voice and Personality."
The reading list for this opening week was divided into No sections:
the first was religiously oriented, and included selections on the use
of the voice from E. C. White's Christ's Object Lessons, Counsels to

Teachers, Desire of Aggs, EducAtion, Testimonies to 95 Churc . One of
these references yields the following counsel for religious workers:

The power of speech is a talent that should be diligently
cultivated. Of all the gifts we have received from God, none is
capable of being a greater blessing than this. With the voice we
can convince and persuade; with it we offer prayer and praise to
God, and with it we tell others of the Redeemer's love. How impor-
tant, then, that it be so trained as to be most effective for good.

The culture and right use of the voice are greatly neglected,
even by persons of intelligence and Christian activity. There are
many who read or speak in so low or so rapid a manner that they can-
not be readily understood. Some have a thick, indistinct utterance,
others speak in a high key, in sharp, shrill tones, that are painful
to the. bearers. Texts, hymns, and the reports and other papers
presented before public assemblies are smtimes read in such a way
that they are not understood, and often so that their force and
impressiveness are destroyed.

This is an evil that can and should be corrected. . . .

By diligent effort all may acquire the power to read intelligibly,
and to speak in a full, clear, round tone, in a distinct and impres-
sive manner. By doing this we m greatly increase our efficiency
as workers for Christ.

Every Christian is called to make known to others the uunsearch-
able riches of Christ; therefore he should seek for perfection in

84

speech. ‘He should present; the word of God in a way that will
couumuend it to the hearers. God does not design that His human
channels shall belittle or degrade the heavenly current that flows
through him to the world.“

. With this background, the student was directed to "read
appreciatively selected materials from the following general works:”57

Avery, Elizabeth, Dorsey, Jane, and Sickels, Vera, Firgt
Princi les of S eech Tra nin

Brigance, William Norwood, Your Eveggg Smech

Corson, Hiram, 'nue Voice and‘Spiritual Education
Gaskill, Harold V., Personality

Hathaway, Helen, What Your Voice Reveals .

Holmes, E. Lincoln D., A Handbook of Voice and Diction

Kerr, Harrison, Developigg Your Speakigg Voice ' r
Kerr, Harrison, Your Speakigg Voice , A . ,1
Harsh, Hattie Marie, Buildigg Your Personality ;
Hulgrava, Dorothy 1., Speech for the Classgggg Teacher 1
Muarray, Elwood, The Speech Personally ;

Osborn, Loraine, Your Speech Personality.
Parrish, Wayland Maxfield, The Teacher's Smh

Pear, T. H., Voice and Personality .
Raubicheck, Letitia, Davis, Estelle H., and Carll, L. Adele, ;

Voice and Speech Problems

Sutton, Vida, Aggic of Saech
Von Hesse, Elizabeth, 80 To Sng I

The response to this reading assignuuuent expected of the student
was outlined as follows: ' I,
Submit a brief paper based on the above references and on your
own thought, on the voice as an expression of personality. Do not
write more than 350 words. Append alphabetized abbreviated bibliog-
raplv of your actual reading. . . .58
The student was directed m spend at least five hours in preparing this
assigulnent. He was also asked to submit bro "Cable Blanks" on which his;

speech resources were evaluated by other observers. This scale consists

of ten significant items, each of which is rated on the basis of a

 

56White, Chrgst's Objecg Lessons, pp. 335, 336. ‘
sI'Charles E. Weniger, 1 bus V 1 ti Course 270,

“m Qulttcr, 1953. pa Is
”11:14.

85
semantic differential. Each student*was expected to rate himself and to
compare his rating with the rating given him on the same instrument by a
selected fellow-student. I

Weniger's hanmrritten sheets on "Procedures" reveal some side-
lights on the activities of this firstuweek. During the first session of
the class, the students‘were given.Harper's Voice ggggrnog,‘which they
were asked to read. Also, Weniger distributed due "Cable Blanks,"
administering and collecting one, and assigning the other as due at the
next meeting of the class. During the secohd class session, demonstra-
tion and exercises in relaxation, posture, and breathing'were conducted.
‘nue assigned papers were handed in at the third session, and more
material was presented on relaxation, posture, and breathing.

The second assignment, designated Unit One,‘was called HA
Beginning Exploration in Personal Speech Resources." This assignment
was divided into five parts: (1) the student was assigned sections from
Anderson, Gaskell, Holmes, Dtulgrave, Hurray, and Parrish; plus Cable's
"Self-Grading Rating Scale," and Walsh's Sigg Your Wg to Better Spgech;
and.he'was asked to "study criteria for evaluation.of voice, diction,
and general voice equipment"; (2) he was asked to continue reading from
the selected biography suggested in the preliminary survey; (3) the
studentwwas asked to "prepare to begin personal diagnosis by introducing
yourself briefly to the members of the class"; (4) the stuudent was
assigned a ZSO-word paper on "The Kind. of Voice 1 Should, Like to Have."
The instructor counsels, "’Keep your feet on the ground! This paper will
be confidential with youur instructor; be candid"; (5) the student was
asked to spend at least 15 ndnuteséa day in.axercises, keeping a daily

record of. these activities.

86
Unit ho was entitled "Relaxation, Posture, Breathing." In the
bibliography for this unit, titles not assigned in previous units
included:

Bender, James E. , and Kleinfeld, Victor M. , Sgech Correction

Manual and Principles and Practicgs of Speech Corgcection
Carnegie, Dale, Public Speakigg and Influencigg Men in Busingss

Harper, Ralph H., G-Suitigg the Boy
Jackson, Josephine A., and Salesbury, Helen M. , Outwittipg Our
Nerves

Jacobson, Edward, Progressive Relaxation. You Eat Relax
Kellogg, Irwin, Why Breathe?
Lane, Janet, Your Carr a e Madam!

Hensendieck, Bess, It's Up To You . ’
Sarett, Lew, and Foster, William Trufant, Mic Pginciples of

we.

Winans, Janet A., Public Smakim
This second unit introduced the "Spine Gauge," which Weniger used as a
diagnostic device for problems of posture.

'nue "basic criteria" listed under Unit Tun were "(1) Can I be
heard? (2) Can I be understood? (3) Is my pronunciation generally
accepted? (4) Do I read ordinary prose interestingly? (5) Is my con-
versation direct and coummnicative? (6) Is my voice reasonably pleasing
in quality? (7) Is aw speech manner persuasive?“59 _

Unit fluree was "Introduc tion to the Phonetic Alphabet. " 'nue

student was asked to "compare methods of indicating pronunciation in

. Barnhart, “flue flgicm Colggp Dictionag; Webster; Punk and Wagnalls;
Jones, An Epgligh Prono_u_r_u_c_ipg Dig tionagy; and Kenyon and Scott, A

Pronogngigg Qic tionm of Queen Epglis . Choose several key words,
and note how their pronunciation is indicated in the several diction-

arias."60 As an introduuction to the International Phonetic Alphabet, :
the student was referred to HcLean, Good arisen Smog and Avery, First

 

59Ibid., p. 3.
“thde. pa he

87
Principles. For students interested in linguistic backgrounds, Ullman's
Ancigng Wrigigg and in inflpence was recomnended.

'nue cumulative nature of the course is indicated by the fact that
in Unit Pour bn the International Phonetic Alphabet the Student was
reminded again of the Spine Gauge and the exercise progrmuu.

Unit Pour was on "Pronunciation. " Sections on pronunciation

from books previously assigned were designated for reading. New books

introduced were: Hunter, A Sign-Cut to Corrggt Pronunciation; Kenyon,
Qrican Pronunciaiiop; when, Good Aggrican Speech; Mencken, 11;;

American We; N.B.C. Edbook oi Eggnuncigtion. ‘nue student was
asked to "assemble for discussion and pooling, classified lists of

counonly mispronounced words (by observation, conference, and personal
check); note accepted pronunciations, and apply to your own experience."61
The student was further referred to a series of articles by Weniger
entitled "Some Notes on English Pronunciation" appearing in me Minism,
the journal of the Seventh-day Adventist Ministerial Association, during
1928 and 1929. Weniger's file’of material incluudes an eight-page
document, prepared by himself, classifying pronunciation problems. He
lists mispronounced words under the general headings of "Accent,"
"Addition of Superfluous Sound," "Onission of Essential Sound," "Substi-
tution," "Inversion," "Confusion of Word Identity," "Bible Nmnes,"
"Corruptions in Word Groups" and "Unclassified Difficulties." The list
includes more than 700 words. ,

The student was also assigned a ftwo- or three-minute speech as a :
basis for further diagnosis. This speech was not to be memorized, and

the speaker was not to use notes.

Glnide, pa 5e

88

Unit Five was called "Tone Production." 1: assigned selected
readings from Anderson, Avery, Brigance, Carnegie, Kerr, Sarett, Harper,
and Ufford's Trainipg for Collgge Sppakprs. nus student was reminded to
improve his facility with the International Phonetic Alphabet, to
practice his exercises, to prepare td record and analyze his voice
recording, and to prepare for a conference with the instructor on the
basis of the cumulative diagnoses.

Unit Six was titled "Resonance." much attention was given to

exercises in Anderson; and fuurther assignnents were given in Avery,

E

‘ “--,

Brigance, Carnegie, Kerr, and Sarett. As a basis of further diagnosis, 3

the student was asked to tell a two- or three-minute story while con- ,5

cealed from the class.

Unit Seven was on "Variety and Expressiveness. " Previously used"
sources were assigned, with special emphasis on till-ray and Anderson. .
Exercises were stressed. Practice continuued on the International
Phonetic Alphabet. It was recomended that the student read aloud

daily from "challenging literature. "

Unit Eight was on "Articulation. " Assiglmuents were given in the .

areas of "tongue freedom," "lip agility" and "jaw relaxation," with
relevant readings in each. Arrangements were made for voice recording
and analysis.

Unit Nina presented "Articulation of Consonants." Assignments
were made from Anderson, Avery, and Walsh. The student was told, "If
you find any inaccuracy in forming consonant sounds, choose specific

exercises and initiate remedial treatuuenu:."62 'nue instructor's constant

 

azngdeg pa 10s

89
emphasis on relaxation was reinforced by a stanza from an old spiritual
which was included in the course outline:

Slow me down, Lewd. I'se a-goin' too fast,

I can 't see my brother when he's walkin' past.

I miss a lot 0' things day by day,

I don' t know a blessin' when it comes or way.63

Unit Ten was entitled "Pronunciation of Vowels and Diphthongs."

Assigmuents were made on (the phoneme theory and on the correct formation
of English vowels. This unit included the assignment: .

Continue personal diagnosis by arranging a mutual conference
with another member of this course. Agree to discuss your speech
problems freely with this student, who will in turn discuss his
problems with you. Your conference should be long enough to furnish
an intelligent basis for report as Diagnosis Seven.“

'nue previously assigned study in the recording laboratory was to be
completed and recorded as Diagnosis Six.

Unit Eleven, the final in the series, was designated "Connected

Speech and General Materials." It included a review of the seven
diagnoses made during the course. "In the light of these findings," the
instructor directed, "and of the materials of the couurse I in general,
prepare a regimen of voice and diction attitudes and exercises for your-
self as a life plmu. Due in concise written form November 23."65

Another final assigunent required: "Prepare to read a l-minute selection
of poetry or prose for the pleasure of the class. Let your reading be

an exmuuple of your highest attainments in voice and diction as the media
of the expression of thought and emotion. Duue November 24 "66

The syllabus ended with an admonition, "So from this course

resolving to keep your speech mechanism a fit medium for the service of

God and man. "57

 

”thud. . “lug” p. 11. "slbid.
669g... p. 12. 57.13.13..-

jun»!!! loner-lathe 5 Z. . {Chitin all.—
7

90

his couurse was heavily loaded with reading, the learning of
skills, practice, and evaluation. It was an exceedingly busy couurse,
making heavy demands on the student's time. In his paper "Preacher-
Training in the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary" given before
the Interest Group for Religious Workers of the S.A.A. , weniger had the
following to say about voice and diction. as a subject in a seminary
curriculum:

The course in Voice and Diction erects criteria for acceptable
voice use and then presents an extended series of diagnostic pro-
jects. Progressive studies in posture, relaxation, breathing,
phonetion, articulation, projection, vocal variety, etc., assist the
seminary student to remove vocal hindrances, develop vocal assets,
and establish a set of acceptable speech habits.

Attention is given to the preacher's voice habits when he
preaches without the microphone, in the hepe that in this modern
age there may arise a generation of preachers who can use their
voices well in a large auditorium: without the inhibition of a micro-
phone. An attempt is made to establish an accurate sense of
accepted pronunciation, so that the preacher pronounces the general
vocabulary as well as theological and Bible words in approved
fashion. We want him to say, "Thus saith the lord," not "Thus
sayeth the Lord," and pronouunce Gennesaret, Orpa, Jairus, and a host
of other proper nuues, according to the conunonly accepted pronuuncia- _
tion. We want him to avoid the "solemncholy drone" of the preacher's 3
tone. We want him to learn that emphasis of idea is not secured by
shouting but often, rather, by the "still small voice" of
confidential utterance. In fine, we want his pulpit manner to be
akin to that of Wendell Phillips, whose public discourse, you
remember, Curtis described as "simple colloquy-ma gentleman
conversing." - ‘

Further to assist the.young preacher to achieve these results,
recording experiences are offered in classroom and laboratory. In
the classroom he preaches and hears the playback of his recording;
in due laboratory he records souunds and sentences and, with the help
of a technician, works to refine his voice and diction. In case of
need, he is referred to an oral physician and suurgeon who is equipped ; '
to cOOperate with the speech instructor in performing diagnoses and
applying remedial agencies. Recent cases of this type include a
student whose chronic hoarseness and preacher's sore-throat,
diagnosed as the result of hypertension and faulty breathing, gave
way entirely before a program of relaxation and well-supported
breathing; a student whose fault resonance yielded to a graduual

91
satisfactory readjus tnent after submucous resection involving doubly
deflected nasal septum. 8

Homiletics

It was after many years of teaching in the area of speech that
Weniger moved into the field of homiletics, although it must be remem-
bered that many of his speech classes had been taught to theological
students. lhe homiletics materials in his files date back to 1948, when
he became a full-time member of the seminary faculty.

Weniger did not approach the teaching of homiletics from the
standpoint of a person who had been in the pastoral ministry. (He had
never engaged in this type of work, in this respect being different from
many teachers of homiletics.) His approach was that of a rhetorician
with a deep interest in the improvement of the ministry.

The only available complete syllabus is the one used during the
winter quarter, 1950-1951. This syllabus probably lacks revisions made
in later syllabi, but, because of absence of later material, must be
used for this analysis.

‘lhe assigned textbooks were ‘Blacluwood's The Preparation of
Sermons and The Protestant Pulpit, and Algoth Qulson's' lhe LIND/Group

Ratings; of Ministerial Sfficiggg. The course requirements were:

1. Study of homiletics theory and practice, based on Blaclnvood,
et al. . ?

 

2. Hide reading in Selected Bibliography. . . ..

3. Observing and hearing pulpit preachers (the student should
file critical notes on at least five experiences at intervals during
the quarter). .

4. Acquaintance with a wide range of periodicals of homiletic
value. ‘ ‘ 3

68Charles !. Weniger, "Preacher-Training in the-‘uSeventh-day
Adventist 'nueological Seminary," unpublished manuscript, pp. 5, 6.

92

5. Preaching in class andlor in actual church situations.

6. Conducting the openinglmoments of the class .meeting (the
student will present a text and its very brief application, and pray
audibly in the compass of 2 minutes).69

The day -by -day procedures of the course are given in some detail
to reveal Heniger's philosophy as it expressed itself in the construction
and achinis tration of a course in homiletics. The sources are the
syllabus for the course'and the carefully written sheets entitled
"Procedures. " . A ,

'nue class held its first meetiIng on December 4, 1950. In
addition to the introductory syllabus sheet, the students were given a
"Selected Bibliography," a sample of which prepared} few years later,
includes 72 titles, all of which were Especifically related to preaching.
The authors listed include such well-known homileticians and preachers
as Beecher, Blackwood, Broadus, Brown, Buttrick, Chappell, Gossip,
Jefferson, Jowett, Kennedy, Luccock, Hacartney, Marshall, hyer, Morgan,
Oxnsm, Sangster, Scherer, Sleeth, Spurgeon, Stewart, and Stidger. 'A
general lecture was given entitled "The Preacher.” (The notes for this
lecture do not appear in the file entitled 'liaterials.") Three assign-
ments were made covering December 5, 6, and 7: (1) ”Present in one
minute a well-unified, carefully organised seed-thought of spiritual
value that may grow into a sermon"; (2) "Panel discussion (Study Type):
'nue Preacher--the importance of his calling, his character, department,
professional qualifications, scholarship, and training"; (3) "Panel
discussion (Study 3pc): ‘nue Sermon--its importance, sources, content,

kinds, lgngflt, preparation, etc. "70 \

 

agcharles s. Heniger, §zllabus in.aasic homiletics, Course P 22 ,
W. p. 1.

7°Ibid.

N v-‘ -‘.

93
On December 5, the one-minute sermonettes were delivered, and
panel members were announced for the following two dqs. The ”Proce-
dures" for December 5 beer the following note: "Note criteria: Unity
(clear and complete), concreteness, application, congreg‘ation--contact."

A On December 6, the instructor gave some attention to a current
address by President Truman at a recent White House conference as
reported in the Hashington S_t_ar_. The panel on “The Preacher“ was
conducted.

. On December 7, the panel on "The Sermon" was held: and the
syllabus sheet for December ll-l4 was handed out. 'nuis'lxjnew sheet
emphasized collateral reading, and'made assignments for two-minute class
devotional sermonettes as outlined in the objectives of the course.
Specific directions regarding observing and hearing preachers were made.
The student was expected to hand in a one-page evaluation of the sermon
he heard within three days after the experience. Great stress was
placed on the value of these hearing experiences, it being weniger's
custom to urge his students to become were of the preachers in the

large downtown churches in Washington, D. C., and to attend their

Sunday services. . .

’nue topic on December ll was "me Preacher and his Hessage. "
Readings were suggested. he assignment was concluded, with these words:
"learn to preach by reading great preaching. "71

December 12 and 13 were devoted to "The Congregation and Its
Needs." ApprOpriate sermons were assigned, and the student was asked to
study means of analyzing the congregation. huong the sources of infor-

mation suggested were Brigance, Monroe, and Oliver. 'nue student was

 

711bug.. p. 2.

‘ ‘ T“..

4
l
I
}

94
asked to select a text and/or topic for a sermon of great personal
significance and to begin to analyze it and a specific congregation in
their mutual relationships. while the students were preparing their
assigments, Weniger continuued the presentation of lecture materials.

On December 14, the student was expected to submit an analysis
outline of a specific congregation. The syllabus sheet for December 18-21
was handed out, which included further reminders on collateral reading,
listening experiences, and assignments for class devotionals.

The topic for December 18 was "Sermon Beginnings. " The student
was asked to "re -evaluate the sources of your recent sermons," and
"collect all available seed-thoughts for sermons."72 Selected readings
were. assigned. The class discussion of season sources, according to the
"Procedures," included consideration of (1) life experience and observa-
tion, (2) the preacher's study, (3) the preacher's seed-plot, (4) the
Christian year. Consideration was given to stages of sermon
preparation. . '

On December 19, under the title "The Preacher's Storehouse," a
panel was conducted regarding methods of filing materials. The students
were asked to read selected sermons from Chappell and Sockman and "note
I where the preacher got his sermon uuuuuterials."73 /" .

December 20 and 21 were devoted to "me Textual Sermn."
Headings uunder this assigmnent included "Explain advantages to preacher
and people of using a text as basis for the sermon," "Know the criteria
for choice of text," "Summarize advantages and disadvantages of textual

methods," "Select 5 texts that lend themselves to fresh textual

 

721b1de. pa 3e
73mm-

9s .
treatment; defend your choice," "Of these texts, choose one of paramount
personal interest, and begin to plan a sermon based on it."74

The syllabus sheet for the first week after the holidays urged
the students to take advantage of the opportunities to attend services
of various comunions. ‘nue subject of this week was "The Expository
Sermon," the nature of the expository sermon being stressed, with its
advantages and its disadvantages. 'nue student was directed to "select
a short Bible passage that challenges your thinking as basis for an
expository sermon," "select a Bible book that offers you challenging
basis for an expository sermon," and "continuue to let the text and/or
topic chosen December 12, 13,. and the text selected December 20, 21,
grow in your prayer, meditation, and planning for specific future use."
A note on this sheet directed the student to "begin to survey periodicals
(religious and otherwise) of homiletic valuue to you as a preacher. 'nue
holiday season should offer much opportunity for new acquaintances in
this field."75 The first class after the holidays, according to the
"Procedures, " included an " open discussion of current observation and
hearing during holidays." y.

On January 4, preaching appointments were discussed. The rules
to be observed were: ‘

l. Preacher to file self-analysis lbnday follQing, or within
three days: detached, objective (one page).

. 2. Preacher to be accompanied by class partner-critic, who
shall submit page-critique within three days.

The syllabus sheet for January 8-11 emphasised acquaintance with
homiletical periodicals and religious journals. In the assignment for

 

“Ibis.

i

75 id., p. 4.

Januuary 8, which was a continuation of the discussion of the textual

sermon, the student was directed to: f

Hand in a one -page paper of three paragraphs based on the text .
chosen December 20, 21 for youur textual sermon: (1) text, meaning, :
general and specific ends, (2) preaching values, (3) connuentaries .'
and other helps employed--preaching sources. Begin to plan a sermon
to be preached under actual 7gongregation conditions or at a preach-
ing section of this course.

(kuJanuuary 9, apanelwas conduuctedon "nueSermonand'the Church
Calendar." The instructor also gave attention. to President Truman's
"State of the Union" speech.

Januuary 10 and ll were devoted to "The Topical Sermon." The
advantages and disadvantages of the topical sermon were stressed in the
light of exuples, and the student was asked to "consider and formulate
a proposition for a forthcoming topical sermon. " A note on this syllabus
sheet read as follows: "Re-evaluate your cal-hand of sermon sources.

Bow abundant in your uumz'fl"

The syllabus sheet for January 15-18 directed the student to do
some study on hyum origins and hymn appreciation. It also reminded the
student of his observing and hearing opportunities and his preaching
experience. no class topic was on season structure. In addition to
Blackwood's material, the student was directed to study Monroe's
lbtivated Sequence and Borden's Publig 322mg; 3; usage Like It.
The student was directed to Brigance's W honroe's

’ Principlgs and 122! of Speech, and Sarett and Poster's Basic 243mg;
of Speech as souurces of information on outlining. ‘nue student was also
reminded to continue developing his textual-expository, and-textual
sermons. Expository preaching based on the books of the Bible was
emphasised. .

76.1.1239 0 .PH 50 77m.

97

'me week of January 22-25 was devoted to sermon introductions,
conclusions, and illustrations. Standard authorities cited included
Brigance, Crocker, Oliver, Monroe, and Sarett, where theories of interest
and attention were noted. Under "Introductions," the student was asked
to distinguish twelve kinds of good introductions and to explain the
value of frning a proposition. It was suggested that the student plan
several introductions for each of his current sermons, to be employed
according to indiats needs. Similar analysis was employed in consider- .
ing conclusions. A panel was held on sources of illustrations and
several books were suggested on' the art of illustration. Beecher's
'muetorical Illustrations" from his Wwas nmned
as a 'hust." On January 2.5, the student was asked to submit awritten
outline of one of his seasons.

The week of January 29 to February 1 was devoted' to preparation
and delivery. Based on Blackwood's discussion of this subject, the
following study questions and directions were listed: (1) What is the
value of at least occasionally writing out due semen? , (2) Evaluate
suggested methods of preparing to deliver the sermon; "(3) what value
lies in pre -preaching the season before the final experience? (6)
Consider acceptable and non-acceptable delivery in the pulpit.78 Blane
were announced for classroom preaching experiences to consist of fifteen-
minute sermons by each of the class members. his program of classroom
experience continued through February 23. Near the end or the course
the students were asked to write a personal inventory answering the
questions: (1) What have you gained in this class? (2) What do you

4 AA Age A

. 78239.0. 9e 8e 1

98
still wish to gain? (3) now are you planning 1:) realise the fulfillment ‘
of your needs?79 ‘

Interspersed with the classroom sermons, the closing portion of
the course included panel discussions on “me Semen as an Act of worship"
and "Homiletic 'nueft." A final elective' requirement, which was to be I
worked out in conference with the instructor, was suggested for those
who wished to participate. he notes do not divulge the nature of this
requiremnt, except that it was to require approximately ten hours of
preparation.80 .

A study of Weniger's materials on homiletics reveals various
a1’1”»‘0sshes and viewpoints that were not a part of the syllabus. For
example, there was the general assigunent, attached to that One of the
syllabus, entitled 'Bnriching Experiences." It read as follows:

To the extent that the preacher observes, appreciates, under-

stands, and interprets life, he is able to gain and-hold the attention
of his hearers and to employ all available means to influence them

toward righteousness. "I am made all things to all men, that I might '

byallmeanssavesome."(ICor.9:22)

'nue Master-Teacher, Jesus, based most of His teaching upon
illustrations from nature and human nature. "Men could learn of the
unknown through the known; heavenly things were revealed through the
earthly; God was made manifest in the likeness of man. So it was in
Christ's teaching: the unknown was illustrated by the known; divine
truths by earthly things with which the people were, most familiar."

(men a. sum. W p- 1M ‘

Problem: During the course in basic homiletics, the preacher is
offered the privilege of a number of enriching experiences suggested
by the list below. he should remember that the results of his
observation and study are in direct proportion to his preparation.
'ihe following opportunities are recoamended:

' 1. Museum and art galleries: ' a. Corcoran Gallery of Art; b.
National Gallery ofArt; c. Phillips Gallery; d. Freer
Gallery; a. Ford Theater (Lincoln Museum); f. Arm Medical
ltuseun; g. Smithsonian Building; h. “main of Natural
31Imrys

79114.1. .. p. 10. ' ' " 30m” p. u.

.1.‘tdi§
L. . HERE
1|...

i
I
u w 99;

2. National monuments and buildings: a. Arlington National
Cemetery; b. Capitol; c. Jefferson Memorial; d. Lincoln
lhmorial; e. National Archives; f. Pan American Union; 3.
Supreme Court; h. Hashington lbnument; i. White House, etc. ‘

i s

3. Historic sites and monuments: a. Gettysburg battlefield; I

x b. old Philadelphia; c. Alexandria; d. willizmsburg; e.

Charlottesville; f. Yorktown; g. Jmnestown; h. Richmond, etc. I
' I
I

4. Public institutions: a. hospitals; b. penitentiaries; c.
jails; d. see, etc. .

5. Courts: a. Supreme Court; b. district courts (criminal and I
civil); c. police couurts.

6. Guided tours: a. Bureau of Printing and. Engraving; b.
Federal Bureauu of Investigation; c. Supreme Court Building;
d. Franciscan lbnastery; e. Hashington Cathedral. -

7. Exhibits: a. Botanic Gardens; b. National Capital Flower _-
and Garden Show (March 6-12); c. Sherwood Gardens (Baltimore);
d. Longwood Gardens (near Philadelphia); e. Pratt Gardens
('rakoma Park); f. Bumbarton Oaks.

'lhe preacher should plan to spend sufficient time with the
selected experiences to produce real results for sermon building. A
minimum of two hours is suggested for each, but some will merit a
much longer period of time. Notes should be taken during the visit
to the various places, and a period of deep meditation should follow-
An informal written report one page in length is required not later
than three days following each choice.8

This assignment underscores Weniger's interest in forcing the fledgling
preacher out into the world of people and things where he could draw
lessons from life.

Heniger's file of "materials" in homiletics contains many
interesting clippings. 'nuere is an essay by "Simeon Stylites" entitled
"Wait for the Verb!" ‘lhere is a pthet by David A. melannan from
Yale, "Pronouns for Preachers." here is a story clipped from the
Washington Sunday m about an Episcopal rector who spent a lifetim in
teaching and assumed his first pastorate at 62. lhere is a cartoon

depicting a dowager wing to her pastor at the chuurch door, 'Vas the

 

81243- (attached sheet)

100
subject of your sermon anyone I know, pastor?" There is a compilation
of quotations on "The Minister and His Mental Life," "'lhe Minister and
Bis Spiritual us. and Duty," "nu. mum: and n1. Best and Relaxation,"
"'nue Minister and His Vacation," "Shall I Be a Hinister or Not?" "The
Hinister and his Physical Life." There is a sheet on "The Value of
Greek and Eebrew to Clergymen." ‘nuere is an article from 333 Chicago
W on "When is a Sermon Made?" There are
Ueniger's handwritten notes of a sermon he heard his friend, Dr. Andrew
Blaclnvood, preach. ‘nuere are notes of a lecture on Spurgeon. There is
an address to preachers by Frederick Brown Barris, chaplain of the Senate,
on "Allowed of God to Be Put in Trust With the Gospel." There is a
symposium "how I Prepare My Sermons" arranged by Charles McGlon of
Southern Baptist, and including articles by Fosdick, Sockman, and others.

There is a book review on Theodore Parker Ferris' Go Tell the People.

There is a manuscript on Exmganggus Prgachim in arisen Bomilgticg
Mon: An Higtoriggl 82m by Fred J. Barton of Abilene Christian
College. There are many bibliograplv cards. There is a preaching

evaluation sheet from San Francisco 'nueological Sanitary. There is a
newspaper clipping entitled "he wants lie-Hen Filling the Pulpits." There
are papers from students. There is a mimeographad sheet on "Motive
Appeal" quoting from Phillips, Brigance, and others, and another on
"Interest-Attention" quoting Monroe, Sarett and Foster, Phillips, and
Brigance. Finally, there is a semantic differential "Self -Grading Rating
Scale on Elements of Effective Speech." There are many other items, but
these are illustrative of the type of interests that enhance the teaching
process. A ‘

In his material on homiletics, Heniger includes a' mimeographed
article by liethodist Bishop Gerald Kennedy entitled "Preacher's

lOl
Dictionary." Included in the article is a list of cannon expressions
heard in church circles, and the definitions which Bishop Kennedy

attaches to them: ‘

Exprggsion

He is a spiritual preacher.

he is not a spiritual preacher.

Be brings polities into the
pulpit.

He speaks out with courage.

Be is pink.

His position will hurt the
church.

his attitude will hurt the
church.

I will not remain in due church.

He is sowing dissension.

He must consider his position.

he is after money.

He has a great future.
Bis ministry is successful.

Be lacks judgment.

as neglects the substantial
members.

He plays up to the new members.

He will ruin us financially.

At least he is a good pastor.
He disturbs me. '

n. ”3.“ w £81m.
The whole church is upset.

Definition

he never disturbs me.
his message is too relevant.
I do not agree with him.

I agree with him.
he dares criticise the status

We reactionaries are displeased.

I will cut IV pledge from 50¢
to 25¢ a week.

If I cannot rule, I'll quit.

Some people are waking up.

I want an emasculated citizen in
in the pulpit.

he thinks his fully should have
an American standard of living.

a. is a politician.

His church has subscribed the
budget.

Be takes Jesus seriously.

The church is beginning to move.

Be is bypassing the roadblocks
we set up.

‘nue tightvads have a guilty
conscience.

He can't preach.

I an beginning to grow spiritu-
ally.

W prejudices are taking a
M‘dMe

I an causing all the trouble I
can.

Weniger has a very definite philosoplv of homiletical training.
In a paper presented by him to the Religious Interest Group of the
S.A.A. entitled "Preacher-Training in the Seventh-day Adventist Theo-
logical Seminary," he expresses his philosopr of homiletics by quuoting

A‘— 4..

82Weniger Files, "Materials for Couurse P 220." . -

102
the homiletics professor from Boston Universin Divinity School,
Dr. wiuiao 1.. Stidger: ‘

The techniques of preaching, of method and manner, are coming
into their own, in a department as important as any in any theo-
logical school, and for this reason, all information, all facts, all
theology, all church history, all Old Testanent, all New Testament,
all psychology, all sociology must finally pour into the great
funnel of theological education and out turough the opening of
homiletics. All other departments in theological‘ training must find
their final expression through homiletics. This is the science of
methods in preaching. . . .

I further illustrate it in this way: One day I stood on a great
blast furnace in a certain automobile industry. Below me I could
see four huge mountains of raw products. One was a mountain of iron
ore, one was a mountain of coal, one was a mountain of limestone,
one was a mountain of lumber. Before me was a foundry, and beyond
that a planing mill, and beyond that the factories, and beyond that
in the dim distance I could see completed automobiles pouring forth
from what they call an assembly line. The raw products of preaching
come from the departments of church history, sociology, psychology,
Old and New Testament, from the departments of philosoplnr and
theology. But these must be put together; they must be adapted and
adopted; they must be assembled before they are worth much to the
preacher. And they must be assembled in the department of homiletics
before they can gs sent out on their wheels with their own power to
serve the world. ’ .

Another contribution to the technique of teaching homiletics was
Weniger's use of what he called' the "Buddy System." A manuscript
describing this system and his evaluation of it reveals the following
ideas:

The classroom, Heniger believes, does not provide a realistic
preaching situation. "At best," Heniger states, "practice-preaching in
the‘classroom is only a substitute for the experience that takes place in f
the church with a group of worshipersJM In order to solve thisprob- I

lem, arrangements are made for preaching opportunities in nearby

 

83Quoted from G. Bromley (hour, 33; Variegg of Prgsgnt Day

Prgaching (New York: Abingdon, 1932), pp. 33-35.

8"Charles E. Weniger, "The 'Buddy System' in Teaching How to
Preach," unpublished manuscript, Heniger files.

.~_.___ _

103
churches. The next problem is that of adequate criticism. The "Buddy
System" is designed to provide a partial solution for this problem:

Under this system, early in the quarter's activities, the mem-
bers of the class are arranged in pairs, the two men carefully
matched and mutually agreeable. These buddies than strike up a
compact of frank, openhearted mutual assistance, agreeing to help
one another to realize the highest preaching value possible during
the given quarter. . . . The Buddy System Operates in the following
manner, its operation requiring at least five weeks, the last four
consecutive. For the sake of clarity, let us call the two parties
of a typical pair of preaching buddies A and A1. The class thus
divided into cooperative pairs, the plan works as follows:

1. A and A1 attend the church to which they are invited, confer
with the pastor, analyze the preaching situation, unset representa-
tive members of the congregation, and thus begin to plan to satisfy
the actual current needs of the congregation in their forthcoming
on-the -job preaching. Attendance at several worship periods is
desirable, in order for the guest preacher to get the "feel" of the
congregation. At least one service is essential, and that far
enough in advance of the preaching appointment to permit maturity on
the part of the preacher. Prior to the actual preaching participa-
tion, it is well for the preacher-in-trainiug to cooperate with the
pastor in arranging, the worship hour 'so as to achieve the unifying
objective of that particular hour.

2. A and A1 attend a given church, A preachingand A1 as
sympathetic critic. Several days before this preaching experience
A has filed an analysis outline of his sermon with his instructor,
and in a council with the instructor, has solved some of the
anticipated problems of his coming sermon experience. Following the
delivery of the sermon, A and A1 discuss alone the values of A's
sermon, then A files with his instructor a written self-analysis of
the activity and A1 files a written critiquue of the audition.
Finally A has a conference with the instructor to rouund out his
sense of development at this stage of the procedure. . . .

3. The next week A and A1 attend the suns church, A1 preaching
and A auditing. Preliminary activities and subsequent conferences
follow the same pattern as above. By this time the two parties of
the Buddy System are increasing in their ability to profit by mutual
criticism. . . .

ls. The third week A preaches and A1 audits as critic as in
paragraph 2 above. . '

5. The fourth week A1 preaches and A audits as in paragraph 3
above.” I

 

“Shii-

104
fnuis plan was initiated by Heniger during the winter quarter of
l952-l953. At the close of the quarter, students were (asked to give
their reactions to the plan, and to make suggestions! for improvement.
Weniger evaluated the coments as follows: i

The resulting reactions were most interesting, varying accord-
ing to the personaliw of each student. Repeatedly, there was
emphasised the fact that this plan contributed as no other method
could to the spirit of comradeship in the class. It was really a
powerful catalyst in producing intelligent activity. . . .

Over and over men reported that this plan had brought to their
attention individual weaknesses which they would never have noticed
for themselves. . . . ‘

I It was interesting to note that more men were disappointed in
not receiving criticism that was sufficiently candid and frank than
took offense at the comnents of their partners. One or two, who
might find criticism unpalatable in any given life situation, like-
wise discovered it to be difficult.to take under these circumstances.

In addition to the stimulation'of brotherly love there was
unanimous praise for the incentive? to wide reading of books on
sermon construction and delivery, and painstaking attention to
material presented in class s8 as to get sufficient background to
do a good critical job. . . . 6 l ‘

The weaknesses of the plan seemed, according to Weniger, to be
more inherent in the student than in the plan itself. Lack of
experience, unsatisfactory teens, and lack either of candor or tact were
some of the problems. On the whole, the plan seemed to be considered as

a success by Weniger, and by an overwhelming majority of his students.

"Haas; Prggghegg"
No syllabus seems to be available for thiscourse in the history
of'preaching, but the content and method of the course is well reflected

in Weniger's "Procedures" for the sumaer quarter of 1950.87

 

851bid.
8Weniger, "Procedures, 'Haster Preachers, ' I950. "

”-‘M-

- - __~- -.

105

Rue introduction to the course included the following divisions:
(1) Jesus of Nazareth, (2) The Founding Fathers, (3) Patriotic Period,
(4) Medieval Period, (5) Reformation, (6) Counter-Reformation, (7)
Seventeenth Century, (8) Eighteenth Century, (9) Nineteenth Century--
British, (10) Nineteenth Centuuryulhnerican, (11) Contemporary, (12)
Seventh-day Adventist Preachers. In the opening lecture, Neniger
referred to the busts of seven of the world's great orators on the
exterior of the Sanders theatre at Reward-"Demosthenes, Cicero,
Chrysostom, Bossuet, Pitt, Burke, Nebster'. mo of these are underlined--
Chrysostom and Bossuet. The assumption would be that Weniger pointed

out the fact that two of these seven great orators were preachers. Also,
in this opening lecture, Beniger stressed biography as part of the con-
tent of the course, and sermon study as another part. Under sermon
study he repeated the ancient canons of Invention, Arrangement, Style,
and Delivery. he has "Memory" enclosed in brackets, no doubt indicating
its tenuous place in this classical order.

Later lectures and class procedures reveal Weniger's dependence
on the sources of rhetoric and speech in his teaching of the history of
preaching. he suggested that the students form an early acquaintance
with "Sutton, Thonssen, Broadus, Dargan, Ker, Pattison, Plats, Sears,
Shaw. " 11.... books, it will be observed, are divided as... works
specifically on 'the history of preaching and other works on public
address in general. ' I

‘ The course followed the'historical sequence listed above,
employing student reports and lecture materials. The first section,
"Jesus of Nazareth," included references to Shirley Jackson Case, .1355,

A Ngg 31.32.2332; Kleiser, Chgigt the Mgr Spgakeg; and Booth, m.

 

 

106
World of Jgsug. Jesus' preaching was studied from the standpoints of
style, historical setting, geographical setting, and biographical
setting.

"The Founding Fathers" included Peter, Stephen, and Paul. New
Testament passages were cited in evaluating the objectives, appeal, and
style of these preachers. me Patristic Period included a study of
Athanasius, Chrysostom, Origen, Basil, Gregory 'nlaulnatwgus, Gregory of
Nazianzum, Ambrose, Augustine, Leo the Great, Tertullian, and Gregory
the Great. Three of these--Athanasius, Chrysostom, and Augustine-«were
subjects of ten-minute stsdent reports.

The Medieval Period included a look at the crusades, mysticism,
scholasticism, and mnasticism. Preachers selected for special attention
were Bede, Peter the Hermit, Abelard, Bernard of Clair-vans, and Tauler.
All of these preachers were subjects of student reports. he Reformation
included a survey of the tenor of the period and of its preaching methods,
plus reports on Wycliffe, Savonarole, Luther, Zwingli, Calvin, and Knox.
These reports were to be fifteen minutes in length, and were to deal
with biography, message, style, and oral reading of a selection. The
Counter-Reformation dealt with the great French preachers--Penelon,
Bossuet, Plechier, Bourdaloue, and ‘Massillon.

The Seventeenth Centuy section included the Puritan and
Anglican divines with reports on Jeremy Taylor, Baxter, Bunyan,
Tillotson, and South. The Eighteenth Century area included .Iohn Wesley
and George Whitefield, with specielreference to selected sermons.

Later English and American preachers discussed in reports included
Irving, Spurgeon, Morgan, lbody, Pinney, Edwards, Brooks, and Beecher.

1V"

«at. “#54!!! 'ill! It

 

107

The "Procedures" and "Assignments" are not complete, but the

general picture is that of a class in public address limited to religious ‘

speakers. The same criteria were employed as if the speakers studied

were politicians or philosophers.

The depth of the course is revealed

by the following final emination question:

Arrange the following preachers chronologically. Select 20 and
in a sentence each orient by historical period, country, importance,
etc., so as to make clear the place of the preacher in the histori-

cal frusework.

Chrysostom
Fosdick'
Frederick Robertson
Whitefield
Fox

James white
Doane

Hugh Black
Frances de Sales
Leo the Great
Origen
oBaxter

John Cotton
Zwingli
Bunyan

Bede

Spurgeon
Gialmers
Newman

Cotton Mather
Charming
Parker

Paul of Tarsus

Gibbon .
Peter the Hermit
Billy Sunday
Massillon

Knox

Fenelon

John Wesley
Beecher

Bernard of Clairvam:
Augustine

Jeremy Taylor

G. Campbell Morgan
Calvin

Farrar

Peter Abelard
Savonarola
Irving

Bossuet

Edwards

Brooks

Sheen

Luther

Moody88

A search of the Weniger files reveals a very interesting section

in which materials for "Public Address" and "Master Preachers" are filed

under the names of great orators and preachers. This file reveals in

many instances the close tie, in Weniger's thinking, between rhetoric

and preaching. The following persons have folders containing research

materials, newspaper clippings, etc.

In cases where material is of

special interest, notations have been made:

 

33m.

 

 

108

Aristotle

Augustine - Eighty-page research paper on Augustine's theory of
hermeneutics and homiletics in W

Beecher - Materials from Lionel Cracker

Bossuet

Brooks- Mennorial pamphlet by Walter Russell Bowie

Bryan- Newspaper accounts of death; book on 1896 campaign

Burke

Calvin - Research paper written by Weniger on "Calvin' s 'nieory of
the Place of Woman in Society" ,

~ Campbell, Alexander

Campbell, George - Abstract of Alta B. hall thesis

Chieng Kai Shel: - Paper on "Rhetoric of Chiang Kai Shek"

Chrysostom

Churchill

Cicero

Clay

Conwell

Danielle (Seventh-day Adventist preacher)

Demosthenes

Disraeli

Douglas

Edwards, Jonathan

Eisenhower

Evans (Seventh-day Adventist preacher)

Fene lon - Research paper

Finney

Fosdick- -Manuscript by Bdmun Holt Linn of Andover Newton

Gladstone

Ghandi

Grady : Hem

Graham, Billy

Hmnilton, Alexander

Harris, Frederick Brown

Henry, Patrick - Stenographically reported address by Weniger on
Patrick Henry

Hitler

Kennedy

Lincoln

Luther

MacArthur

Naclaren, Ian (John Natson)

Marshall, Peter - Book of prayers offered in the D. S. Senate

Killer', Willi-n - Pioneer of second advent mvemsnt: subject of
Heniger ' a doctoral dissertation

Moody

lbrgan - Ninety-two page research paper

Newman, Cardinal

Paul

Pericles

Pitt, William

Richards, R. H. S. (Seventh-day Adventist radio preacher)

Roosevelt, F. D.

Roosevelt, heodore

qr

109

Savonarola

Schweitzer

Sheen, Bishop

Shelly - A research paper by Weniger entitled ”Poet of the Eternal"
Simpson, W. W. (Seventh-day Adventist evangelist)

Spurgeon

Sunday, William

Talmage

Thoreau - Research paper by Weniger

Truman

Washington, Booker T.

Washington, George - An especially large collection of material
Webster

Wesley, John

White, B. G. (Seventh-day Adventist pioneer)

White, Jules (Seventh-day Adventist pioneer)

Whitefield - Extensive material

Wilson89

Of the 68 persons included in this file,‘ 36 are preachers or religious
leaders. Weniger's interest in religious and secular speakers seemed to
be balanced-mover did he confine his attention to either field. Weniger

also has a card file of data on orators and preachers.90

Sunmagz of Teachigg Tgchgigueg
This survey of Weniger's syllabi and other materials for the

teaching of persuasion, voice and diction, homiletics, and "luster
Preachers” prompts certain generalizations regarding his theory and
procedure: ‘

I. To Weniger, homiletics was sacred rhetoric. he drew heavily on
the source materials in both fields in harmony with his definition
of homiletics as ". . . that branch of speech which, employing
all available means and taking to itself the whole realm of

hunan knowledge with emphasis on the Bible, seeks by persuasion

 

”Weniger Files, "Master Preachers," "Public Address. "

90This file was seen once by this investigator, but information
is not available regarding the persons listed or the amber of entries.

I
u

_,h,I--“m~..h-‘fi. ‘m’ -u...“ ».. ‘lml- ”ml-alumnus“ . II

 

2.

3.

110
to draw men to a better life and a more abundant entrance into
the kingdom of heaven.”

Weniger was not afraid of "method and technique." He was fully

convinced that content, however excellent, depended on method if
it was to influence hunan behavior. With this in mind, he gave

as sea tful emphasis to the techniques of voice and diction as to
the process of invention as practiced in the building of sermons
and speeches. I

Each course was heavily loaded with student experiences. These

experiences were carefully planned so as to involve the student

in many activities relevant to the objectives of the course.

Student Evaluation

In an effort to evaluate Weniger as a teacher, a questionnaire

was sent to 229 of his former seminary students who had taken? one or
more of the following courses under him: homiletics, persuasion, voice
. and diction, or "luster Preachers.". The sampling was limited to those
listed in the Segenth-dg Adventist Ygarbook, 1963 edition, with
addresses in the United States and Canada. This limitation not only was
a practical means of selecting persons whose addresses were available,
but also provided a sample of former students engaged in religious work.i
The returns from this questionnaire provided 160 usable replies, or a I

702 response.

he questionnaire follows, with the returns indicated.

 

91m p- 7-

111

 

 

ANDREWS UNIVERSITY
Berrien Springs, Michigan
April 22, 1964

Dear Friend:

As part of my doctoral program in the area of Rhetoric and Public Address
at Michigan State University, I me writing a dissertation entitled,
"Charles E. Weniger's meory of the Relation of Speech and homiletics as
Revealed in his Teaching Procedures, Bis Writings, and His Public
Addresses."

Our records indicate that you were, at one time, a student of Dr. Weniger
at the Seminary. In order to assist me in achieving a deeper under-
standing of his work as a teacher, would you be so kind as to complete
the following questionnaire. You need not sign your name unless you
wish. Just place this letter in the enclosed self-addressed envelope

and place it in the mail.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Norval F. Pease

1. In what type of work are you now engaged?92

62 Pastoral and] or evangelistic 16 Administrative
44 Educational :1 ‘Other:

 

2. Which course(s) did you take from Dr. Weniger?93

78 Homiletics , . 112 Voice and Diction
g2 Persuasion ll ____Master Preachers

3. If you 520k Bomileticg, please indicate the appropriate responses in
this section.

a. Dr. Weniger's course in Homiletics has:

60 Helped me greatly as a religious worker.
16 Helped me somewhat,

2 Been of slight value to me.

0 Bean of no value to me.

 

92Under "Other" were listed seven retired persons, one attorney,
five chaplains, three editors, ten "departmental secretaries," one
psychotherapist, one public relations worker, one treasurer, one factory
training director, and one unidentified person.

93It will be remembered that some persons took two or more of the
four courses.

112

b. Dr. Weniger approaches Homiletics (the art of religious
speaking) as one facet of speech (the art of speaking in
public). He applies the rules of public speaking to preach-
ing, with some modifications. .I feel this approach to be:9l‘

43 Enlightening O Unrealis tic
49 Helpful 0 Irrelevant
0 Confusing .

c. My experience as a student in Homiletics under Dr. Weniger
has convinced me that it is a go idea for Homiletics

teachers to be trained in speech:

_Z£L_Yea ' __;__No
4. If you took nggwion, please indicate the appropriate responses in

this section.

a. Dr. Weniger's course in Persuasion has:96

26 ______Helped me greatly as a religious worker.
11 ____Helped me somavhat.

1 ____Been of slight value to me.

0 Been of no value to me.

b. The principles of Persuasion appear to me to be:97
38 ____0f great importance to the religious worker.

0 A poor substitute for the work of the Holy Spirit.
____Ethically questionable.

5. If yog took Vgicg and Dic tign, please indicate the appropriate

responses in this section.

 

'a.. Dr. Weniger's course in Voice and Dictionhas:98

69 Helped me greatly as a religious worker.
39 Helped me somewhat.

3 Been of slight value to me.

0 Been of no value to me.

 

94801:: respondents. checked more than one item. ‘
9.5Three respondents did not check this section. I
96One respondent did not check this section. I
970cc respondent did not check this section.

930:» respondent did not check this section.
? f f

 

l _‘
I10— ;‘ '-_

113

b. I believe the principles of voice and Diction can best be
learned:99
105 By studying under a trained teacher.
1 ______By general reading.
16 ___By experience.
12 By the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

6. If you took Master Preachgrs, please indicate the appropriate
responses in this section. i

a. Dr. Weniger's course in Master Preachers has:

9 Helped me greatly as a religious worker.
2 Helped me somewhat.

0 Been of slight value to me.

0 Been of no value to me.

 

b. I believe that a study of the great preachers of history
should be a requirement of the theological course:100

__9__Yes. lNo

 

7. Please indicate the responses in this section that represent best
your evaluation of Dr. Weniger.. ‘

A e.‘ As I compare Dr. Weniger with other college and seminary
teachers I have had, I rate him as:

 

47 The very best 0 Average
98 Among the best ‘ 0 Below average
12 Above average 0 Poor

 

b. Indicate the area of activity in which, accorging to your
opinion, Dr. Weniger was the most effective:1

 

 

14 Preaching 10 Administration
136 Teaching 2: Counseling
2 Writing .

 

 

99Five respondents did not check this section, and some checked
more than one item.

1‘OOOne respondent did not check this section. I

10181:: respondents failed to check this section. and three
checked more than one item. ,

10inght respondents failed to check this section, and a large
number checked more than one item.

~-—.-

114

c. Select and indicate the worg from the following list that
you think best describe Dr. Weniger's gem personality:1°3

 

19 Dramatic 113 Inspiring
9 2 Dynamic ' ' 2 Pedantic

0 Anemia O Unimaginative
9 1 lbticulous ‘ 114 Stimulating

8. I would appreciate it if you would write a if" sentences smarizing
your evaluation of Dr. Weniger as a teacher. 0“

 

One problem in analyzing this sample and drawing a conclusion
from it is obvious in section 2: of a total of 240 class registrations
reported by the 160 respondents, 32% took homiletics, 16% took persua-
sion, 472 took voice and diction, and 51 took "Master Preachers.“ This
dissimilarity in the size of the smple in each course affects the
validity of popularity comparisons anong the four courses. Recognizing
this weakness, the investigator reports a comparison of 'student reaction
in Table 2. his comparison would seem to indicate several things:

(1) the level of appreciation of the courses is very high; (2) specifi?
cally homiletical courses were somewhat more pOpular, probably because a
larger portion of the students were ministers; (3) voice and diction was
the least popular, either because of the technical natire of the course
or because the larger size of this sample made the results in this case
more normative than in the other cases where samples were smaller; (4)

the responses indicating Weniger‘s courses "of slight: value" were equal

in ‘the three large courses probably by coincidence.

i
|

103Three respondents failed to check this section. The
majority checked two or three items.

104This section will bezdiscussed later.

2‘:-

 

115
TABLE 2
ANALYSIS OF STUDENT A'l'l'I'lUDES

l
b i
. r

 

Voice 8: Master

 

 

 

 

 

Item {Homiletics iPersuasionl Diction Preachers

; i L

Helped me greatly as 4

a religious worker 77; 687‘ é ' 622 822

Z ' g a Y ‘

Helped me somewhat 201 ‘5 297. § . 352 18%

or slight value A 37. i 3: g 37. oz.
4 i

or no value 9 oz 3 ‘
a 2

02 I 02 f 07.

 

A glance at section 3-b indicates that no one dissented from the
proposition that homiletics might well be approached as a facet of the
discipline of speech. Section 4-b indicates no dissent regarding the
importance of the principles of persuasion to a religious worker.
Section S-b indicates some difference of opinion as to how voice and
diction may best be learned. The proportions of the answers were. as
follows: 1

TABLE 3
PB'DiODS W LEARNING VOICE AND DICTIm
teased E92922.
By stidying under a trained teacher . .' . . . 761
Bygeneral‘reading............. 12
Byexperience................ 121

By the guidance of the Holy Spirit . . . . 112

0 Of.“ ,-. O

. a” - .”I~ ‘.I‘.("\‘fl~‘ vw-nbnaw

F‘a-A—v p. V .

w 116.
Section 6-b, although of doubtful validity because of the

extremely small'smnple, would indicate that 902 of the respondents
favored a study of 'great preachers as a requirement of the theological
course, and 102 were opposed.

Section 7, devoted to an evaluation of Dr. Weniger, reveals the
following facts: Thirty per cent of the respondents rated him as "the ’
very best," 621 as "among the best," and 82 "above average." were were
no votes in the "average," "below average," or "poor" 'colunns. Seven
per cent considered him "most effective" as a preacher, 72% as a teacher,
11 as a writer, 5: as an administrator, and 151 as n counselor. This is]
significant, because Weniger was engaged in academic administration for .
nary years--first, as dean of Pacific Union College; second, as dean of
the Seventh-day Adventist medlogical Seminary; and finally, as vice-
president of Andrews University. He also preached, wrote, and counseled. '

The respondents were asked to select words from a suggested list
most descriptive of Weniger's teaching personality. These words repre- I

sented possible positive and negative reactions, the tally being as follows:

TABLE4 , _:

msrs or scans nascmms wsmcsn's We PERSCNALIIY

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1[ I Either Positive
Positive E. ‘ Negative .4 or Negative
Dramatic : 57. i‘ Anemic oz Mticulous 212
' r g 4

Dynamic 212 = Pedantic ; 1%
Inspiring 267. i Unimaginative : OZ ‘

A ~ 1‘ 1 j
Stimulating 267. 1'. .'

H ' i

' 117

The most fascinating part of the response was found in the

replies to the request for "a few sentences sxmarizing your evaluation

of Dr. Weniger as a teacher." 'One hundred thirty-nine of the 160

respondents complied with this request, ”the replies ranging from several

paragraphs in length to the one word "Tops." A study of these replies is

a study in ethos, nearly every reply dealing with competence and/or"

character and/or good will. here are a few negative reactions which

will be given careful attention.

The overwhelming majority of the replies are represented by the

following examples:

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(s)

A graduate of Pacific School of Religion dedicated his Ph.D.
dissertation to two of his former professors, one of whom was
Weniger. 0n the dedication page he wrote, "To Professor Charles
Weniger, the human equation of excellence, who taught the author
to see when he looked."

An army chaplain writes, "Dr. Weniger is a teacher that most

students remember a long time. He is impressive in his'bearing, .

in his insistence upon high standards, and his meticulous
attention to detail. These attributes, combined with the warm
personality of a Christian gentleman, exert great influence for
good on all of his students."

A minister from California says, "If ever I am called to the
teaching ministry, there is this request I shall 1w before aw
Master: Make me a teacher of the stature of Charles B. Weniger.
His teaching created a love for preaching in "0' heart, and that
love has grown and continues to grow. He gave me a clear view
of the power of expository preaching; to this day the view is
undinrned." .

An administrator of a Canadian conference of Adventist churches
relates this incident: "Dr. Weniger and several students sat on
the crowded banks of the Potomac listening to Lily Pons sing.

We admired the beautiful voice of Miss Pons, but I shall not for-

get the remarks of a stranger in the close-packed crowd who
evidently was. crowded close to Dr. Weniger as she said to a
friend, 'When that man talks he vibrates all over. '"

A college dean says, "I found him deeply interested in each one
of his students. He was most friendly and approachable, and yet

he carried a dignity and comanded respect as a teacher. 0f the

many teachers whom I contacted during aw time in school as a
student, Dr. Weniger stands among the top five or six."

(6)

(7)

(8)

(9)

(10)

(11)

(12)

(13)

(14)

(L5)

118

A high school principal in California writes, "He brought
encouragement to me and made me feel a sense of worth.- If I
were to name three teachers who have inspired me most, and for
whom I have great admiration, Dr. Weniger would be one of those
three. Be is an unusual person in the finest sense of the word."

A college professor with a Ph.D.' from a well-known university
writes thus: "Dr. Weniger planned his classes with meticulous
care, and made each session valuable. here was student partici-
pation, but he guided discussion with the sure hand of a master.
Some humor also used to sparkle his classes."

An editor states, "Dr. Weniger creates in his students a passion
for excellence. His insistence on scholarship and accuracy
helped prepare me for my editorial responsibilities."

A minister in California declares, "He did more for me than any
teacher I ever had."

A minister from Indiana says, "Few teachers make the impact he
does and few get so much work out of the students and still have
their love and devotion."

A minister from Florida says, "Dr. Weniger was demanding, but
things he demanded were things essential. The things he taught
were the practical things used daily by ministers. He was
exacting because he did not want people to look down upon the
ministry. "

A Los Angeles attorney declares, "A great man who wears well with
time. A Christian gentleman. In all sincerity, I must say that
I have a genuine respect for the courage and distinction
displayed in the personality of this teacher."

A clinical psychologist in Tennessee says, "Dr. Weniger has
impressed me as being thoroughly organized, realistic in his
requirements, demanding .of the finest student qualities, with a
rare gift for making a student most worthy and capable. He has
done more to inspire av scholastic career than any other
individual, barring none. "

A public school teacher in Michigan says, "His warm personal '
contacts, his friendly interest in people, .his unfading Christian
courtesy, combined with his platform poise and pleasing speech--
these all contributed mxch to his influence as a .teacher."

E
A college professor in California describes Weniger' s ethos thus,
"Dr. Weniger has what is sometimes called ethos--a personal
dignity that gives weight to what he says in the classroom, from
the pulpit, or by way of private conversation. He conmnicates,
and what he comunicates is not merely information, ideas, and
insights, but also himself. He is a Christian gentleman, with
all that this term implies by way of personal piety, emotional
stability, and genuine interest in those to whom he is speaking.

119

Of course, he does the things a good teacher is supposed to do:

he has mastered his subject matter, and he presents it with
thoughtful enthusiasm. But I seldom think of him as a profes-
sional teacher; his effectiveness in speaking comes from what he
is as. a man. And he is one of the few truly great men I have ,
met. .

(16) An industrial training director in California, formerly a college
speech teacher, says, "I feel that his concepts of speech, his
methods of teaching the subject, and his practice of the art, all
combine to put him in the front rank of the great teachers of
modern times."

(17) A college professor in California says, "It is, I believe,
argued whether Dr. Weniger’s own publicly delivered sermons are
necessarily an ideal for a pastoral figure. And after all, he
is not a pastor as such. He knows, howaver, what he expects
from a pastor, and demands the highest standards from his .
students. I believe his own talks meet the highest standards of
public speaking, and thatprinciples of rhetoric and E
persuasion (of which he is so proficient a teacher) must be
understood by the preacher, but then put to use in his own way, E
in his own situation. This, it has always seemed to me, was ;
Dr. Weniger's goal." '

(18) An educator in California says, "I have had the privilege of
attending seven institutions of higher learning. Among all the
teachers that I have had in these institutions, Dr. Weniger .
stands out. Without exaggeration, I can state that he was the E .'
finest teacher that I ever had. Dr. Weniger is perceptive, E E-
discerning, and kind. He is helpful and understanding. He is
that rarity, a teacher who both challenges and teaches. He
stoops‘ to do that which so many graduate professors assiduously
avoid--teaching. Yet he challenges the most perceptive mind.
Would that there were more such men!"

'
“.AI‘.‘ _
‘ “‘- --..-

(19) A seminary professor-~holder of a doctorate from a Bumpean
universitynaay8, "Dr. Weniger is the finest classroom technician
I have ever witnessed. For organization, clarity, interest, and
effective communication, his classes were brilliant." I

E
E

While the majority of the respondents were enthusiastic about
Weniger as a teacher, there were those who qualified their endorsement
of his methods with specific criticisms, and one who was clearly hostile E
to him and his methods of teaching. E nae nature of the unfavorable
cements “is revealed in the following quotations and restless selected

from the evaluations at the end of the questionnaire:

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

(6)

(7)

120

.1
A theology professor who speaks highly of his classroom teaching
says, "The only reservation I felt was in the matter of depth--
the theological dimension of preaching seemed to be largely
lacking. This is understandable, of course, in terms of his own
background and training. "

Several respondents used such terms as "pedantic," "eXacting,"
and "meticulous" in their reference to Weniger. An educator in
Tennessee says, "An excellent teacher, but inclined to be too
pedantic; too 'correct' and too punctilious." A minister from
Oregon says, "At first one is inclined to feel Dr. Weniger
pedantic and over meticulous. However, one soon learns the
value of his ideals; that ministers be the best-~nothing less."
An educator in Washington says, "Very exacting, yet understand- E
ing. He lived what he taught. My only fear of Dr. Weniger's
own public speaking was that someday he might make a mistake,-
fumble, or mispronounce a word."

A few respondents felt that Wenigerpwas overly precise in his
classroom requirements. An educator in Maryland says, "A
wonderful teacher in most ways. However, at times I was
discouraged by his insistence of doing things in what I
considered a narrow, restricted way." A minister from Colorado
says, "Dr. Weniger is an excellent teacher and puts across his
classes with precise clarity. I sometimes felt he was too
concerned over small details, but this is necessary in the
seminary. I feel he may be too precise for a college teacher,
but future preachers need this direction." An educator in
Texas, after stating his admiration for Weniger as a man, says,
"I felt that some of the marks he'made on papers turned in were
unduly ‘picky' for graduate students' papers."

A retired minister in California, who expresses much appreciation
for Weniger, feels that he "leaned over backward to strictly
adhere to the curriculum rather than inspiring individual,
creative thinking."

A minister in California says, "lie gave much and expected much,
although he was somewhat aloof."

An educator in Canada, who refers “to Weniger as a "master
teacher," feels that he was "somewhat partial in grading."

The only respondent who indicated hostility is a lady.’ She says,
"Perhaps the biggest reason I don't share your evident enthusiasm
for Dr. Weniger as a teacher is that I actually had only a very
limited contact with him. Our class in voice and'diction was
concerned with an emphasis on 'g-suiting the body, ' developing
lower speaking ranges, learning the phonetic alphabet, and
archaisms from the King James Bible. I didn't develop any
particular empathy with him, and received just average grades.

I had a much greater feeling of success from my college course
taught by ________. But I remember more from Dr. Weniger's
class.‘ I never thought he was deeply interested in av success as

121

a person. (I consider this an important aspect of teaching.)
My husband, who took the same class, is more enthusiastic than I

am about Dr. Weniger."

An analysis of the descriptive words and expressions used by the

reapondents in their conrnents reveals the following facts:

1.

2.

3.

lo.

5.

‘6e

I
Wudminthefimlchapterofthisdissertation. Asmary,

The most often repeated adjective describing Weniger and his

work was "inspirational."

A close second in a frequency distribution of : descriptive words _

and expressions are "Christian" and "gentlemen," often used

A together.

A group of adjectives used frequently are "understanding,"

"kind," "friendly," Warm," "gentle," "gracious." ‘nvo other
expressions fitting this category are "concert: for student," and
'hxakes student seen important."

Another category of expressions includes "enthusiastic,"
"thorough," "thought provoking," "scholarly," "organized,"

"a timuleting , " "positive. " "challenging. "

The word 'heticulous" is often used, usually in the approving
sense, but a few times as an expression of disapproval.

u

Expressions of disapproval, used very infrequently, are "partial,

""ex,acting "over-exacting, " "pedantic," and ".aloof "
”The significance of the results of this questionnaire will be

however, seems appropriate at this point.

1.

personnel (many of whom are in religious education), and achinistrators 5
of religious organizations. The response of this group to Weniger' a
teaching indicates something of the relevance of his approach to E

religious leaders.

his questionnaire reached largely ministers, educational

- o»..— _.,____

4*‘V.
‘4

w- a- “ac-ks.

122

2.. The fact that the majority of classes taken were strictly in the
speech field (persuasion and voice and diction-"151) rather than in the
homiletics field (homiletics and "Master Preachers"--89) indicates that
the overwhelmingly favorable response was achieved to a great extent by
effective teaching. of strictly speech courses to religious workers.

While the favorable response was greater in the specifically seminary
courses (see Table 2), the reaction to persuasion and voice and diction
was sufficiently favorable to be significant.

3. The respondents to the questionnaire were unanimous that the
teaching of homiletics as e facet of speech was "enlightening" or at .
least "helpful"; and nearly unanimous that homiletics teachers should be
trained in speech.

lo. In comparing Weniger with other college and seminary teachers,
it mat be remembered that the teachers with whom he was being compared
were teaching .in such exciting fields as science, English, religion, etc:
For a teacher of speech to be rated as superior by e theology student E
indicates that the teacher is comamiceting with thoseoutside of his
field of specialization. . ‘j

5. Though he was a public speaker, writer, administrator, and
counselor, the reaction was 136 to‘53 that his teaching exceeded all of
these other areas put together in effectiveness. This resumes the
possibility that the popularity of his teaching might have been derived
from his being widely accepted in other fields.

6. The occasional adverse criticisms among overwhelming expressions , E
of adulation tend to rennve Weniger from the "plaster saint" category.
Also, the integrity‘ of the respondents as a whole is revealed by the

fact that those who had reservations regarding him were willing to

' 0
E

express their sentiments. There is no such thing in this world as

unqualified, unadulterated greatness. A man's critics do him and
humanity a service in pointing out characteristics that produce negative

reactions arsong some of his contemporaries.

"-._,.—~._.-

 

 

{'1 Ill-‘1' zllllu‘lll‘all. Illl. lit-I . .‘l A

CHAPERIV

mmrmcsorcnmsss.mcsnmms

am or season AND Emacs

Charles Weniger was not a prolific writer. During his earlier
professional experience, he taught in colleges where the teaching loads ‘
were very heavy, leaving little time for research and writing; and during
his later years, he was involved in academic adainistration in addition
to his teaching assignments. His great interest in writing and research
is indicated, however, (1) by the nature and quality of his rather
limited writings, and (2) by the fact that he taught a class in "Research
and Bibliography" for many years.

here are two areas of Weniger's writing that will not be dealt
with in this chapter: (1) materials covered in other chapters of this
thesis: e.g., his Master's thesis, Elements of Persuasion in Deuteronomy,
and his published baccalaureate address, Before Honor; and (2) his
writings in the area of biblical literature and other fields not directly
related to speech and homiletical

The Preacher and His Preparation

he first work to be considered in this chapter is a thirty-two

page paperback entitled The Preacher and His Preparation. his brief

 

1”An example of this area of Weniger's literary work is a 326-page
counnent on The Psalms, found in Vol. III of he Sevean Adventist

Bible Commentary, published by The Review and Herald Publishing Associa-
tion, Washington, D. C., 1953-1957.

 

 

 

“mu-ell.» .H.I a. .. ,._. .e. .u..,. o .r filo..—

 

125

work, which is bemned to religious leaders, both clerical and lay, is an

A endeavor to apply rhetorical principles to religious speech.
The first chapter deals with the ethog of the religious speaker.

The opening paragraphs read as follows:

"First prepare thy heart; then prepare thy sermon. " Preaching
is not merely organizing theological ideas and presenting them to a
congregation. Preparing to preach a sermon does not consist merely
in "taking one's pen in hand," organizing an outline, developing the
divisions of the outline, clothing ideas in apprOpriate language,
and making sure that the delivery will be acceptable to the hearers.

Preparing to preach is all this, but it is much more, for these
are only matters of inmediate preparation. Wider preparation
It requires the surrender of the

involves a life of consecration. .
preacher's whole being to the direction of God. It demands that the
minister's heart be prepared before the mechanical details of the

sermon can be prepared. he preacher Imlst be converted before he can
be instrmnental in converting others. "First prepare thy heart" is

sound advice.
The author proceeds to include laymen as well as preachers among those

who need training in religious speech. He points out the various

activities in the church in which laymen participate, and he concludes,
". . . sooner or later, practically every Seventh-day Adventist has the

opportunity to speak for God before his fellows."3 A

To reinforce the importance of e_§_h_o_§_ for the religious worker,
Weniger quotes Marcus Cato' s maxim that m orator is' 'a good man
.peaking"; and he insists that "no 'wealth of speech techniques, of argu-
aentative or rhetorical ability, of platform graces, can take the place
E good character." He also quotes from a well-knownspeech textbook

» the. effect that the character of the speaker is the most important

26114121138 E. Weniger, he Preacher and £3 Preparation (Washington,

C. =. Review and herald Publishing Association, n.d.), p. 3.

31bid.
4Ibid., p. 1..

 

1'rh. ". 0'

 

\';_"‘

 

 

L .y\n-.*dblb.l
.. . I. , P. » V

factor in persuasion.5 Writing as he is for Seventh-day Adventist

readers, he quotes from Mrs. E. G. White:

A conscience void of offense toward God and man, a heart that

feels the tenderest sympathy for human beings . . . will have the ,
attributes that Christ had. All such will 'be imbued with his Spirit.

They will gave a reservoir of persuasion, and a storehouse of simple

eloquence.
he gthog of the religious leader, he eve, mt be felt in the

commity beyond the borders of the church:

The preacher does well to ask himself, "Do I have a good report

with the groceryman, the milkmsn, the editor of the town paper, the
bank cashier, the minister of the church arotmd the corner? What
If .the

does the boy who delivers my daily paper think of me?"
answers are honestly favorable, that minister is a livipg force for

good in his conmuniq', and his word will be with power.
Weniger raises the question as to whether active participation

in the affairs of the church and of the community will rob the minister

of time to prepare his sermons. lie answers this question thus:

In all these social contacts, if he is aware, he is; preparing
Living with his people, he is learning of their needs,

his sermons.
understanding their strength and weakness, gaining illustrations

that appeal to them, and thus preparing himself to meet their
problems in the pulpit on the Sabbath day and at the prayer meeting.
The best sermons grow out of such contacts. When the preacher does

not mingle with his people, his best efforts must be bookish and

unpractical.8
This cement reaches over into the area of Invention, and it reveals

ethos as an important aspect of Invention.
The second and third chapters are entitled "Prepare hy Sermon"

and "Further, 'Prepare hy Sermon. '" he areas of Invention and Arrange-

ment are both involved here. he author develops seven steps in sermon

SSarett and Poster, Basic Principlgs of Sgech, p. 497.
631nm e. White, Testimonies to Minipterg (Momma View,

California: Pacific Press, 1923). P. 123.

7Heniger, op. ci§., p. 6. 8Ibid., p. 7..

 

building and preparation.

127

The material included in these seven divisions

may be sunmarized as follows:

6.

l.

2.

3.

4.

5.

121b1d., p. 13.

Consider your copgregation. "Audience analysis," Weniger '9
declares, 'hnay be more important even than subject analysis.‘
Have a specific pugpose. Is the objective of the sermon to
xplain, describe, gtimulate, convince, or persuade?

Selept a tug. "Prayerfully choose a text that vitally concerns
your congregation, that satisfies your purpose, and that can be

treated within the time allotted. Let it be timely; let it be

Challenginge e e on
"Do not choose a text that cannot be developed honestly in the
light of its contextual setting." 0

Develop thertexp. A full sentence outline is recomended.
After this preliminary outline has been made, it is recomnended
that the sermon be allowed to season. "During the seasoning
process you are testing your own logic, seeing the subject in a
new light, gaining further illustrative matter with which to
clothe the skeleton of thinking, and thus approaching maturity

of consideration. "

Vitalize the outline. "You must make your sermon material
tangible to your hearers by means of supporting texts, and by
illustrations, examples, recital of facts, comparisons, and other
appeals to their experience." his process should be carried
on with the congregation constantly in mind. "As you sit at
your study desk, actively see, in your mind's eye, Brother Jones,
who always sits on the front seat; the Brown family with their
five youngsters wiggling from one end of the fmnily pew to the
other; lonely Sister Black, whose husband has just been laid to
rest; . . . the tittering James girls; Brother and Sister Gray,
who have just accepted the faith--and plan your sermon for each
of them. Do not plan above their heads; seek the level of their

hearts. "13

"In studying to vitalize your semen, be sure that no matter how
excellent your thinking may be and how essential to salvation
the doctrines may be, unless your sermn is clothed in a manner
that appeals to your hearers, you cannot succeed. It is not
what the preacher liives that finally counts; it is what his

he are rs receive.

Give special attention to the beginnipg and Qe end of your
get-mom. his facet of arrangement is said to be of special

91bid. 1°Ibid., p. 9. 111b1d., p. 11.

133.251.. pp. 13, 14 14mm, p. 14.

 

 

 

- 5:"

128 .

significance to preachers. "Too many preachers," says Weniger,

"are like airplanes off the beam, wandering around in the fog of
their own thinking, looking for a place to 1and.“15

7. Master the outline and its develompnt. "Preaching without
notes--if it is prepared preaching--is desirable."15 '

he next chapter deals with the canon of Delivery. Weniger
endeavors to strike a balance between content and delivery in the follow-
ing paragraph:
The delivery of the minister in the pulpit--his attitude, his
voice, his gestures, his dress, his diction--should be such as to
exalt his message above his method. His manner should be so trans-

parent as to let his message shine out in all its beauty. Nothing
in his method should detract from the clear reception of his message

by every member of his congregation. 17
Appearance is the first item considered, as this represents time
first impression made by the speaker on the audience. Personal bearing

includes posture in standing, walking, and sitting:

' . . . enter the pulpit eagerly but with dignity; sit erect but
with humility; and throughout the service give undivided attention.
to the part of the service that is being carried on. Do not review
your own notes, finger the hymnka in order to select the next
hymn, whisper with one of the deacons1 or otherwise do awthing that
detracts from the dignity of worship. 8

Gesture and movement are also discussed as important factors in
a preacher's success. he extremes of stiffness and pacing the platform
are to be avoided. "Let your movements always be meaningfuluthey should
grow out of the message itself, should be unified with the thought, and

should never be superimposed merely as supporting devices. "19
Four hindrances to be avoided by .the thoughtful speaker are
named as (1) looking away from the congregation, (2) meaningless gestures,

(3) toying with clothing or other objects, (4) clearing the throat and

coughing.

151b1a., pp. 14, 15. 151b1d., p. 16. ,17Ibid., p. 17.

13Ibid., p. 20. ' l9Ibid.

Km—1
.e

L? '
s V. '

 

'1"!

 

 

 

129

Further aspects of delivery are brought out in the chapter
entitled "Speak Well." he first emphasis of this chapter is on the

voice. he voice, explains Weniger, is not an end in itself but a means' ;

to an end.20

Whatever in the preacher's voice calls attention to itself, 3
whether it is slovenliness or excessive nicety, hinders the hesrer' s |
receiving the message, since, in either case, method takes precedence?

of message.

he mechanical aspects of voice production are reviewed briefly, with

diaphragmatic breathing recommended. _ p ' I;
Articulation is named as next in importance to voice: ;

Clean-cut articulation--the breaking up of the skeleton of words
into their several joints--involves vigorous use of lips, tongue,

1'

f
and jaws. It is surprising how mamv persons insist on straining j
their speech through barely parted lips, as if to puree the mental
food that they serve their hearers. Notice the tightness of many I
jaws, the deadness of many lips, the laziness of many tongues, and I
hear the pinched, colorless tones that proceed from such physical

mechanisms.22 ’;
Weniger applies these principles to reading as well as to speaking.

Voice quality is also stressed. Voicetraining is said to con-f

sist largely in "removing hindrances and developing latent abilities--'

it does not add extraneous 'graces' to the voice. "23

Pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary are given attention.

Regarding pronunciation, he declares:

I am not so much interested in the minister's ability to speak

long, difficult words with scholarly agility, as I am in his careful"
pronunciation of the ordinary bread-and-butter words of daily life.

Beware of lemme, gimme, didja, wants, for let me, give me, did you,
want to. Don't be slovenly. Don't confuse sounds: say get, not

git; radish, not redish; miracle, not mericle; stomach, not stummick.
And be sure that you pronounce accurately the cannon words of your
technical Guidebook: say seth for saith (only one syllable); say

throughlp, not thorOEghly, when you read II Timothy 3:17 in the
King James Version; note privily (the first i, is short, not long as

202129;. p- 24- . 21112313..
22‘ibid., pp. 24, 25. 23 id., p. 26.

ecu-m”.

130

in private); pronounce §___hew like show not §___hoe. Check your
pronunciation of biblical proper names. Don' t say Q_rphah for
Orpah; Jepthah for Jephthah; Chinnereth (with g__h as in chin) for
Chinnereth, which begins with the k sound. In— Hebrew prgzer names,
93; is always hard like _k_, except in the one word Rachel.

‘ *" “cu-— sou—«w

Regarding the preacher's granmar, Weniger urges, "Do you say he don't

for he doesn't? . . . For you and _I__, instead of m._2? Work earnestly,

prayerfully, to make your language usage flzmless."25

he chapter is concluded with a section on vocabulary. he

«up..-» .... . _

author says:

Let it be wide and exact-"not obtruse or high sounding--but
exact. . . . Avoid the trite, the expression that has grown moss-
covered with the years. Search as for hidden treasure in order to
use just the right word for your meaning. Avoid comonplace words
like awful, nice, terrible, fine, unless you use them meaningfully;
and beware of superlatives, unless you are sure of your ground--

then use them sparingly.26
he final chapter in the little book deals with one dimension of

ethos, and is entitled "Be Well Groaned." hefollowing' excerpts from

this chapter indicate the philosophy of the writer:

he wearing apparel of the man who ministers in Christ's stead
should at least not detract from the beauty of his message. Rather,
it should be in such good taste as to make an acceptable visual
impression on the bearer, even before the preacher speaks an audible

word.

His apparel should be appropriate. If it is not actually
distinctive of his sacred calling it should at least be appropriate
to it. . . . he preacher in the pulpit is not a business man, a
doctor, a mechanic, or a sportsman-~he is a preacher. He should,
therefore, wear clothing consistent with his calling.

Probably the chief requisite of good dress is that it be tidy.
Simple cleanliness covers a multitude of other deficiencies. Let
the minister's person be clean; his linen spotless and well ironed;
his suit freshly brushed, free from grease spots, and well pressed;
his shoes well blacked and not dusty--and the congregation will find

little fault with his appearance.29

24 id. 25Ibid. _ 25Ibid., p. 27.

, 27Ibid., p. 28. 23 1a., p. 27. 29Ibid., p. 30.

131

It is interesting to note, in passing, that this matter of the
minister's appropriate attire and good grooming concerns more than
the congregation. It reacts upon the minister himself. With the

consciousness of being clean and well- groomed, the minister
approaches the delivery of his message with a surety and confidence
that is an impossible or false accompaniment of slovenliness and

inapprOpriate apparel.
An analysis of this book reveals it to be essentially traditional

Aristotelian rhetoric applied to preaching, with, however, more attention
given to Delivery than Aristotle provides. his book represents an
effort on Weniger's part to translate the principles of effective speech

into a form that can be understood and utilized by the average minister.

Articles in The Minisgg, 1928-1964

During the 36-year period from 1928 to 1964, Weniger was a
frequent contributor to he Ministg, the journal of the Ministerial
Association of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. his
monthly journal, read by the Adventist clergy and by manyAdventist lay-
men, is distinctly a professional journal, and is the only organ of its
kind in the Adventist church. Weniger's contributions to .this journal
have unusual significance because they represent in a unique way his
conrmmication with the clergy of his church over a period of nearly four

decades.
In Volumes I and II of he Ministgl , including the issues of

1928 and 1929, there appears a series 'of brief articles by Weniger

entitled "Some Notes on English Pronunciation." his series is

summarized in outline form:

3 301bid. , p. 31.

 

.- "sef ‘lewll.j!
. . . . . .. a. 1 _

11.! r

 

June, 1928

132

, "Words often mispronounced by inserting or adding an extra
sound, pronouncing a silent letter, or otherwise saying more than
current usage allows:"31

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

6-

7.
8.

July , 19 28

Across
Apostle
Athlete
Attacked
Brethren
Casualty
Circuit
Column

9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.

Elm
Handkerchief
Height

Jaw

Often

Saith
subtle
umbrella

"Words which should be accented (be sure to say ac-cent ed
the last syllable of the simplest form; these words are commonlyon
mnspronounced by accenting (be sure to say ac-pent lipg) the first
syllable. For example, don't say a dult; say a-dult’. If you have

trouble in changing a wrong accent, stamp your foot on the floor as
'you practice putting the voice stress on the final syllable.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

August, 1928

Ac-cent~ (verb)

Ad-dress

A-dept:

Ardult

Al-ly

A-skance’

Bur-league
m-fect

De- -tour

10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.

Dis -course
Do-main’

En-tire
Ex-ploit
Fre-quent (verb)
Oc-cult
Pre-tense’

Ro-bust ’
Ro-mance’

‘-‘._ - -

-'-‘-‘~ .

"he mispronunciation of the words in this list betrays a

slovenly style of speech.

Many speakers have a tendency to omit

certain sounds from.some words, or otherwise slur over certain con-
sonants or vowels, so that the resulting syllables are a blur and
not a careful succession of clean-cut sounds. Although many of

these sounds are relatively short or obscure in vocalization,
nevertheless they are essential to the full pronunciation of the
'word. Some one has suggested that an educated.man.may be told by the

 

31Charles B.‘Weniger, "Some Notes on English Pronunciation," 12g,
Minisgg, Vol. I, No. 6 (June, .1928), pp. 22, 23. (In each case in this
article and in other articles in the series the nature of the common
mispronunciation is described.)

32Vol. I, No. 7 (July, 1928), p. 19.

" "n' """" “n. 3“- oq-~o an» v~ w WMV.

way he pronounces the obscure vowel

m etC- "33

l.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

September, 1928

Arctic
Asked
Camera
Candidate
English
February
Finally

133

sounds in such words as memogy,

8.
9.
10.
ll.
12.
13.

Government
History
Probably
Recognize
Surprise
Toward

"This study presents many brdinary words whose accent should

fall on the first syllable.

The reader's ear‘will note that

obedience to the correct accentuation tends to soften the 1anguage,l
to make it more agreeable in sound; but that incorrect accentuation;
frequently lends an.element of crudity to the speaker's

pronunciation."

'1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9e

10.

11s

October, 1928

Admirable
Adventist
Afflucnce
Agriculture

.Applicable

Armistice
CMmmn
Combatant
wmmmm
wmmwh
mung.

12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.

Contumely
Conversant
Deficit
Despicable
Dirigible
Discipline
Evidently
Bxplicable
Exquisite
Formidable
Genuine

"This list concludes the group of frequently used words whose

accent should fall on the first syllable. "35

1.
2.
3.
4.
S.
6.
7.

Hospitable
Impious
Impotent
Industry
Integral
Interested
Lamentable

8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.

Legislature
Mischievous
Positively
Revocable
Theater
vehemence

 

33Vo1. I, No. 8 (August, 1923), pp. 25, 26."

34Vo1. 1, no. 9 (September, 1928), pp. 16, 17.

'3SVo1. 1, No. 10 (October, 1923), p. 13.

*vix':,.

 

 

134

January , 19 29

"This study considers pronunciations involving the quantity of
vowel sounds. In using the following words, many speakers are prone
to pronounce prominent vowel sounds as if they were short in quantity
instead of giving them their required long or diphthongal sounds."36

1. Errors involving the pronunciation of long _a_: aqueous,
chasten, gala, gratis, ignoramus, plague, sagacious.

2. Errors involving the long sound of g: clique, creek, sleek.

3. Errors involving the long sound of i, pronounced like g3,
observed in words like grim.

4. Errors involving the long sound of _o_, pronounced as in the
interjection Q or 93;. ,

”In such words as chorus and decormn, don't remind your
hearers of a flock of crows by saying cawrus and decmvrum.“

5. Errors involving the long sound of g, pronounced like the
word you, not like 00: credulity, culinary, Deuteronomy,
duty, elusive, neutral, student.

September, 1929

"In the following group of words certain short vowel sounds are
frequently pronounced as if they were long, and certain other short
vowels are often given slovenly pronunciations that only approximate
the correct sounds."37 -

1. In the words allege, 'bestial, heroism, and heroine the g is
short.

2. Bade, past tense of m (comand), is pronounced as if

spelled bad, not baid. The first syllable of zadish rhymes
with had, not with bed. '

3. Egg, beg, leg, short 2.

4. In the word American pronounce the second syllable as if
spelled mare, not w. ‘ . '

5.. The first.i_in Italian and italic is short.

—o‘__.

6. Say r_i_nse not rgnse; men and get, not min and git.

§

35Vol. II, No. 1 (January. 1929). P- 18-

‘ ‘V——-..

37Vo1. 11, No. 9 (September, 1929), p. 14. ,

135

7. Although the last syllable of the verb civilize is pro-
nounced as if spelled eyes, the third i of the noun
civilization is pronounced short as in j._s_. Slay diplomas,
hi—pok’ri-si (all the if; are short), ggn’u-in.

8. Distinguish between your and yore.

9. Pronounce what and was hwgt and wgz, not as if they were
spelled hwut and wuz.

10. Observe that 93, and gt; are pronounced with a short 9_ sound,
as in not; they are not spelled uv and m.

November, 1929
I
"Here are three representative groups of words very comonly
mispronounced. In each the cardinal error lies in the faulty
pronunciation of a consonant or consonantsl combination. "33

1. Soft g in gesture, gyroscope, gesticulate, gibbet, gibe, gist,
gyrate, harbinger, largess, longevity, orgyu

2. Q; should be sounded like 1; in archangel, architect,
archipelago, archive, chimera, Eustachian, Chinnereth.

3. §_i_ should be pronounced sh, not 211. in conversion, animad-
version, diversion, _version.

December, 19 29

Difficult consonantal combinations:39

1. Words ending in §_t_s. like athiests, cysts, assists, and texts
which is actually pronounced teksts. A

2. Words ending in nths like months, tenths, labyrinths,
millionths. -

3. Other difficult combinations: gig, as in couldst,
stretchedst; dths, as in breadths, widths; fths, as in
fifths; figs, as in gifts, shifts; m as in thousands;
ndths, as in thousandths; ngths, as in lengths; pths, as in
depths; rths, as in earths; thes, as in clothes, tithes,
loathes; and xths, as in sixths. ~

The practical value of this application of the principles of

English pronunciation to the needs of the clergy might be challenged by

 

”Vol. 11, No. 11 (November, 1929), p. 19.

39Vo1. 11, No. 12 (December, 1929). p. 20.

 

“(0.. I 1,-1. I. su‘. 34.. pk

A you

136
thoSe who believe that all such matters should be attended to on the
grade school level, and that professional services to the ministry
should be limited to theological and exegetical concerns. 0n the other
hand, there are many who are concerned about 11211 the clergyman speaks as
well as about what he says. From this point of view, it would seem that I

a teacher of speech may make a real contribution to the excellence of

the work of the clergy by stressing such technical-matters as correct

I

pronunc ia tion.
i

In The Ministry of February, 1931, appears a brief article that .
, , A I

deals with the question of the correct pronunciation of the name I
Adventist. The editor had taken a poll indicating a 932 preference for I

Ad’ventist and a 77. preference for Addvent’ist. LWeniger's statement ’I
champions strongly the majority viewpoint on the basis that "for many I
years there has been a tendency among careless, slack users of English '1
to slip the accent toward the end of certain words, whereas good taste '
has preferred to soften the sound of such words. by keeping the accent
near the beginning."“’0 He also cites general usage of the term as a
basis for his position.

In the June issue, 1934, lieniger has an article entitled
"'InSpired' Preaching," in which he criticizes preachers who depend on
“inspiration" rather than preparation in the delivery of their sermons.
He says in part:

The other day I heard a sermon that reminded me of watered soup.

The text was well chosen, the central thought was valuable, the
sincerity of the preacher was evident, but all he said could have

been said in half the time or less, and more effectively. . . .

In the first place, be repeated. Over and over again I heard
him say, "I must go on," but we did not advance. . . .

 

“OVol. IV, No. 2 (February, 1931), pp. 22, 23.

137

And he padded. . . . Many of his sentences could have been cut
in half and been more cogent in meaning. . . .

And he promised. . . . "I want to tell you this morning--," or
the like, frequently fell from his lips, but he never delivered the
ideas that he asserted his great desire to deliver. . . .

But why did he? Simply because he is comitted to the theory of
"inspired" preaching, and doesn't realize that inspiration in
delivering a sermon depends on inspiration in preparing it. . . .

From the recesses of my early reading I recall a sentence that
may explain some of the trite, thinned-down, uninspired sermons that
we sometimes hear in our pulpits: “God does not inspire vacuity.‘

This article reveals a certain pithy forthrightness that is

characteristic of Weniger's literary style. It also reveals an effort

to apply the very best principles of Invention and Arrangement to the
work of the preacher.

The 1937 volume of The Ministgy contained four articles from
Weniger's pen. The first two, published in May and July, dealt with
"The Minister's Speaking Voice," the May article confining itself to
"Habitual High Pitch." The author reveals his reason for discussing

this problem as a deep concern brought about by his obserVation of the

large number of students and preachers afflicted with voice difficulties.

As to the cause of the problem, Weniger declares:

'me immediate cause of such an unpleasant speaking voice is

usually hypertension of the nerves. The speaker is continually "on

the go.‘ He is so busy doing a multitude of things, perfectly
laudable in themselves, that he has no time for rest. - As a conse-
quence, he has forgotten how to relax. In no part of ‘the body do

nerve strain and general body, weariness show more quickly than in
the vocal mechanism. Consequently, the speaker's nervous tension
immediately shows in his voice: the throat grows tense, and the
voice rises in pitch. And of course the higher the voice goes, the
tighter the tension becomes. A vicious circle is thus created which
ultimately becomes habitual, and the speaker becomes a slave to a
high-pitched, strident voice. Such a voice not only reacts on the

 

“Vol. VII, No. 6 (June, 1934), p. 9.

 

 

138

speaker in making him more high strung, but it has an equally
undesirable effect on the bearer.

The remedy for this hypertension, Weniger conceives as relaxation. He

continues:

If a high-pitched voice has become habitual, the speaker should
master the art of relaxation. Have you noticed how a cat dozes in
the sun, body limp and restful? Pick up one paw, and you will hardly
feel a bone in it. Every muscle is totally relaxed. But let the
cat see a bird. Watch him stretch and yarn and dip his back. And
then, in a flash he is a concentrated ball of action. Learn to

emulate the cat, and let relaxation precede action.

Weniger then outlines a relaxation exercise intended to produce an open

throat and relaxed voice mechanism, and he adds:

Now couple with this relaxed condition, habitual abdominal
breathing for tone support, and you cannot fail to speak in a full,
rounded, properly pitched tone--to your own satisfaction and to the

pleasure of your congregation.
In addition to outlining a method of relaxation, Weniger counsels
that the speaker discover his optimum pitch with the help of a piano, .
then "hold this pitch level in mind as a sort of mean hemeen the
extremes of your voice range, and continually try to let your voice play

around it. "45 Relaxation and conscious modulation are presented as the

two approaches to a pleasing speaking voice.
Part II of the series on "The Minister's Speaking Voice," found

in the July, 1937, issue of The Minisggy, is entitled "The 'Ministerial

Tone.” The author says:

Almost as offensive to the heater as a habitually high-pitched
voice is the "ministerial tone"--a perpetual pathos, monotonously
employed by many speakers from.the beginning to the end of the public
service, and even carried into private life by some. You know what
I mean. It is a sort of pathetic drawl affected by the preacher,

usually unwittingly, in his earnestness to impress the truths of the

42v.31. x, No. 5 (May, 1937). pp. 8, 9.
431b1d. 441b1d. . “51b1d.

\ 1*.ch(. “A

’ 139

Sacred Word upon his congregation. Some have dubbed it a "holy

drawl"; others call it "solemncholy.’

' Those guilty of this tone usually announce a Sabbath School
picnic or a meeting of the Dorcas Society in the same sepulchral
tone in which they describe the most touching scenes in the passion
of Christ. Recently a minister, in whose congregation I sat, closed
his sermon with an impassioned word picture, and then in the same
tone of voice, trembling with what now seemed an insincere quaver,
went on to say, "Let us turn to Number ___," and announced the
closing hymn. Such tendencies remind me of the dear old lady who

wept whenever she heard the blessed word, Mesopotamia. "It sounds
so solemnlikeé" she said, although she hadn't the slightest idea of

its meming.4
Weniger points out that this "pseudo-pathos" may result from a mistaken

conception of sincere expression, from superficiality, from. lack of

vital thinking. He analyzes the problem further under a discussion of
"Truth," he declares, "needs to be presented with all

I
.47 ;

vocal mono tony.

the (freshness of a new discovery.

In this connection, Weniger quotes Professor Winans to the
effect that in order to have a vital delivery, the speaker must have
"(1) full realization of the content of your words as you utter them,

and (2) a lively sense of comxm_.1nication."48

The first law requires the speaker to visualize every idea pre- .
Rolling hills told about must be .

sented, at the moment of delivery.
seen with the mind's eye, a cool breeze mentioned must be

imaginatively felt, the emotion of love must be recalled, the meaning

of faith must be realized. . . .

The second law requires the preacher to have an eager desire to
give his message to his people and to mold his thought according to

the immediate audience situation.
Again Weniger is trying to interpret rhetorical principles into forms

helpful to the clergy.

The September, 1937, issue of The Ministgy contains a brief note v

from Weniger regarding "Giving Bible References." Re pleads for the

“v.1. x, No. 7 (July, 1937), pp. 15, 16.

47Ib1d. 481nm. 49Ibid.

140
elimination of the ungranmatical construction "it says," and for accurate

description of the reference.50

"The Vessage is the Thing" is the title of an article published
in The Ministq, December, 1938. The relationship of Invention and
Delivery is clearly stated in this article:

A little girl had risen with the rise of the preacher's voice and
was sitting upright in her mother's lap. "Jhee-ee-ee!" sounded her
shrill voice as she responded to the roar that came from the rostrum,
where the preacher's volume had already exceeded the lawful bounds
of climax. It was only the inhibitions of modern society and
reverence for the house of God that kept us older worshipers from
saying 'Whee-ee-ee!" too, because for the time being the preacher's
method had eclipsed his message. His manner had become so obtrusive ,
that our attention was concentrated on delivery rather than on the

spiritual thought that he was trying to place in the hearts of his
hearers.

The message is the supreme thing in the sermon. All else is
subordinate to it. Gesture, grooming, graznnar, and other elements
of delivery and means of expression are of value only as they help
the preacher to implant his message to the hearts of his hearers.
If the hearers go away remembering the minister's movements on the
platform, his slovenly or pedantic pronunciation, his artistic or

careless rhetoric, rather than his message-~for them that preacher
has failed.“-

Weniger proceeds to list some of the queer mannerisms sometimes
observed in the pulpit that detract from the message of' ministers. He

refers first to manners of department:

Holding the arm across the stomach as if to defend the speaker's
body; holding the fingers of both hands together above the stomach
and flapping the elbows as if manipulating a bellows; continually
touching one hand to the chin; lifting oneself up‘ behind the desk by
bracing both hands on top; intermittently rising and falling on the
toes; stroking the chin; looking at the clock; playing with a watch
chain; and a variety of similarly incongruous antics.52

Then he refers to manners of language:

I was once found guilty of using the expression; "and on and on"
to such an extent that it had become meaningless in. my mouth and

 

50Vo1. x, No. 9 (September, 1937). p- 19.

51Vo1. x1, No. 12 (December, 1938), pp. 15, 16.: 52 id.

And

141

thoroughly tiring to my classes. Apparently I used it to close a
sentence whenever my mind ran out of factual material sufficiently
definite to be expressed. The phrase became mere filler, and
betrayed the tendency of the tongue to keep on wagging when the brain
has momentarily stopped functioning. I value the day when a student
friend told mg of my bad habit. With painstaking care, I overcame
the tendency. 3 .

finally he refers to manners of voice:

Many men mistake volume for intensity, and fail to realize that
sincere emphasis frequently shows itself in a quietly modulated ,
voice. Conversational ease, with clear articulation, giten secures
and holds attention better than does increased volume.

Weniger concludes his meditations on the relation of method and

message as follows:

Does method really play so vital a part in preaching? In one
sense, a preacher's method of delivery may be compared to a window
between the light of his thought and the hearer. If the window is
absolutely clean and transparent, the light flows through it without
hindrance, and the thought is freely implanted in the listener's
mind. Of course, the window may be blue or rose or yellow, as
different speakers see truth in different ways and express their
thoughts through the medium of their individual style. But the
point is that the window must be clean. If it is besmirched by poor
grammar or grotesque gestures, or excessively adorned with extreme
niceties of rhetoric or pedantically careful pronunciations, the
thought is hindered in its free passage through the window to the
mind of the bearer. The window has become a barrier instead of a
transmitter of light. The Speaker may even be so faulty in manner
that this window has become a high board fence through the cracks of
which little, if any, light can penetrate.55

The September issue of The Ministgy, 1939, finds Weniger stress-

ing again his concern for voice culture in an article entitled

"Personality Involves a Pleasing Voice.’

.He says:

A number of years ago a group of scientists assembled to study
the qualities that underlie a successful personality. They divided
personalities into eight different groups, and found that underlying
each satisfying personality type are four qualities: liveliness,
originality, a sense of fairness, and a pleasing voice.-'56

 

53Ibid. 54Ibid. 551bid.

56Vo1. x11, No. 9 (September, 1939), pp. 11, 12.

142
Later in the article, he quotes from an unnamed source, "There is great
power in words. All the things that ever get done in the world, good or

bad, are done by words."57

An article in the October, 1939', issue of The Minisgg is passed
over without comment because it deals with a new hymnal under preparation

at the time of writing the articles58

A brief article in the May, 1941, issue of The Ministg deals
with an element of ethos, "What About Your Handshake?" The quality of
the article justifies quoting it in full:

There are handshakes and handshakes-«some you like and some you
don' t. Some resemble damp cloths-"they are anemic, flaccid, and
colorless. And some pounce upon you like an old-fashioned nutcracker
about to crush a nut. And in between, there are all gradations.

Now it seems to me that a handshake is one of the most telltale
factors in the revelation of personality, almost as revealing as the
voice. It suggests strength or weakness, vitality or apathy. It is
an index to a man' 5 state of being.

I don't like a hand that insinuates itself oozily into my Open
palm, or that lets its limp fingers droop into my grasp. Neither do
I like a hand that seizes mine-much as the old-fashioned school-
master collared the culprit prior to administering corporal

punishment--and thereupon proceeds to crush every bone exposed to
its attack.

I like the handshake that is strong and firm, without being
possessive; a handshake that is comfortable and kind, without
dawdling or dribbling; a handshake that is earnest and sincere; a
handshake that says, "I'm alive. I'm glad I'm alive. I'm glad to
see you alive. Iet'sbe friends"; a handshake that' transmits the
Spark of vital personality, and that may pass on from man to man the
strength and confidence of God.

So let thy handshake be neither like a dead fish or a dishcloth,
nor yet like a pipe wrench or a rock crusher. But rather let it be
all that you mean it to be--active, .living, breathing, loving--a

_a_

57Ibid. (This article seems to confuse voice as an element of
personality and words as expressions of personality. The writer's view-
point regarding the relationship between words and qualities of voice is
not entirely clear.)

58Vol. 1111, No. 10 (October, 1939), p. 8.

143

vital force for God in a world of mediocrity. For the handshake oft
doth proclaim the nature of the man.5

One of the most relevant attempts on Weniger's part to adapt
contemporary speech instruments to the needs of ministers is found in
his article, "How Effective Is Your Speech?" in the June, 1943, issue
of The Ministgy. In this article is found an adaptation of Charles F.
Lindsley's "Self-Grading Rating. Scale on Elements of'Effective Speech,"
adapted, by permission, from W. Arthur Cable's Cultural and Scientific
Speech Education Today. ‘The adaption, Weniger explains, is to make it
better suited to the needs of religious workers. As to the use of the
instrument, Weniger says, "Don't rationalize, but pass ratherbriskly
down the list, checking as you go. Don't stop to argue with yourself.
Play fair. "60 The instrument, as revised by Weniger, is found in
Table 5. ' I

Continuing the idea of self-criticism, Weniger included in the
July, 1943, issue of The Ministry "Some Questions to Ask Yourself." "In
this matter of public Speaking," he insists, "the teacher has probably
not fulfilled his highest responsibility to the student until he has
taught him to be self-critical."61 He proposes two lists of questions,

the first on delivery:

1. Is your breathing smooth and inaudible, or does it come in loud
gusts of audible wind?

2. Is your articulation clear or "mushy"?

3. Are you overly precise and pedantic?
59Vo1. x1v, No. 5 (May, 1941), p. 38.
6own. am, No. 6 (June, 1943), pp. 37, 38.

611101. xvr, No. 7 (July, 1943), pp. 5, 6.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

.H I _ . a H p - . . .100 it‘ll-.1! Elli"? I
. I mushroom. _. _ l H _ . * .fl Sunroof; M
uoounoo Susanne—none . : .M , assumes—sums: MI awesome—3 .0.—
M $ 0 » IWH I I,
1 59.330 a w _ c a .330: "
«caucus _ _ W . m maeopoam H eoeeeaeoaeue .a
388 M m ._ w M _ , Bensoomsn _
use Hanan—mu 93.54 . _ m _ . 330.30 M cowumwosssoum .m
w a w . 4_ w M M
wVHO3 HO US$300 . 1 fi .1 - i ...,,.o ”m -e. a m a
. -. uomxo use 033 __, w 1 a. . m - .. unmom m housemoob .s
033333 c . M asouoqumo M
3333230 . n H _ weavers-moo M
handgun resumes: _ . ._ “ massage—om _ «30> mo anon. .m
peas 3 can: m m I . M ewes 8» use
one on can a . M . _. _ emo wnuuwanm sooomm
uomucoo announce uooua m m _ .. _. ch avenues“..- . mo 30503.3 .n
common magneto: ” _ a. m . ”wagons—outflow _ mnouuomnm
moaaonusoocusom -m m m- “ w “ mam N no oosomoum.t
ease , a _ I . . romances M an «essence .e
e n I w I .
monnmmoamuom e .e m u . a _ ozuowoz . woman: vumfino
mommommomaufiom . H _. . _ 3st . wnqnmom Hmowuhcm .n
sameness: w a _ W h h _ . mnonmsanso: our» one
usosufimmnoonH ,.. H _ m" n . _ anonowmmsoo H was unoaoboz :0.
castes _ .w u .1 _ . _ H2338 . are: E
o>wummom w w m m g _ canvases: nu oosomwusoo .H
H . . . _ . .
a I, m n .n. . - a W
eooa mom on was roe mnon oe “on _o« cog i

 

 

 

schemata .3 69:32
5mm

:hotOH Gowusosum floooam ow
mwuaowom mam awunuaao m 0
: - HAQO H.232 .3 EOHH

mummmm ggommmm co m
. Hzmzmnm 20 55
m 254m 05
3a..
m mag

 

 

.II." I'lljllli\ I.

 

9.

10.

11..

1.

2.

3.

145

Is your prevailing pitch too high or too low? Is it monotonous,

or is the inflection pleasingly varied according to thought and
emotion?

Do you speak too fast for clarity or too slowly for interest?
Does your tempo coincide with the movement of. your thought?

Is your expression forceful, or colorless and apologetic?

Does the quality of your voice please the ear? Is it hoarse,

strident, shrill, thin, raucous, mumbled, throaty, or otherwise
displeasing?

Do you phrase in thoughtful word groups, or --do you break phras-

ing with "uh," or "er"? Do you pause thoughtfully or hesitate
thoughtlessly? ?

Do mispronunciations occur in your vocabulary?

Does your message sound sincere, conversationally direct and
communicative? Do you talk above, below, at, _tg, or with your

audience? Does the timber of your voice show responsiveness to
audience attitudes? Is your voice genia1?.

Is your delivery a transparent medium conveying thought and
feeling? .

The second list deals with self-analysis of content:

Does your introduction gain attention immediately? Is it con-
sistent with the tone and subject of your message?

Is your message related to the experience of your hearers? Do
you employ illustrations which hold the attention of your

audience and reinforce the principles that you present?

Is your vocabulary careful, your grammar accurate, and your
sentence structure sound?

Does your message move steadily toward the accomplishment of
your purpose, gaining momentum as it proceeds, or is it static?

Does your conclusion make a fit application to the lives of your
hearers, and do you stop when you have finished?62

 

62%. The present investigator believes that this list of

questions regarding content would have been strengthened had it contained
something akin to the following: Does your message develop some idea or
present some information of sufficient intrinsic importance and relevance

to the audience to justify its presentation? Such a question would have
added a needed emphasis on depth.

‘r—_4 .-
--v .~<.--

146

'Five and one-half years elapse before Weniger's next contribution

to Ihe Ministry. In January, 1949, he writes "The Form of Sound Words."

The title is based on Paul's exhortation in II Timothy 1:13: "Hold fast
Weniger applies this phrase. to the vocabulary

the form of sound words."

of the minister:

For a man to express himself freely and accurately in his native
tongue is perhaps the surest proof of his culture. Moreover, extent
and accuracy of vocabulary together constitute one' of the most fre-
quent accompaniments of outstanding professional "success.63

Weniger feels that there is a serious lack in the vocabulary of

ministers as well as others:

We are like the schoolboy whose vocabulary consisted of a few
dozen verbs, several nouns, three or four adjectives, several inter-

jections, and enough prepositions and conjunctions to stick the mass
Disraeli, in one of his eSpecially ironical

(or mess!) together.

moments, is said to have remarked that the range of English vocabu-

lary is decidedly limited, consisting as far as he could observe, of
ossible

four words, nice, jolly, charming, and bore, with the
If he were living in America today {1949] he

addition of fond.

might observe that the American vocabulary consists chiefly of nice,
. fine, awful, and swell, with the possible addition of yeah and Q;§,

0f the more than 600,000 words available in the English language,

fifty little words constitute 50 per cent of our conversation.

Seven hundred‘words comprise the bulk of our conversation and ‘

business letters. Only five thousandwordg4 it is said, make up the

vocabulary of the educated public speaker.

After pointing out that the goal of vocabulary building is

exactness, Weniger preposes the following rationale:
Our vocabularies may be said to include four classes: (1) words
that are at our tongue's end-words that we really know; (2) words
that we use only when we want to put our best foot forward; (3) words
that we use in writing and not in speaking; and (4) words that we
recognize at hearing or in reading, but do not use. Our task is to
raise each classification to the level above it. That is, we should
be continually raising the words that we use only when we want to
appear at our best, into the classification of words that come to
We should constantly

mind instantly in the needs of everyday life.
endeavor to raise words that we use only in writing into the classi-

fication of words that we use when we wish to put our best foot
And we should be vigorous in our attempt to raise all the

forward.

63Vol. xxn, N9. 1 (January, 1949), pp. 7, 8. 54mm.

-‘-_ .‘_.

147

words that we recognize, but do not use, into the classification of
our written vocabulary. Such a process means continual enrichment
of vocabulary, providing, of course, that we are Constantly adding

to our vocabulary of recognition.
Weniger gives seven suggestions as to how this goal may be reached:

1. Take an inventory of your own vocabulary assets by means of one
of the standard vocabulary tests. . . .

2. Make lists of words that you abuse by vague or meaningless use,
and explore books of synonyms for more exact means of expressing

your ideas. . . . [He recommends Hartramph's Vocabularies.]

3. Make lists of trite phrases and find more exact ways of couching

. your ideas. . . . Vital thinking will deliver one from the demon

of triteness, for vital thinking requires vital language; vital
thinking abhors moss-covered diction. 'l‘riteness is open
evidence of foggy thinking and downright mental laziness.

4. Listen discriminatingly to the best preachers and public
lecturers that you can find-~in the pulpit, on the platform, and
over the air-wand record words used with special care or
unfamiliar significance, unknown words, challenging words. Then
daily study these words in a standard unabridged dictionary.

5. Read the best writers--classic and contemporary--and, as above,
note their choice of the exact word, the pungent phrase, the
thought-provoking locution; and study the new words with a view

of adding them to your word list.

6.’ Employ a conscious system for vocabulary deveIOpment. There are
many available. John G. Gilmartin's Buildingfix'our Vocabulagy
(Prentice-Hall), S. Stephenson Smith's How to Double Yog;
Vocabulary (Crowell), and Edward J. Kilduff and J. Harold Janis,
Vocabulary Builder chket (Crofts) are typical and alike usable.

7. Finally, follow such a simple plan as this: when you meet a new
word worthy of acquisition, study it thoroughly in the diction-
ary. Write several sentences in which it is used correctly.
Speak aloud (to yourself alone) several sentences including it. | _
Then consciously frame a sentence employing the word, and speak 9
the sentence in a normal speaking situation, as at the table, in
the office, in a sermon, to your wife, to the family circle, etc.
Do not tell the auditor that you are practicing on him. At this
stage you will probably feel something of the glow of personal
contentment that is one of life's greatest satisfactions. Repeat
this conscious use of the word several times under varying circum- .'
stances, and you will probably be almost startled to discover ;
that suddenly the new word will rush to your need: you will find ’
yourself, almost unconsciously, using it in the normal speaking

si tua tion. 65 A f
i
I

6515;“, 66Ibidl. ,

This very specific advice presents again the picture of the

rhetorician using his insights and information for the benefit of the

clergy.
A brief article in the February, 1949, issue of The Ministg,

entitled "Throughly or Thoroughly" lists a number of archaic words
found in the King James Version of the Bible and often mispronounced and

'lhis list includes throughly, astonied, bewrgy, ensggple,

misunderstood.
glistering, discomfit, froward, holp, magnifical, minish, plaister, sith,

stablish, and subtile.
"The Personality of Your Radio Voice" is the title of an article

It may be recalled

 

published in the June, 1949, issue of The Migistry.
that Weniger was interested in radio speaking in the early days of

broadcasting, and established a recording laboratory at Pacific Union

This article and a concluding article in the July, 1949, issue

College.
represent a paper read by Weniger at a radio workshop conducted by the

Radio Department of the General Conference of Seventh-«lay Adventists

March 15-18, 1949.
The uniqueness of radio speech Weniger describes as follows:

Ordinary face-to-face speech involves sound and sight and
His movements, his gestures,

The speaker's words are heard.

silence.
his posture, are seen and interpreted; they are often more meaningful
His very pauses, intervals of silence, convey

than his oral words.

ideas. Like the rests in music, the silent pauses are sometimes the
most important parts of speaking. But y_o_r_x, Brother Radio Preacher,
are not seen, and dare not be silent very long. Almost your entire
message must be given through the medium of sound. Through voice
alone your personality makes its impact upon your radio audience.
~ From the instant that you begin to speak, you begin to create in the
minds of your hearers a picture of your personality-~radiant, whole-

some, persuasive, or otherwise. . . .
To be very Specific, crudities of. speech may reflect lazy,
Such faulty speech

uncouth, slovenly, unoriginal personalities.
habits as inarticulate mumbling, thin high tones, drab monotony, the
use of moss-covered cliches and meager vocabulary, mispronunciations,

and the like make undesirable impressions on the bearer and create

149

pictures of unwholesome personalities. On the other hand, clear
articulation, commonly accepted pronunciations, pleasing voice
quality, varied inflection, breadth and freshness of vocabulary, and
persuasiveness of manner make desirable impressions and create

pictures of wholesome personalities.

Weniger gives the radio speaker some pointers regarding person-

ality development that are equally relevant to all Speakers:

1. Cultivate the habit of thinking, of creative thinking. One of
my teachers of long ago stopped in the midst of a class period
to bemoan our lack of thought. -I can hear him still: "What you
students need is to learn how to think. You ought to go out and
sit on a stump until you get an idea. It might take a long
while, but the experience would be refreshing." We need to
cultivate the purifying experience of thinking, not merely
repeating other peOple's thoughts, not merely readjusting our
own personal prejudices, but deep, sustained, creative

thinking. . . .

2. Extend your appreciations. Widen your observations. Too many of
us go through life looking at everything through gray glasses.
Violets and roses and lilies and pinks are just flowers to us.
Mellow apples, steaming potato scup, vanilla ice cream, and
luscious peaches are merely food. Satin and velvet, silk and
denim are only cloth. Bird songs, train whistles, childhood's
laughter, and the notes of a symphony are but sounds. Learn to
observe, to appreciate, to discriminate. Having eyes, see;
having ears, hear. Waken your senses to enjoy earth's ten
thousand times ten thousand delights, and realize the growth in
personality that attends such awakening and the expression of it. '

3. Develop the traits of sympathy, tact, courage, faith, hOpe, love.
Consciously endeavor to sympathize, to feel with yourfellow men.
Exercise tact with the tactless. Be courageous in the face of
dire difficulty. Have faith that "right makes might" and in that;
faith triumph. Hope when hope fails. And above all, love, for
”the greatest of these is love." And all these traits will be
reflected in your voice. "Your voice is your messenger; . . .

make it a bearer of good will."

4. Live deeply, widely, broadly. "We should count time by heart- ,
throbs, not by figures on a dial. Re most lives who thinks most, ,
feels most, acts the noblest." Pill each moment of each day ‘
with noble eXperiences in living. And thus breadth of living
will be revealed in the vibrant tones of your voice. "Your
voice is a mirror; . . . it reflects you and your personality"

to those with whom you talk.68

67Vor. xxrr, No. 6 (June, 1949),'pp. 25, 26.

681bid.

 

 

 

 

150

In the concluding installment of this paper, published in The

Ministg, July, 1949, Weniger gives the following advice to radio

preachers:

Probably the radio preacher's personality is best represented by
a voice that has an essential conversational quality. The radio
voice should bear the earmarks of live conversation. The radio

preacher should converse witch- the hearers, not talk to them. the |
radio program should be an experience in comradeship. How can this

end be attained? _
In the outstanding book on speech, James Winans' Public Smakipg

(Century 00.), the author maintains that conversational quality is
dependent on two elements of the mental state of live conversation:
"(1) Full realization of the content of your words as you utter
them, and (2) a lively sense of conrnunication"--page 31. Let us '
briefly inspect these two elements in the light of radio speech.

‘qh. -a... -,

1. Most radio preaching is done from a written script. No
amount of mere rules of inflection and declamation will turn the
dead monotony of the typed manuscript into living conversation.

This transmutation depends upon the creative activity of the speaker
at the instant of utterance. Every picture, every word, every ‘
meaning symbolized by the typewritten words must be realized at the
instant the word falls from the tongue of the radio preacher. . . . ,5

Successful radio preaching demands that the preacher speak of
They

the eternal realities of God's kingdom as if they were real.
This realization of moods, pictures, mean-

are not mere phantasy.
ings at the instant of delivery, will breathe the breath of life into.-
such otherwise dull, dead symbols as the words faith, hope, and lovg.

~—-._.___ . “_._

Each symbol thus realized and expressed will take on the tone color
Under the impact of complete

that sincerely represents the idea.
realization the voice will respond to the impression, and the

speaker's message will glow with living fire. . . .
In effecting this complete realization of feeling and meaning,
the radio speaker does well to recognize the importance of contextual

The speaker must

thinking involved in adequate vocal expression.
continually invest his interpretation with a recognition of the

meaning and feeling that appear, as it were, between the lines of
the script, and that serve as a sort of background to the message to

be conveyed. . . .
But even this process of full realization of meaning may be

2.
inadequate unless the speaker maintains a lively sense of communica-
His work is not complete until he has planted the thought
To

tion.
symbolized by his words in the hearts and minds of his hearers.
this end he must be constantly aware of his unseen radio audience.

69v.91. xxrr, No. 7 (July, 1949), pp. 9, 10.

151

 

A brief article in the October, 1949, issue of 'me Ministry

entitled "Needless and Faulty Repetition" warns preachers against mis-

prommcing such words as perverse, pgrppiration, revaricate, children,

Proper reference to the

Psalms as psalms, not as chapters, is also stressed.70

introduce, Velchizedek, miraple, Spiritual.

Another period of nearly 5‘s years elapses before further contri-

butions from Weniger are found in The Ministry. In February, 1955,

appeared an article entitled “Twelve Book 'Musts' for the Public

Speaker," in which is found an example of a rhetoriciang extending a

professional service to the clergy. The books recommended are:

Virgil A. Anderson, gaining the Speakipg Voicje‘
Ralph M. Harper, The Voice Governor

Alan H. Monroe, Principles and Qpes oLSpeech

This book is noteworthy for its presentation of the
motivated sequence, in which the completely convincing
Speech is analyzed in its several phases of deve10pment:
attention, need, satisfaction, visualization, action.
This speech formula works, and has been found to provide

a satisfying plan for many an effective sermon.

 

James A. Winans, Public Speaking

Winans' treatment of the place of interest as a chief
factor in persuasion is of great significance.

Willard H. Yeager, Effective Speakianor Evemmcasion

Winston L. Brembeck and William S. Howell, Persuasion: A Means

of Social Control

Alice P. Sturgis, Learnipg Parliaments}: Procedure

Sidney S. Sutherland, When Yofiuf Presigg

70Vol. XXII, No. 10 (October, 1949), p. 19., (The title, in this
case, does not fit the article. It is possible that an editorial error

was made in heading the article.)

71Vo1. XXVIII, No. 2 (February, 1955). pp. 12-14. 72mm.

»

152
Henry L. Ewbank and J. Jeffery Auer, Discussion and Debapg

Stuart Chase, The Tyranny ofWords
Stuart Chase, Power of Words
Lester Thonssen and A. Craig Baird, Speech Criticism
To the serious student of the art and practice of public

speaking, this book is a gold mine. Tim speaker who is
not willing to dig hard should not open its pages.7

After listing and commuting on these books, Weniger concludes:

As you read the books described above, remember with Francis
Bacon that we should "read not to contradict and confute; nor to
believe and take for granted; nor to find talk and discourse; but
to weigh and consider. Some books are to be tasted, others
swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested; that is, some
books are to be read only in parts; others to be read, but not
curiously [attentively]; and some few to be read wholly, and with
diligence and attention. Some books also may be read by deputy,
and extracts made of them by others; but that would be only in the
less important argtmxents, and the meaner sort of books; else dis-
tilled books are like conrnon distilled" waters, flaslw [tasteless]

things. Reading maketh a fixllman
An article in the October, 1956, issue of The Minisgy, "Bachelor
of Divinity Graduates at Work," is of no relevance to this study. It

was a report made by Weniger, as dean of the Seventh-day Adventist

Theological Seminary, regarding the performance of the alumni of the

seminary. 75
Another article, outside the range' of this study, was published

in the July, 1960, issue of The Ministm. This article, entitled. "A
Brief Study in Old Testament Poetry," was in line with Weniger's keen

interest in biblical literature.76

73Ibid.

74Ib1d. _
75Vo1. roux, No. 10 (October, 1956), pp. 8, 9.

76Voi. mm, No. 7 (July, 1950), pp. 9-11.

 

 

 

153

It was less than a year after this article was written that
Weniger contracted the illness that forced him to retire. Beginning in

1964, however, there appeared several more of his articles. -

In the issue of The Minisgry of January, 1964, is an article
entitled "A Note on the Oral Reading of Scripture." After pointing out

several common errors in the oral interpretation of the Bible, he makes

the following comment:

If you would have your congregation get the thought of God's
Word from the Scripture lesson, you must first be sure that you have
the thought yourself. This takes earnest, diligent, prayerful study
of the text. It requires the use of dictionary, . . . and other
helps, and, if possible, study of the original Hebrew, Greek, or
Aramaic. Next you must be sure to communicate that thought, to
share it with your auditors. This demands study of emphasis, pause,
pitch level, and all the other ingredients of meaningful oral
interpretation. It requires actual practice orally-"preferably in
the sanctuary-oof the text. Never read the Sacred Word in public
without first studying its real meaning and practicing its oral
reading in private. Be truthful. Be accurate.

The February, 1964, issue of The Ministg contains Part I of

"A Bibliography for Ministers." Weniger introduces his tepic by calling

attention to the "Bibliography of Conrnunications Dissertations in

American. Schools of Theology" found in the June, 1963, issue of Spgech

Monographs, and compiled by Franklin E. Knower. From this list of nearly

a thousand studies, Weniger has selected some titles which he thought
might be of particular interest to the readers of The mnistg and

organized them under tepical heads. His first category is "Expository

Preaching," the suggested titles being as follows:
Baggett, Hudson D. "The Principles and Art of G. Campbell Morgan as
a Bible Expositor. " Th.D., Southern Baptist Theological
Seminary, 1956.

Berry, Joe H. "Expository Preaching." B.D., College of the Bible,

1931.

77Vol. XXXVII, No. 1 (January, 1964). pp. 28, 29.

.9

 

 

 

 

154

Budd, Jay E. "The History and Value of Expository Preaching and Its
Value in the Modern Pulpit." B.D. , Nazarene meological

Seminary , 1948 .

Cox, Vincent A. "The Expository Preaching of Frederick William
Robertson. " 'Ih.D. , Southwestern Baptist 'meological Seminary,

1955.

Downing, Billy W. "The Preparation of Expository Sermons." B.D.,

Nazarene Theological Seminary, 1949.

Driftymyer, Clarence P. "The Expository Sermon Defined." B.D.,
Nazarene Theological Seminary, 1958.

Eubanks, Seaford W. "Amos: Artist in Literary Composition." Th.D.,
Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 1942.

Galbreath, Marvin L. "Expository Preaching Values from the Book of
Psalms." S.T.B., Biblical Seminary of New York, 1946.

Cemenz, Albert J. "The History of Expository Preaching." B.D.,
Northern Baptist Theological Seminary, n.d.

Livingstone, Paul Y. "The Biblical Homiletics of Martin Luther."
S.T.M. , Biblical Seminary of New York, 1930.

liackinnon, John G. "The Educational Objectives of the Contemporary
Sermon." A.M., University of Chicago, 'me Divinity School, 1929.

Ricks, George H. "A Study of Expository Preaching With Sermons from
the Epistle to the Philippians." 111.11. , Union 'meological '
Seminary of Virginia, 1954. '

Shea, Ralph C. "The Educational Principles Involved in Making Preach-
ing Effective." B.D., Emory University, Candler School of

'meology , 1938.

Stephens, James H. "The Principle and Practice of Expository
Preaching and Their Application to the Galatian Epistle." Th.M. ,

Union Theological Seminary in Virginia, 1957.

Sumnerell, Jouett V. C. "Expository Preaching: Its Principles and
Practice as Demonstrated in a Study of the Ephesian Epistle."
Th.M. , Union Theological Seminary in Virginia, 1956.

Walker, David G. "Expository Preaching in Mid-Nentieth Century."
B.D. , Anderson College and Theological Seminary, 1953.

Whitwell, Walter M. "Basic Problems of Expository Preaching." B.D.,
Northern Baptist Theological Seminary, 1949.

Wolfgang, Calvin A. "Expository Preaching in Relation to the Old
Testament and the New Testament. " B.D. , Lancaster 'meological

Seminary of the United Church of Christ, 1960.

 

 

155

Womack, James T. "’Ihe Nature and Method of Expository Preaching With
Illustration Through Studies of the Corinthian Epistles." Th.M. ,
Union Theological Seminary of Virginia, 1952.7

Part II of this series, "A Bibliography for Ministers," appeared
in the March issue of The Ministry. The classification developed in this

article is "Preaching that Persuades." The titles listed are as follows:’

Aarvold, Ole. "Clovis G. Chappell: The Man and His Message."
111.14., Asbury, Theological Seminary, 1953.

Adams, Jay E. "Sense Appeal in the Sermons of Charles Haddon
Spurgeon." S.T.M., Temple University School of Theolog, 1958.

Andrews, Wayne. "A Critical Study of Jonathan Edwards' Use of the
Motive of Fear in a Selected Group of Sermons.“ FLA. , SBA

'meological Seminary , 1954. '

Ashbaugh, Kraid. "An Analysis of the Sermons of James White, Early
Advent Preacher, With Emphasis on Persuasion." ILA. , SDA

Theological Seminary , 1951.

Beckwith Louis R. "Planned Preaching to People's Needs." B.D. ,
Andover Newton Ecological Seminary, 1953.

Bentley, Jimmy R. "An Analysis of the Attitude and Response of the
Audience Toward Preaching." B.D., Nazarene Theological Seminary,

1958.

Bissett, Donald J. "A Study of Preaching Viewed as an Act of
Comunication." B.D. , Berkeley Baptist Divinity School, 1958.

Boecler, Paul A. "The Factors of Attention in Preaching." B. D.,
Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, 1956.

Bogdanovich, John. "An Inquiry Into Selected Elements of Interest
- and Attention in The Sermon on the Mount." A.M. j, SDA Theological

Seminary, 1950.

Bradsby, Robert H. "An Investigation of Theories of Motivation and
Incentives as They Relate to Lay Leadership in the Local Church."
D.R.E. , Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, 1958.

Burkholder, Melvin J. "Persuasion in Preaching." Th.D., Northern
Baptist Theological Seminary, 1958.

 

78Vol. nocvn, No. 2 (February, 1964), pp. 33, 34.

 

 

. l."

156

Carley, Glen. "A Rhetorical Study of Selected Sermons of Ellen G.
White on Righteousness by Faith." ILA. , SDA Theological
Seminary, 1954.

Clay, Thomas C. "Preaching That Meets the Needs of Men." Th.M.,
Union Theological Seminary in Virginia, 1954.

Colby, George T. "The Elements of Rapport in Preaching." B.D.,
Berkeley Baptist Divinity School, 1959.

Dixon, James I. 'Tiajor Psychological Factors in Preaching." 11.5.,
Christian Theological Seminary, 1954.

Frerking, Kenneth L. "The Psychology of Persuasive Preaching With
Special Reference to the Campus Ministry." B.D., Concordia
Seminary, St. Louis, 1957.

Grunow, Robert A. "'me Concept of Authority in the Persuasion of
Christ and St. Paul." B.D., Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, 1948.

Cundmundson, Valtyr E. "Greek Rhetoric and Christian Preaching: A
Critical Study of Aristotle's Rhetoric in Its Relation to the
Theory and Function of the Protestant Sermonic Form." B.D. ,
Meadville Theological School, 1952.

Hardinge, Leslie. "An Examination of the Philos0phy of Persuasion
in Pulpit Oratory Advocated by Ellen Gould White." M.A., SDA
Theological Seminary, 1950.

Jacques, Brian. "An Analysis of Persuasive Techniques in the
Religious Addresses of William Jennings Bryan." ILA. , SDA
Theological Seminary, 1954.

Karwehl, Hans M. "Preacher, Text, and Situation." S.T.lL, Union
Theological Seminary, 1952.

Lange, Harrey. "A Study of the Communication Process in Preaching."
B.D., Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, 1955.

Lien, Jerry. "Savonarola: The Speaker and His Public Address."
M.A. , SDA Theological Seminary, 1955. ‘

Lochhaas, Philip H. "The Preaching of the Gospel as the Motive
Power for Good Works." B.D. , Concordia Seminary, St. Louis,
1948. "

Mendrell, Nelson E. "The Relevance of Dynamic Psychology for
Christian Preaching." Th.D. , Southern Baptist Theological

Seminary , 19 56.

Miller, Donald. "Righteousness by Faith as a Motivating Factor in
the Public Address of Charles Fitch." M.A., SDA Theological

‘ Seminary, 1950.

157

Killer, George :4. "A Study of Motivation in the Preaching of
"any liner - n Fosdick." 'i'n.M. , Southern Baptist Theological

Bolster, Armin ll. "Zia Importame and l-L.ans of Achieving a Balance

Ln appeals to intellect and to Emotion in Preaching." B.D.,
Concordia Satin-“i" , St. Louis, 1956.

William E. ”Style in Preaching." B.D., Christian Theologi-

_ i‘

sullen, 1113311 W. T; caching and m... "nan Needs. " S.T.M., Andover
Newton "neolo gicsl School, 1944.

, Georf'e. "The "Gospel as Motivation for Sanctification
.0215 of Spur geon." B.D., Concordia Seminary, 1956.

r * 'y Devices of Attention in Contemporary
Preaching. 111.14. , Sout‘. ern Baptist Tieological Seminary, 1956.

R. "The Personality of Paul." Th.D., Harvard Divinity

 

 

, Norman. "The Psychological Interaction Between Speaker and

.carer as the Holy Spirit Works Through the Proclamation of the

s-Iord." B.D., Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, 1954.

Lzompson, Hillier: D. "motion .31 Appeal in American Homiletical
Theory." B.D., Northern Baptist Theological Seminary, 1954.

Fred B. ”Bodily Action in Oral Commieatidn." 24.8.,
s; n Theological Seminary, 1960.

L:
p

Wat (in.a, Burgin. "l‘he Impl Lest tions of Basic Communication 'meory for
tie Sermon. " Th.D., 11 iii School of Theolow, 1957.

Webber, William D. "Communication of Preaching." B.D., Northern
Baptist li‘mological Seminary, 1955.
Part III of the series, published in The Ministry of April, 1964,

covers the area of uiv’orship." The titles are:

5

artz, Rhodes M. "The Children and the Sunday Morning Worship Among
the Disciples of Christ." B.D., College of the Bible, 1957.

Badger, Philip H. "Preachin ng in Christian Worship." B.D.,
Christian Theological Seminary, 1958. -

79V01. 223111,}:0. 3 (march. 1964). PP- 35: 35°

' , Jr"

“ ‘~RO~.A..-_.L A _._ . - -
- m ‘4 “" ' ‘I—m"-‘ J - m-.'LAL—l_fi-muhh —— *urr-‘Ar “ "

 

 

 

’ m—
j
a f-.. o ‘
mt.
. ‘ 1' ‘uflxl‘li. 1g
L . Z

158

Cook, Cecil V. "l-lymology Before the Reformation." lPh.D., Southern

Baptist Tneolog ical Seminary, 1898. "

Dean, Kenneth G. "The Principles and Practice of Public Prayer."
B.D., College of the Bible, 1954.

es H. eJunior and the Morning Church Service."
.E., College of the Bible, 1935.

'3
.513 J?)

"The Relation of Sermon and Church Music in

Garritson, Melvin H.
" B.D., College of the Bible, 1957.

Corporate Worship.

"Youth Choirs and ‘Iheir Place in Southern Baptist

Gayle, Mrs. Joe.
M.C.M. , Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary,

Churches. "
1957.

Giltner, Margaret R. "Primary Worship Without Music." M.R.E. ,
College of the Bible, 1934.

Graves, Albert R. "The Use of Music in Worship." M.R.E., College of
the Bible, 1952.

"The Church Choir: Its History and "importance in

Gray, Joseph H. ‘
B.D., Moravian Theological Seminary, 1945.

Public Worship. "

McGuire, Joyce D. "Educating Adults in the Use of Music in the
Church." M.R.E., College of the Bible, 1956.

Parker, Gordon A. "The Development of Rymnody in England From the
Reformation to the Oxford Movement." B.D., United College,

Winnipeg, Canada, 1955.

Plumer, Stanley T. "Preaching Against a Worship Background. " B.D. ,
Andover Newton Theological Seminary, 1942.

"A Study of the Choir as an Agency of Religious

R0per, Betty A.
I'LR.E., Asbury Theological

Education in the Local Church."
Seminary, 1952.

"A Study of the Teaching Ministry of the Church

Ross, Hyla Jean.
M.R.E.', Asbury Theological Seminary, 1959.

Through Hymnology . 7'
I

Sanford, Jack D. "be Refomers' Concept of Preaching in Worship."
Th.M. , Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 1955.

Schaeffer, R. E. "The Relation Between Worship and Preaching."
B. D. , Lancaster Theological Seminary of the United Church of

Christ, 1935.

Skeen, Orville M. "The Contribution of the Conniunion Service to
Worship." B.D., College of the Bible, 1952.

Van Arsdale, Werdie W. "Guiding Personality Grthh Through Public
Prayer." B.D., College of the Bible, 1943. '

 

 

159

D

Weidler, Albert G. "The Mutual Relation of Preaching and Praise."
B.D., Western Theological Seminary, 1911.

Woodbury, Harold W. "The Relation of Preaching to Worship." B.D. ,
Andover Newton-Tieological School, 1941.80
Part IV, "Counseling, Guidance, and Psychology ," is covered in

KL. , 1964, issue, with selected titles as follows:

Baldwin, Donald W. "Preaching as Group Counseling." B.D. ,
University of Chicago, The Divinity School, 1941.

Bell, Walter P. "Pastoral Comseling." B.D., College of the Bible,
1940.

Cole, Roger W. "The Psychological Basis of Effective Leadership."
M.C.M., Southwestern Baptist 'meological Seminary, 1957.

Cooper, William J. "The Pastor as Personal Counselor-~Possibilities
and Limitations." B.D., College of the Bible, 1948.

Crawford, Allen P. "The Minister's Function in Preaching and
Counseling." M.A., Union Theological Seminary, 1947.

Davis, Bernard F. "Implications of Depth Psychology for Religious
Education. " B.D., College of the Bible, 1950.

Dye, Leslie E. "A Study of the Relationships Betwaen Preaching and
Pastoral Counseling." M.S., Christian Theological Seminary,
1952. .

Fergeson, Martin L. "Modern Schools of Psychology and Their
Influence Upon the Functions of the Ministry." D.R.E. , South-
western 'Iheological Seminary, 1943..

Garrison, Joseph G. "Psychology of Preaching." B.D. , Haadville
meological School, 1941.

Gettys, Albert C. "The Psychology of the Revival." Th.D., South-
western Baptist 'meological Seminary, 1923.

Rita, Raymond H. "The Psychology of Effective Preaching." B.D. ,
College of the Bible, 1953. .

Hoyt, Harold B. "The Psychological Aspects of the Religious Plat-
form." D.R.E., Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, 1956.

 

 

80Vol. xxxvrr, No. 4 (April, 1964), p. 23.

160

Hulan, LeRoy S. "Counseling Opportunities in the Local Church."
B.D., College of the Bible, 1936.

Hult, Dertil E. "The Relationship of Counseling and Preaching."
Tn.M., Reward Divinity School, 1958.

Hundley, liaury. "Counseling Opportunities in the Local Church."
B.C., College of the Bible, 1941.

Inglc, Clifford. "The Army Chaplain as a Counselor." D.R.E.,
Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, 1952.

 

Jordan, Samuel B. , Jr. "The Problem of Communication in Pastoral
Counseling." Th.M., Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 1956.

Kennedy, 'fixomas F. "0n the Communication of the Gospel to the
Mentally Ill." B.D., Lutheran Theological Seminary, Gettysburg,

19 60.

Krick, Ronald R. "The Psychology and Theology of Revivalism."
B.D. , Lancaster Theological Seminary of the United Church of

Christ, 1957.

 

Lanius, Allen R. "The Counselor of Juniors, Intermediates, and
Seniors in the Church Camp." B.D., Moravian Theological Seminary,

1951.

Lindsoe, Joe T. "Ministering to Mentally Deficient Persons."
B.D., College of the Bible, 1955.

Maddos, Roy E. "The Nature of Man and the Counseling Relationship."
B.D., College of the Bible, 1956.

Maeda, Itoko. "Religious Experience of Young People--Conversion."
B.D., College of the Bible, 1955.

McCullough, Jack A. "'me Town and Country Minister as Counselor."
B.D., College of the Bible, 1947..

McKee, Cecil F. "Biblical Preaching on Personal Problems." B.D.,
College of the Bible, 1946.

Nauman, Paul D. "The Place of General Semantics in Pastoral
Counseling." D.R.E. , Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary,

1951.

Person, Richard L. ”Counseling and Preaching in Today's Ministry."

Rutherford, Elizabeth. "A Survey of'Education for Marriage and
Family Life Through the Churches." D.R.E. , Southwestern
Baptist Theological Seminary, 1936.

Saeger, Alfred R. "Equivocal Areas in Chaplain Ministerial Counsel-
ing Ethics." Th.M., Harvard Divinity School, 1957.

161 -

Seiders, Marlin D. "Survey of the Elements of Counseling and
Psychotherapy Which Apply in Preaching and Corporate Worship."
731.14., Harvard Divinity School, 1957.

Smith, David P. "A Critical Evaluation of the Nondirective Method
of Counseling as It Relates to the Work of the Pastoral
Counselor, With Suggested Adaptations." Th.1~i., Asbury Theologi-
cal Seminary, 1953. '

Strang, Alfred M. "How the GOSpel May be Presented to Those Who
Have No Conscious Need for It." B.D., Lutheran 'meological

Seminary , Gettysburg, 1953.

Sutley, Cecil C. "The Hospital Chaplain." D.R.E., Southwestern
Baptist Theological Seminary, 1953.

Watson, Stanley J. "The Religious Guidance of Adolescents." D.R.E., f:
Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, 1953. ;

Wells, Albert M. "Principles of Psychology Involved in Sermon :
Building." B.D., Nazarene “meological Seminary, 1960. J

i

v

Wilbur, John M. , Jr. "'me Relationship of Pastoral Counseling to

Preaching." S.T.lL, Andover Newton Theological School, 1952.81 I

l

The concluding article, which is in the June, 1964, issue of

.i

The I-iinistry, covers the area "The Art of Illustration." The titles are:

 

Albright, W. H. "Literary Illustrations for. the Sundays in Lent."
B.D. , Lancaster Theological Seminary of the United Church of

Christ, 1946.

Cunningham, Jacob H. "'Die Use of the Biblical Story in the Sermon."
B.D., College of the Bible, 1941.

Gardner, Calvin G. "Biblical Illustrations From the Major and Minor
Prophets." B.D., Northern Baptist Theological Seminary, 1953.

Hardinge, Leslie. "A Study of the Pulpit Public Address of Hugh
Macmillan." 31.1%., Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary,

1959.

Harnly, Mary E. “The Use of the Exemplum in Sermons From Fisher to
Donne." A.M., University of Chicago, The Divinity School, 1930.

Hotchkiss, Robert V. "Metaphor in the Communication of Spiritual
Truth." ThJL, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, 1959.

 

_ 81Vol. m1, No. 5 (May, 1964), pp. 31, 39.

 

 

 

 

I ' ..,I ..\ .. ..., .A». .P.~v ....P~;¢v-I¢j.4

162

Jackson, James B., Jr. ”A Study of the Sermon Illustrations Used
by Ernest Fremont Tittle." TmM. , Southern Baptist Theological

Seminary , 1955 .

l-Izmes, Everett E. "The Use of Illustration in Contemporary Preach-
ing." A.M., University of Chicago, ’me Divinity School, 1935.

Parker, Robert A. "A Study of the Principles and Use of Illustra-
tions by Henry Ward Beecher." Th.M. , Southern Baptist
Theological Seminary, 1951.

Payne, Arthur L. "Illustrating the Homily." B.D., Nazarene
Theological Seminary, 1948. ‘

Reiber, Milton T. "Visual Aids in Seventh-day Adventist Evangelism. "
B.D., Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary, 1958.

Roberts, Bruce. "The Use of Illustrations in the Sermon." B.D.,
Andover Newton Theological School, 1942.

Robinson, Billy T. "The Use of Illustration in the Art of
Semonizing." B.D., Nazarene Theological Seminary, 1957.

Roger, James S. "Paul's Figures of Speech." Th.D., Soutlmestern
' Baptist Theological Seminary, 1914.

Smith, Donald G. "Sermon Illustrations." Th.M., Northern Baptist
Theological Seminary, 1951. ‘

Spangler, Charles C. "Painless Preaching: An'Evaluation of
Comercialized Sermon Aids and Illustrations." B.D., College of

the Bible, 1954.

Ulbrich, Armand H. "The Use of Illustrations in Christian Preaching":
B.D., Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, 1938. -

Vining, Lester R. "The Story in Preaching and Teaching." B.D. ,
Andover Newton Theological School, 1941. ' ‘

Walter, Marvin R. "Nature's Parables for Modern Ministers." A.M. ,
Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary, 1959.82

At the time of the writing of this chapter, the current issue of
The. Ministry is the July, 1964, issue, in which is a column by Weniger
entitled "Potpourri for Preachers." He describes this column as "a few
unarranged, unclassified suggestions for preachers and church adminis-

trators, based on the author's observation, participation, and teaching

 

82 Vol. mu, No. 6 (June, 1964), p. 38.

 

‘fifrt.

 

'1»:- ‘I‘tlxlt 1A

over more than a few years." Perhaps the most significant of these
cements from a rhetorical or homiletical viewpoint is the following:

is talk much and arrive nowhere is the same as climbing a tree
to catch a fish." This Chinese proverb reminds me of some sermons--
they keep on going and "arrive nowhere." They could stop anywhere
and be equally effective-wor ineffective. They have no goal in

sight, no drive, no momentum

"H!

A sermon is not a plane, but a mountain slope, reaching to a
climax. Have a high purpose, eliminate every idea that doesn't help
to fulfill that purpose; work toward the climax, and when you reach

the climax, stop.‘8

The first articles from Weniger's pen to appear in The Minism
were written when he was a young man of 32, on the threshold of a
distinguished career. The last article finds him at the age of 6S, _
seriously ill. During these 36 years, 35 articles have been'published-u-
articles which in a unique way represent his messages to the Adventist
clergy. The predominant objective of the majority of these articles is
to improve the effectiveness of the clergy by applying sound principles
of speech to the art of preaching. All of the classical canons of
rhetoric are discussed-with special emphasis on Delivery. Weniger's
approach to Delivery is not that of the elocutionist but that of the
student of the modern science of communication. The important factor is
removing all impediments to the effective proclamation of a message, much

emphasis being given to ethos, because lack of good ethos stands in the

way of communication.

Weniger was also anxious to make available to his colleagues in
the clergy the results of research in Speech and comnunication. He

recommended books and prepared bibliographies so that the clergy might

be informed.

33Vo1. m1, No. 7 (July, 1964). p. 16.

 

..- i
. wag.

164

These articles represent an extension of his teaching. Many of
the ideas he discussed in his classes found their way into the columns
of Tie Ministry. Thus, members of the Adventist clergy who did not have
the privilege of studying with him were touched by his influence.

Although his concern.was for the effectiveness of the clergy, he
never lost his identity as a teacher of speech. His approach was neither
theological or pastoral-~he left these areas to others better qualified
in these fields. His respect for "content" was revealed by his deep
interest in biblical literature, and by his very ably written commentary
on Psalms. But he always maintained that hgg_a sermon was preached was
just as important as Ehggywas preached. Though never a pastor, he had
the pastor's concern about people and established a*warm'rapportwwith
his associates. As the Ministgy articles reveal, he was an apostle of

accuracy, of urbanity, of culture, of careful preparation, of pleasing

vocalization, of spotless ethos, of demanding self-discipline.

Public Address of William Miller

Weniger's largest literary work was his doctoral dissertation,
written for the University of Southern California and completed in 1948.
This dissertation‘was a historical-critical study entitled A Critical
Analysis and Appraisal of the Public Address of William Miller,iEarly
American Second Advent Lecturer. Uhile.this study is not basically con-
cerned with the relationship between rhetoric and homiletics, it
contributes to an understanding of Weniger's philosophy in that it
presents weniger the rhetorician as a critic of the life and*work of a
religious lecturer. The very fact that he chose a religious lecturer as

his subject indicated something as to his field of interest.

l65
Early in the dissertation, Weniger reveals his background:

natre task of rhetorical analysis the investigator brings a
lvubund of study in the classical and modern rhetoricians--

. sunfie, Cicero, Quintilian, Longinus, Thomas Wilson, John.Ward,
F agree .enelon, Hugh Blair, George Campbell, Richard.Whately,
John F: anklin Genung, Her oert Spencer, John Middleton Murray,
Jhnes! lbert'Winans, William.Norwood Brigance, Ray K. Immel,

Alan Nichols, et. al.-~but there is no attempt to erect their con-
clusior s as criteria for the study.

Understandably, the scheme of the study follows the classical canons of

nventhxn Arrangement, Style, and Delivery. Invention is discussed

under the three classifications: ethos, pathos, and logos. .Arrangement,

Style, and Delivery are 11' sewise approached in harmony with classical

patterns.

An examination of the Table of Cbntents reveals the author's

approach to the study of a religious lecturer:

Chapter
I. INTRODUCTION

The Problem and Its Significance
Previous Related InveStigations
Organization of Remainder of the Study
Special Sources of Data

II. 'IGH LIGHTS IN THE PROCLAMATION OF THE SECOND ADVENT

From the Apostolic Fathers to the Reformation
Apostolic and Ante-Nicene Fathers
Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers
A.D. 1000
The uedieval Ages
Through the Protestant Reformation
The Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries
In EurOpe
In.America

_1

84Charles E. Weniger, A Critical Analysis and Amaisal of the
r lic Address of I'illism Miller, Early American Second Advent Lecturer.
Inpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Southern California,

i43), p. 7.

 

 

III.

166

'11-’23 LIFE OF WILLIAM MILLER

Preparation (1782-1831)

Birth and Parentage

Childhood

Youth and Marriage

Community Recognition

Civil Offices and Disillusionment
Kilitary Life

The Battle of Plattsburgh
Religious Questionings

Removal to Low Hampton

Struggles with Deism

Acceptance of Christianity

Bible Study

"Rules of Interpretation" and the'Year 1843
"Articles of Belief"

Life as a Layman

meeting with Lafayette
ChurchlActivities

Early Public Activity (1831-1841)

The First Lecture

Invitations to Lecture
Vermont Telegraph Articles
First Pamphlet

Licensed to Preach
Publication of the Evidence
Entrance of Fitch, Litch, Rimes, Bates
1840 Revision of the Evidence
The Signs of the Times
Results

First General Conference
Ottoman.Empire Prophecy

The Crisis (1841-1844)

IncreasedvActivity
irst Camp Meeting
The "Big Tent"
The fiewark Meeting
The Midnight CIT}:
"Synopsis of Views"
The washington Hoax
In the Chinese Museum
Fanaticism and Extravagance
Miller's Opponents
1844, Annus Mirabilis
The "Peacemaker" Calamity
March 21, 1844
Western Tour
The "Seventh Month movement"
October 22, 1844
Courage and Pathos

 

The Decline (1844-1849)

Faith and Reproof
Excommunication

 

' 167

Declaration of Principles

Steps Toward Organization
Apology and Defense

Lecturing Again

Failing Eyesight

Final Illness, Death, and Funeral

 

IV . REE TORICAL [QRLYSIS : ‘WENTIGN

Introductory )
Social Background of Miller's Public Address 1
Textual Bases of the Study 1
Ethical Proof
Plan of Treatment ‘
Definitions I
The Mhn, William Miller
Appearance and Personality ,
Mental Caliber
Scholarship

Ethical Proof in the Lectures

Pathetic Proof
Definition
Types of Pathetic Appeal
Advent Hymns

Logical Proof
Definition
Chief Ideas
Explanation

Definition

Example

Verse-by-Verse Exegesis

Visual Devices
Induction

Authority

Analogy and Example
Deduction from Sign
Mathematical Calculation
Refutation
Summaty

 

V. RHETORICAL.ARALYSIS: ARRANGEMENT

Definition
General Plan
Introduction
Statement of Plan
Discussion
Improvement
Lecture - Courses

VI. RHETORICAL ANALYSIS: STYLE

Definition
Clearness

168

Conversational Quality
in .
:OLCQ
BCQULJ’
Lmaooe‘ 9
Balance
Anaphora
Rhythm

VII. REETCR... C311. ANaLYSIS: EHVEIW
D851:

ni ion
The Sp 31C ing Situation
Formal Factors of Delivery

t

VIII. THE IIIFLbT-TICE CF 'rIIILIrk-‘i MILLER'S PUBLIC ADDRESS

Immediate and Early Influences
Influence Upon the.Audience
Religious Revivals
Acceptance of'Miller' 3 Second Advent Theory
Effect on Denominations
The Opposition
Excitement and Fanaticism
Influences in American Literature
Resultant Denominations
' Advent Christian Denomination
Church of God (Oregon, Illinois)
The Life and.Advent Union
Primitive Advent Christian Church
Seventh-day Adventist Denomination
The Church of God (Stanberry, Missouri).
Church of God (Salem, West Virginia)

Summary
' IX. C NCLUSIGRS

Although this investigation is not primarily concerned.with

Weniger's findings regarding William Miller, his approach to the problem
reveals his background of classical rhetorical theory and his application

of this theory to religious speaking. A few examples of this application

are relevant to the present investigation. As an illustration, Weniger

writes as follows regarding Miller's ethos:

 

8512353., pp. i to xii. .

 

'75.

 

“F

Gwyo \p- Soc-5‘) ‘~

2'!

169

tributions to the theory of public

0.13 of his [Killer's] few con
speaking occurs in a letter to Bendryx: "One great means to do good
is to nice your arichione rs sensible that you are in earnest and
My and 301c111n1y believe what you pr . If you wish your people
‘ - l yourself. If you wish them to believe as you do, show
-~siduity in teaching, that you sincerely wish

a
v
* V on... ssahfirc
J ‘7 we. CON“:

1-..,- M ‘3‘ llcr‘s pathos, he writes:
0
1:3, uy 1.1.1.1: of appeals to the desire for happiness, fear,
love and grati rude, pride, ard its negative comterpart, shame,
Killer 3dd..aucs the pathological "urges" of his hearers, often in
" of vivid pictorial presentation. Little hmr appears. The
Rhythm is compelling. And behind ‘ T"

Wan-.3
"West ion is very strong.
1e persuasive appeal of the second advent

“AF-l!

3.38 Of Ovvub
this pathetic proof is
Lnew the psychology of his audience.

1.131s. 11111121“ 1..

Arrargezzent is described as follows:

It has beene can that Le lectures of William Miller exhibit a v
" Mti on of a plan clearly conceived in the speaker's mind. - L

clear incite..-
f five-part plan of o*ganization--quotation of text, introduction,
3 on, and improvement-~3hws no basic

 

-llcr's

easily followed. 10
rent-es some ssu pan
The statement of plan immediately '

"*3
statement of plan, discus i
originaliv, but was consist ent with the practice of the day, and is
The introduction clearly states or implies the
se, and usually relates the thesis to the i
I

thesis, c
'nterests of the audience.

satisfies by offering a forecast of the argument. The discussion is
clearly organized, logic ally arranged, and practically free from
exhortation-4t consists chiefly of explanation and argument. The
lect‘ur'” 1 teaching his hearers or candidly reasoning with them.

" nt comes after a sharp line of cleavage. The audience

a. s
1111.“: "“3201431‘...
knows that the argument is in the pest, and that now the lecturer
will cake an application of the thesis to their practical experience.

1.... improveamnt is direct and intentional. The lecturer does not
rers by guile, but gives immediate verbatim evidence ;

tC-o‘if 11.15 hea ‘
tn: ~- trhe is appec. aling to their judgmentive powers and the desires of

Some selected parse rap‘ns from Weniger' s conclusions at the close

isserta cation give further evidence of his application of the prin-

(n

of speech to Miller's preaching:
The clear arrrigement and presentation of the evidence supporting
e ideas of the lecture constitute a major element in the

a

D

86ZLid. , pp. 161, 162. (Quotation from Miller's letter to
.51? ”711:, h-izrrch 26, 1832.)
331111, p. 269.

87 1111.-.-.. pp. 193, 194.

 

170

effectiveness of: :‘ller's public address. There is nothing involved
'3 r

about the r<.ne which he arranged the content of his lectures.
There is a clear announcement of the text and usually a plan. There
is generally "1 obvious tOpical or logical arrangement of the points
of the discuss ion in a small number of main divisions--typically
r-ree. Tl're are frequent indications of transition and summary,
and when the erg ant is finished, its close is clearly indicated.
Itnum ea sy to follow Miller and to understand his argument. Under-
stsncing became a major step in belief.

Liller's a ility to hold the attention of large audiences was an
important el- ant in his platform success. After he began to con-
cen“ ate his energies upon the metropolitan areas, he frequently
addressed audiences numbering into the thousands, in large churches

rd public auditoriums, in the Big Tent, and outdoors. These huge

crowds he was able to hold at attention from.an hour and a half to F‘
two hours and more. An effective use of the vocal mechanism and of ‘
Speech technics made him equal to the most exacting requirements of 1
the lecture platform. But Miller was not a bombastic lecturer. He 1
did not rent. He did not depend upon vocal pyrotechnics or bodily I
contor ions to gain and hold attention. Rather, he SpOke in a v .
fluent, conversational manner, Bible in hand,'with just enough _ it
gesture and movement to make his meaning clear and to impress upon

his hearers the weight of his message. His voice was full and

distinct, and must have had sufficient flexibility and pathos to

express the highly emotional passages that appear in his lectures.

 

Inter se earnestness was probably the most powerful factor of
effectiveness in Miller' 8 public address. He absolutely believed
his theory of the literal, imminent, pre-millenial second advent,
was convinced that it was his duty to tell it to others, and was
fearless in its declaration. . . . The fervency and sincerity of
this belief appear throughout the lectures, in the ethical, pathetic,
and logical appeals employed. . . .'

William Miller was not a great orator, or a great logician, or a
great preacher in the commonly accepted meanings of these terms.
But as a lecturer, he had certain powers. He'was honest in his con-
victions, deeply in earnest, fearless in expression, and able to
hold the attention of huge crowds, and these are elements of oratory.
he was clear in the main line of his mathematical calculation and in
his arrangement of ideas, and these are elements of logic. He was
skilled in his use of the Bible, and this is an element of
preaching. 89

It is of interest that.Weniger completed his doctoral disserta-
tion just before he began teaching homiletics at the Seventh-day

.Adventist Theological Seminary. This study‘was doubtless helpful in

 

8911 id., pp. 378-381.

171

focusing his years of emphasis on persuasion, voice and diction, and
other typically speech areas, as he trained the ministry in the specific

A historical-rhetorical analysis of a preacher

-’-' ' -1a‘.‘ ’
area 0. flCmAcCLCS.

could no: help but be of value in making the application of speech to

ry .

r?

minis

(3

the training of ti

'ihit the Seminaries Expect of Undergraduate Speech Departments"

Another publication of Weniger's relevant to the relation between

speech and homiletics is an article that appeared in the March, 1957.
issue of The Speech Teacher entitled "What the Seminaries Expect of Under-

graduate Speech Depar’caents." The editor's note on the article, in

addition to identifying Weniger, makes this cmnt:
For nearly three years the author of this clerical charge to lay

teachers of speech has been a Consulting Editor of The Speech
Teacher. For a longer period he has been a valuable member of the
SAA Study Committee on the Problems in Teaching Speech to Preachers
(whose duties the Interest Group in Speech for Religious Workers has

c.
recently inherited) . ’

 

Weniger‘s introductory statements reveal in a specific manner

his philosophy of the relation of speech and preaching:

This discussion of the minimum desiderata in speech training for
the pre-seminary student at the undergraduate level is based upon a
recognition of three factors which are accepted as axiomatic:

l. The concept that preaching is an area in the over-all field
of speech. '

Preaching is not a thing apart from speaking; it is a part of the
speaking field, albeit a part with the highest objective that can be
conceived: persuading men into the kingdom of God. Therefore, what
is true of speaking in general must be true of preaching in particu-
lar. To the extent that a man is trained to be an effective speaker,

he will stand a better chance of being an effective preacher, pro-

vided, of course, that he is dedicated to his calling. Further. .

since the ultimately effective speaker can wield no sharper weapon
of high ethos, it follows that the ideal of being the

than that
bonus viz: ("the good man") is capacially applicable to the preacher.

9073*3 8‘6“ 731 Tam???) Vol. V1, Ho. 2 (Hatch, 1957). P0 103°

172

A pres-.1112: o d be a good 1:121 skilled in persuading men toward
righteousnes i

ul
91
T. .e oboe-Nation that something is wrong, by and large, with

.111
s.
2.
much American preaching.

Dock in 1950, at the Preaching Section of the SAA Convention in
M.) Yo: C1ty, 11.1.1111d H. Lvnn diagnosed "the content of preaching
. shaving sup-- rficiel ideas, hazily understood, weakly
beicl vcd, and (1:3be stated";a1.d found the preacher's delivenV
ind .1" root and dull indirect, because of the lack of vocal naulral-
s as“ and dull, because of monotoro' in voice and

111 end we «cont-.11...”
beadi1action." New, certainly this appraisal is not true of all
pr are to be a growth in the strength

caching, and probably there appe

oz American preachino. Nevertheless, there is still a vast room for
'"provwnt. Since our preachers are largely the product of our
schools and seminal-ms, much of the current status of preaching--
good or 11101111151: lie at the door of the training school.

. 3. The geek—«351011 that the seminary curriculum rests upon a
solid foundation of liberal arts.

amen 3:. Paul said: "I am made all things to all men, that I
night by all means save some" (I Cor. 9:22), he was reasserting from
the point or View of the preacher, something of what Cicero had his
Crassus say. . . No man can be an orator possessed of every
praiseworthy accomplishment, unless he has attained the knowledge of
everything important, and of all liberal arts" (De Orator_i_, i.6.)

. y .

.LD order to 11 each the unknown message of Christ 5 kingdom of

13 tuousncss, Paul had to know the field of knowledge of his
that w 3 unknown to them could be expressed only in terms

 

audi tory.
of their known.
.a tel establ hing this foundation, Weniger lists twelve points

at he considers to be the "minimum desiderata in speech that

covering wh
the seminary may expect the undergraduate college to provide the
prospect' -ve candidate for the ministry";93

'flle student

1.. A sense of the ethical appeal of the preacher.
should be fully aw are of the part that his _e_____thos plays in the
Call it character, if you wish:

acceptance of his message.
the preacher s most potent argument for righteousness is his own

demonstration in life and word.

2. An aoareness that everything he learns and experiences funnels
into the preacher's activities, especially into his sermons.

91:231.. p. 103. 92113111., pp. 103, 104.

931.9: 4_d., P. 1040

4.

10.

173

cher-in-“re‘ning needs catholicity of taste, breadth of

b- “L

t tolerance of ideas. Nothing human can be foreign to

The ability ‘- select and evaluate the materials of the speech.

Cat 01 a tell soorel.ouse, he must choose just those materials--
no more, no less- .111... an are necessary to send home his mess age.

Koala :1-3e of the objectives of public discourse, in the over-all
from... ork. of persuasion as the general ultimate end of preaching.
100:... may sensors have no goal in view. The auditory does not
know what the preacher is driving toward, probably because the
preacher himself does not have in his own mind a clearly con-
ceived purpose for preaching the specific sermon. As a type of

public speaking, the sermon must have a specific and in view.

Knowledge of, a..d the ability to employ, the factors of interest-
ingness. Nothing is more uninteresting than an uninteresting
se1aon, and nothing under heaven more dull than a dull preacher.

A working Imo-wledge of thought organization--logical and
psychological"involving recognition of momentum and climax.
Too many sermons could stop--profitably--at any point in their
horizontal slow motion. Give us sermons that climb, with ever-
widenin, <7 vistas of the relationship bemeen a human being and
other human beings, between a human being and his God, and
congregations will stay awake.

Facility in analyzing the auditory as men in general and as man
in particular, and adequately applying the psychological prin-
ciples of motivation. 'l'ne preacher especially needs to be a
master of the art of persuasion. Himself impelled by a "Woe-is-
unto-oe-if-l-preach-not- the-gospel," he must know the motives

that impel men to choose the way of righteousness.

"1&1 lively sense of communication." The preacher's technique is
cor. rehended in one imperative: "Come now and let us reason
together." His pronouns are not "I, “ but 'you" and "no"; his
preposi tions, not "at” and "too", but "with."

"Full realization of the content of words" at the instant of
delivery, not only in extenpore, 13122017111ch or manuscript
preaching, but also in reading the Scripture, in the hymns, in
the liturgy. I want my preacher to read aloud with intelligence

and imagination.

A body freed from meaningless restraints, and controlled for
meaningful poise and activity during the speaking process.
Tnere needs to be a carry-over from the gymnasium into the
pulpit. 1ne whole body must talk and sincerely interpret the

vocal message.

A vocal mechanism d avoid of hindrances to expression-m trans-
parent a..d pliant medium for conveying thou0 ht and emotion. All

 

we. .

 

174

speech anomalies 5‘ uld be adequately cared for before the

stu der 2: enters tee se1 inary. His speech should be clear,

uac. e1 standable, powerful, resonant, varied, and of reasonably 1
pie ‘ asing quality. Tie habit of well-supported tone should guard {u
1..

11121 forever against he perils of' 'preacher' s sore throat." He i
saould be so conditioned as never to fall into the pit of the
'2‘on (1:33]ch

P

'4
l0
)3

bility adequately to criticize himself. Tempted to over- ,
te the validity of the praise of the comfortable matrons
rly tell him that his sermon was the best they ever

needs to be able to judge himself in the cool
re of retros-pection and, when teachers are no longer
e, to be his own tutor.94

o
E
T (‘0

('1
p
F“ .1

b
(D
f) t1
0?
(v

I

:‘3‘ 5‘
(D

f)

H

(l.

v

D‘

’1
1?
le-‘J
'0
I“:

Weniger asks to what extent the pre-seminaiy student's speech
trair .ing meets these expectations. After pointing out that the
1ecot “and ..ions of the American Association of Theological Schools
leave room for on1y four hours of speech credit, Weniger maintains, in
contrast, that the seminary stu *‘ud-ent should have, as a minimum, four
courses: fund mentals of speech, voice and diction, oral interpretation,
and persuasion, a sequence requiring 10 to 12 semester hours. In
addition to this mirm, he suggests such courses as discussion,
argarenta“ tion 1., radio and television, drama, and semantics. With a minor,
or even a major, in speech, well-tamght, "he would be equipped to enter
into a rew ign study of the area of speech we call preaching, and men
might be saved by 'the foolishness of preaching,' and not lost to this

world and the nex at by foolish preaching."95

A survey of Weniger's writings that have been reviewed in this
chapter reveals:
l. A passion for excellence in Speaking, preaching, and teaching;

and an accompanying disdain for mediocrity.

 

94Ibid., pp. 104, 105. 95Ibid., p. 105.

avdflagfig twaig fl

 

 

3.

175

A concern to share the insights of the discipline of speech with

A particular concern for proper voice culture, pronunciation,
etc.

A deep interest in the science of persuasion, capecially in its
application to the work of the clergy.

An emphasis on the'psychology of Speech, in order to ensure

communication. a

0:}

An en basis on semantics to the extent of producing precision in ‘
the use of words.

A passion for awareness on the part of the preacher that.he may

 

Ii
!

be able to draw from.the resources of life, science, literature,

and art.

1!u§fi;§h.fl.§.im

CHAPTER V
CZLRLSS E. KSNICER'S PUBLIC ADDRESS I

Some rhetoricians and homileticians have been effective public

speakers-~others have not. But‘whatever phiIOSOphy a theorist in any

 

area of communication may hold, he has a distinct advantage if he himself "
is an effective speaker. P
It seems relevant to the objectives of this study to investigate f f

g L

Weniger's public address with the purpose of (l) observing his methods
as a public speaker, and (2) discoverihg whether or not his speaking
reflected his theory as to the relationship of speech and homiletics.

The procedure in this part of the study will include a detailed
rhetorical analysis of a baccalaureate sermon and a commencement address,
and a less detailed study of his most recent formal address. Limited j
attention will be given to his secular addresses and his preaching in I
regular church services. If weniger's public address proves to be in

keeping with his theory, his position as a homiletical theorist.will be

both illustrated and strengthened as a result.

Secular Speeches
First, it seems appropriate to give attention to Weniger's
purely secular public address. It must be borne in.mind thatflWeniger
was not trained in theology, except for some courses taken at the under-
graduate level, and that during his teaching career he stayed close to

the communications field, except for his interest in biblical literature.

177
It would be expected that, although he worked extensively in the field

of homiletics, he would have interests in secular areas; and such was

As was noticed in Chapter 11 Weniger conducted courses in
persuasion for bankers in the vicinity of Napa, California, when he ,
taught at Pacific Union College. '

On transferring to seminary teaching in Washington, D. C., he
became a member of the Civitan Club of Silver Spring, Maryland. Although
he was chaplain of the club for about ten years, his activities were not
confined to religious matters. Available records report speeches at

Civitan organizations in Chamberburg, Pennsylvania, in 1955, 1958, and

 

PM” ‘4; hilt.“

1959; Richmond, Virginia, 1954; Falls Church, Maryland, 1954; Staunton,
Virginia, 1954. Tnese records do not purport to record all such appoint-
ments. The subject matter of the speeches usually had to do with some
fimrican patriot such as Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, or
Estrick Henry. Another pOpular lecture dealt with Washington, D. C.,
under the title "fileshizigton, Capital of the World." Other organizations
availed themselves of his services as a Speaker, such as the Virginia
Real Estate Association, The Homemaker's Club of Dorchester, Maryland,
and Tea District of Colmabia Branch of the National League of Pen Women.
The only available sample of these secular addresses is a stenc-
graphically reported lecture on Patrick Henry. Inasmuch as a study of
this type of address does not contribute materially to the objective of
this dissertation, no attempt will be made at complete reproduction or
criticism. A brief sketch of the address, however, will be given in an

endeavor to capture the flavor of this aspect of Weniger's speaking.

 

1Supra, p. 4.

 

it'll-ill»: [Hm—nine}:

thi

 

178
The Patrick Henry address is based on three complete biographies,
a magazine article, and two works on public address-~Sears, The History;
of Oratory, and Shaw's History of American Oratory. The style of the
address is adapted to the average listener, with stresson intelligibility .
and clarity rather than originality or interpretation. 'An excerpt from
the body of the Speech follows: .

The scene shifts to Williamsburg; the year, 1765. We are in the
House of Burgesses, the capitol of colonial Virginia. .A copy of the
Stamp.Act has just been received by the House. The question is,
Shall Virginia submit to taxation.without representation? There are
two factions: the loyalists believe in submission39the colonial,
“freedomists” object. ‘ 9

It is May 29th; incidentally, the twenty-ninth birthday of
Patrick Henry. During the course of the proceedings, Patrick Henry
moved a series of resolutions, which he had written, the historian
says, on the fly leaf of an old law book. [Among the resolutions is
the following, known as Resolution 5:]

"Resolved, therefore, that the general assembly of this colony
have the sole right and power to lay taxes and impositions upon the
inhabitants of this colony; and that every attempt to vest such
power in any person or persons whatsoever, other than the general
assembly aforesaid, has a manifest tendency to destroy British as
well as American freedom." (Wirt, The Lifgfiof Patrick Henry, p. 63)

It was resolution number 5 that took the bull by the horns. The '
resolutions created bitter Opposition. . . . Jefferson said that the i
debate was "most bloody." ' I

. _ .

It was during his remarks in support of his resolutions that
Patrick Henry made the classic pronouncement: "Caesar had his
Brutus, Charles I his Cromwell, and George III-~(at this point
Speaker Robinson shouted "Treason!") and George 111 may profit by
their example. If this be treason, make the most of it.” It is
this statement that is the sole recorded recollection of the speech.

The resolutions were carried the next day by one vote. Later
Number 5 was expunged, but it was too late. The spark of patriotism
was already kindled, and the fire Spread.2 ;
‘ I

The conclusion of the speech contains thleollowing comments: '4

s- 4*... _

To Patrick Henry we owe (1) the first great agitation in Virginia;
against British usurpation of colonial rights; (2) the conviction in '

 

2Charles B. Weniger, "American Oratory: Patrick Henry" (steno-
graphically reported speech), pp. 7, 8. .

. ng—m' I

 

 

179
America that he colonism should join against British aggression;
(3) the determination of the colonists to fight for their rights,
matching force with force. In him we see a marvelous expression of
the fundamental principles of personal freedom and the integrity of
221.8 indiVicml minu.3
. Certainly Patric!" Henry was the foremost orator of the Revolu-
tion If he had not spoken, what might American revolutionary
history have be en? The implication is clear: When we are guaranteed
free -uo uu 5p ech, let us be sure that we do not misread zur liberty
as freedom from Speech. A great cause demands utterance.

hnether this speech is a fair sample of Weniger‘ s secular

addresses is a question that cannot be answered because of the
unavailability of source material. However, this one speech on Patrick
Henry would lead the present investigator to the tentative conclusion
that, while the secular speeches were interesting and informative, the
baccalaureate an d commencement addresses to be discussed later far
exceeded them in originality and depth. This conclusion would seem to

be in harmor y with Weniger' 5 basic interest in religious topics, in

preaching, and in homiletics.

Preaching:;n Church Seryggg§_

Regarding Weniger's preaching in regular church services, source
materials are also sketchy. His folder of "bulletins,"5 probably very
incomplete, records 23 preaching appointments at church services between
1943 and 1958. Sermons_referred to in his "bulletins" were preached in
Massachusetts, California, Hawaii, Maryland, Washington, Nebraska,
Michigan, New Jersey, and Tennessee.“ Two of the most interesting appointd
ments were Sunday morning worship services at the Tuskegee Institute, 2

K
4
i
I
!

Alabama, in 1956 and again in 1959. _
1

 

31bid., p. 17. 4Ibid., p. 20.

5Weniger files: "Bulletins." ’

180
Available sources include no manuscripts of any of these
sermons. A few sets of notes are available, but they are too highly
abbreviated to permit reconstruction of the sermon. Because of this

aucity of material, no anal ses can be attem ted in this area.
P Y P

Baccalaureate and Commencement Addresses
In contrast to the two preceding areas, the area of baccalaureate
and commencement address has proved very fruitful. The available
sources6 disclose records of six baccalaureate addresses given at the F‘"
following places during the years indicated:

Golden Gate Academy, 1938
Berkeley Parochial School, 1940 ‘ a
Golden Gate Academy, 1943 3 . 5
College of Medical Evangelists (now Loma Linda University), 1952

Madison College (Tennessee), 1956

Pacific Union College, 1957

 

The source records tell of 21 commencement addresses: 3

Pacific Union College, 1940 - {
Mountain View Academy (California), 1943 ' I
Lynwood Academy (California), 1944 '
Fresno Academy (California), 1946

La Sierra College (California), 1947

Lodi Academy (California), 1947

Washington Missionary College (Maryland), 1948

Philadelphia Academy (Pennsylvania), 1949

Avondale College (Australia), 1950 .

Washington Missionary College (Maryland), 1950

Union College (Nebraska), 1951

Southern Missionary College (Tennessee), 1951

Pacific Union College, 1952

Washington Sanitarium School of Nursing (Maryland), 1952

Monterey Bay Academy (California), 1954

Atlantic Union College (Massachusetts), 1955

Union College (Nebraska), 1957

Oakwood College (Alabama), 1959

Washington Missionary College (Maryland), 1959

Southern Missionary College (Tennessee), 1960

Loma Linda University (California), 1964

6weniger files: "Bulletins," "Speeches."

“(4.13 at. .QE 3

181
Weniger reports having given a total of between fifty and sixty
baccalaureate and commencement addresses during his career. This would
indicate that less than half of his total addresses are accounted for in
the available records.

In addition to the strictly baccalaureate and commencement
addresses, there were other formal addresses of a comparable type. This
category includes senior presentation addresses at Pacific Union College
in 1945 and Washington Missionary College in 1960, an honors convocation 1
at Emmanuel Missionary College (now Andrews University) in 1957, and an F
address at a father-and-son banquet at Oakwood College (Alabama) in 1948.

In personal conversation.with this investigator, Weniger has

 

F \d...;.

made it clear that he does not believe commencement addresses and
baccalaureate sermons to be "interchangeable." The baccalaureate
occasion, in his estimation, calls for a sermon--the commencement
ceremony for an address. The sermon includes a biblical foundation and
expository implications. The address, although it may be distinctly
religious in spirit, is tOpical and is not basically an exposition of
scripture.

Although most of these sermons and addresses were given from
very condensed notes, sometimes written on both sides of 4 x 7 sheets of
narrow-ruled paper, it is fortunate that a few have survived in manuscript
form. The principal objective of this chapter will be an analysis of
three of these surviving manuscripts--the first, a baccalaureate sermon
given at the College of Medical Bvangelists (now Loma Linda University)
on June 7, 1952; the second, a commencement address given six days
earlier (June 1) at Pacific Union College; and the third, a commencement

address given at Loma Linda University June 7, 1964. The first two of

182
these speeches will be subjected to the usual criteria of rhetorical
criticism, and all three will be scrutinized for evidence to reveal the
outworking of Weniger's theory regarding the relation of speech and

h miletics.

Beforg_honor
This baccalaureate sermon was given by Weniger at the Pasadena,
California, Civic Auditorium to an audience of approximately three
thousand people. It was a highly formal occasion, with all participants ru'
dressed in academic regalia. His listeners included thegraduating class

of 1952 of the College of Medical Evangelists, members. of the faculty,

 

and guests-many of whom had come from distant parts of the United States i
for the commencement weekend. The sermon was entitled "what Exalteth a
Man,".but was later published under the title Before Honor. The manu-
script presented in this study is that of the published sermon. The
text of. the sermon, arranged in the form of a chronological substance
outline, follows:7 i 2
Introduction
A. Once upon a time there was a college, or it may'have been a
publishing house or a food factory, or perhaps (it was a heapital,
or a mission dispensary; and the president, orit may have been
the manager, or perhaps it was the superintendent, needed an
assistant. In this institution there was an unusually efficient
staff composed of highly capable members. And. each wondered
who would be asked to fill the position, while thinking within

his heart that it was his right and due. Thus a spirit of

 

7Char1es r. Weniger, Before Honor (Mountain View California: .
Pacific Press, 1953), adapted to chronological substance outline form. I

183
rivalry arose, and so sharp was the contention that these staff
members began to discuss among themselves who was best fitted
for the place. Very soon their secret thoughts gave way to
open rancor.

1. Once upon a time, did I say? It happens every day.

“

sody
I. It happened in Jesus' time, and it happened right within the
family circle.
A. Shortly after the transfiguration, you recall, Jesus returned
to Capernaum. While He and His disciples were journeying

through Galilee, Jesus noticed that the disciples were carrying

 

behind Him, conversing in low tones as if to conceal something
from Him. Instead of pressing close about Him, as was their
wont, they hung back and let the Master enter the city in
advance of them. Jesus read their thoughts and.waited for an
opportunity to give the needed instruction. ‘When they reached
the house, He asked, "What was it that ye disputed among your-
selves by the way? But they held their peace: 'for by the way
they had disputed among themselves, who should be the greatest.“
Mark 9:33, 34. For a long time there was silence. They
recalled what Jesus had said: He must go up to Jerusalem.

Their hopes that He was about to set up His kingdom were
kindled anew. Who would have the chief position next to the
Master? Now Peter‘was down at the seaShore. ‘When he returned,
they told him.the Saviour's question. Then one of the disciples
made bold to ask, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of

heaven? "

184

l. The Master had a wonderful way with men. When He wanted to
teach them a lesson, He did not make a profound statement of
abstruse principle in high-sounding words, as the would-be
learned are prone to do. He simply saiduand how astonished
they were at His words, which' ran counter to 'all their think-
ing: "If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last
of all, and servant of all." Verse 35.

B. And as He spoke He saw Lucifer, son of the morning, prototype
of all those--angels and men-"who do not know the law of self-
less ministry. He saw Lucifer standing in the courts of glory,

more beautiful than any other of the angels of God, and heard

 

him say: "I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne
above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the
congregation: . . . I will ascend above the heights of the
clouds; I will be like the Most High. " Isaiah 14:13, 14.

1. And in His own heart Christ was glad that He j'lnade Himself of '
no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and
was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion
as a man, He humbled Himself." Philippians 2:7, 8. "The '
King of Glory stooped low to take hmanity"-’-;The Desire of
§g_e_§_, page 43. i W

C). No, Jesus did not say that the man who desired pre-eminence

. should be endowed with superior talents, that he should be a
profound thinker and a great deer, that he should carry after
his name a string of earned and honorary degrees, that he
should be personable and self-confident, or that he should

belong to the best clubs and move in approved circles. He .

1.

2.

185
simply said: "Hhosoever will be great among'you, let him be
your minister; and whosoever will be chief among you, let him
be your servant: even as the Son of Man came not to be
ministered unto, but to muster." Matthew 20:26-28.

And to clarify the strange truth, He used a simple illustration.
He called a little child to Him, took it upon His knee, folded
it in His arms, and said, "Except ye be converted, and become
as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of
heaven." Matthew 18:3.

Think-of it; if you would become great, you must become

 

childlike. He did not say "childish"; He said ”childlike." i
To be childlike-"you fathers and mothers know-~18 to be t
simple and forgetful of self, to love with absolute confidence,
to trust enough to obey. And these “are the attributes that
heaven values. These are the characteristics of real .
greatness."
But the disciples did not get the lesson, and after two
thousand years we are still slow to grasp the truth.
The mother of John and James coveted for them the most honored
place in the kingdom, and with her are sons actually asked the
Master to let them sit right next to Jesus in His kingdom. And
because they did not understand, and because'we are slow to
understand, Jesus used another illustration in which they were
the actors, and in which you and I may take part It was His last
night with their-the Passover eve--and His last opportunity to
teach them the supremeilesson of life. How He must make a final 5 ~
effort to drive home the lesson that His life had demonstrated for
more than three years.' The disciples set about the table, John

 

 

 

 

F.

1.

186
lying at the place of preferment, at Jesus' right, and Judas
pressing next to Jesus at His left, determined to have the
highest place, if it were possible. For a while the Master
talked. Then He broke bread and shared the cup with them, and
for a little while in their hearts there was a measure of sym-
pathy over what they but dimly comprehended. how much Jesus
wanted to say.‘ But they were not ready. There was a long
silence. The atmosphere was heavy, tense. And then, the
inspired record states, "'lhere was also a strife among them,
which of them should be accounted the greatest. " The discord

grew until the whole group was held in the malevolent grip of

 

{in.hfi’.‘ . _

self-seeking.
‘lhere was yet another reason for the general discussion. The
servant who should have been ready to wash the feet of the
guests was not present. here were pitcher, basin, and towel,
but not one of the disciples, not even John, would stoop to
perform the menial service which was the duty of each and might
have been the privilege of all. With wounded pride, each
waited to be served. The Desire of 5333 has this monmental
sentence: "By their silence they refused to humble themselves."
Them-wonder of wonders-~the lord of heaven and earth, He who I
had left heaven to be born in hunan clay and cradled in a
manger among the lowly beasts that minister to hmnan needs,
stooped down and took a towel and washed the disciples' feet,
epitomizing His whole life of service and illustrating the
foundation principle of the universe.

Someone has said that if the cross had not become the symbol

of Christianity, that symbol would have to be the Mel.

187
Jesus took a towel, fit emblem of the greatness of
humility.
11. But why do we talk about humility-«hat true hunility, whose
counterfeit is but the mask of pride: '

A. It seems hard to understand why we should "mind not high things,
but condescend to men of low estate"--it is much more comfort-
able to consort with those who mount to something in the eyes
of the world. It gives [us prestige.

B. t It is not easy to walk life's highway "in honor preferring one
another"--it is much more satisfying to take the upper seat at
the feast. It is gratifying to be recognized. But it is not
Jesus' way, and thus far we have not done very much about Jesus'
way. 'l‘me humility is not one of the popular virtues of the

_ age in which we live. ‘
111. .What are the uses of genuine humility? Intelligent understanding
may stimulate fulfillment in our lives.

A. First, humility is the key to knowledge and skill. In this
respect the Saviour's word that we must become as little
children is most forceful. For to learn requires the open
heart, the unprejudiced mind, the eagerness, the thirst, of a
little child. Those who would learn mat gaze into the
illimitable reaches of truth with heart and mind "like children's
faces looking up, holding wonder like a cup." lbreover, the
more one learns, the more hunble he becomes, his intellectual
horizon widening as he gains mental altitude.

l. 'lherefore one's humility ought m be in direct proportion to

his knowledge and skill, and the most profound, the most

B.

188
skillful, ought to be the most hlmble. He knows that his
knowledge and skill are only the beginnings of a knowledge
and skill that.eternity itself can never encompass, and he
bows in humility before the challenge of infinity.

There is a simple,‘but astonishing, corollary to this use of
humility. I care not how ultra-scholarly you become, or how
technically proficient-~I care not‘howWwidely you travel or how
vastly you read, you will never find mane, hermit or kitchen
maid, country lad or city urchin, who cannot give you a bit of
worthwhile information or demonstrate some useful skill. No,
you will never find anyone from whom you cannot learn something.
And, moreover, unless you are of the world's few masterminds,
you will always find someone who knows more about your field
thanjyou do. There have been times‘when even a nurse or a
laboratory technician or a pharmacist, if they had dared, or a
salesman or a janitor, if they had been.brave enough, could
have given the doctor or the manager a bit of information that
might.have saved the day. I once heard of a worthy doctor who
with a corps of doctors like him had attended a patient for
several years with indifferent results--there was no measurable
gain. And then a newnurse was put on the case. Shortly the
patient began to mend. General body tone improved. And that
doctor had the grace to say to this unassuming nurse, ”It is no
secret anong us doctors, Kiss Brown, that it is no care of ours
that has worked the change. ‘Hh owe the patient's turn for the
better to your faithful, devoted care." IBlessed.be such grace-
ful humility. That doctor gray. in acknmvledging the worth of

his nurse.

189
1. In the face of this truth, how strange it is that the world
beholds the sorry spectacle of academic snobbishness, or
professional bigotry, of so-cslled scholarly pride and
intolerance of any idea or area of thought that does not fit
into the accustomed groove of experience. ‘
2. God give us the Christian specialist "who sees life steadily
and sees it whole," and than with generous insight understands
the relationship and contribution of his part to that I
glorious whole. his is genuine hlnility.‘
3. It was in his spirit of humility that Solomon prayed: "I am
but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in."
I Kings 3:7. ”And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding
exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that
is on the seashore.: And Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom
of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom
of amt. For he 'was wiser than all men." '1 Kings 4:29-31.
4. It was this spirit of hlanility that made Jeremiah cry: "Ah,
Lord God! behold I cannot speak: for I an, a child." men
the Lord touched his mouth and said, "Behold, I have put My
words in thy mouth. See, Ihave this dq set thee over the
nations and over the kingdom, to root out, and to pull down,
and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant."
Jeremiah l:6, 9, 10. "Before honor is hunility.“
c. Further, the spirit of hunility keeps a manfrom falling. It
is not wise to be over-confident. After all, you may be wrong.
1. Benjnin Franklin was. accustomed to intrOducing his pronounce-

ments with the phrase, "It appears to me," or ”If I as not

2.

'3.

IV.

190
mistaken," and thus he paved the way for a change of mind if
he got further light on the problem. mus he was saved from
the ignominy that falls to the lot of the Opinionated.

A young minister, flushed with pride on the occasion of the
maiden sermon in his new pastorate, strutted with great self-
oonfidence into the pulpit. when. lo. his sermon left him,
and in confusion he had. to quit the pulpit. Whereat the wise
old minister, whohhd retired from the eane‘pnlpit only the
week before, quietly remarked to his fellow worshipers: "If
our young friend had ascended the pulpit as he descended it,
he might have descended as he ascended."

"Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before
a fall." Proverbs'16:18. : 1

All great men are hlmble.

a. The prophet Elisha was never introduced as a person in his own

right, but alqu as the .hdlfl servant of Blijah: this is
"Elisha the son of Shaphat, which poured water on the hands of
Blijsh"--and God honorad‘him with Elijsh's mantle.

John the Baptist, stirring the nation with his message of
repentance, confessed that he was only "the voice of one crying
in the wilderness." lie felt unworthy even to loosen the latchet
of his lord's shoes. "lie must increase," said he, "but I must
decrease." John 3:30. In his heart there was no pride of
position or of accomplishment. John only prepared the way for
his Lord. But "his unselfish joy in the ministry of Christ
presents the highest type of: nobility ever revealed in man"--
the Dalia of Ag“, page 219;. Jesus said, "Among them that are

i

C.

1.

’-2.

I 191 "
born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the
Baptist. " Matthew 11:11.

But of all the sons of man, Moses appears to me to offer the '
most extended and striking example of true humility in sacred
history. I

I

He began the task of leading Israel with complete lack of f
. self-confidence and grew daily in his reliance upon God. And
he was always teachable. Early in his career, when he was ‘I
wearied with the task of Judging Israel, he sat down humbly'at
the feet of his father-in-law--an "in-law," if you please-u"
heard from his lips a bit of sound advice and actually followed
Jathro's counsel: he! delegated authority to "rulers of
thousands, and rulers of hundreds, and rulers of fifties, and
rulers of tens," and shared with them the judment seat. It
was this ability horny to take advice that helped to make the
meekest of men the greatest of the prephets. "There arose not
a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the Lord knew
face to face." Deuteronomy 34:10.

"nae long years passed. 'nle great sin was sinned. Great was
the repentance. But Moses had to be deposed from the office
of leadership. See him in that last hour of his earthly
career, standing before the multitudes, openly announcing his
deposition and confessing his sin--that sin that had cost him
the Promised Land and the privilege of leading his own peOple
across Jordan. And thennclimax of this life of humble
service, of subordination of self to the will of God-«see him

doing what few among the sons of men ever have the grace to do.

I 192
Again in the presence of the salltitudesc-see him introducing
his successor, Joshua, the one who is to take the place that i
Hoses yearns for above every other hunan desire, the one who "
in his stead is to lead Israel in!» the'Promised hand. I tell;
you, my friends, most of :us contrive m be absent from even
attending the ceremolv that installs our successor, much less
A participating in it. See him--this man Maser-taking Joshua's;
hand in his, and looking him straight in the eye as he says: {I
"Be strong and of good courage; for thou shalt bring the {1
children of Israel into the land which I aware unto them; and}
I will be with thee." Deuterononw 31:23. This was that a,
Hoses who "was fitted to take pre-eminenca aniong the great of
the earth, to shine in the courts of its most glorious kings;
dam, and to sway the scepter of its power. His intellectual
greatness distinguishes him above the great men of all ages.
As historian, poet, philosopher, general of armies, and
legislator, he stands without a peer"--l’atriams and
_ 12pm, page 246. i _

D. Humility? Aye, the hunility which exaltath a man. Strength of
intellect and human skill are not incompatible with hlnility.
hility but lends these qualities the greater effulgence.

V. '30:: can we attain this hinility‘t

A. ‘We can pray daily, hourly:

Take as: heart, 0 Father, take it.‘
Malta and keep it all Thine own;
let 1137 Spirit malt and break it,

‘niis proud heart of sin and stone.

B.

’ 193
And He will do "exceeding abundantly above 'all that we ask or
think." Ephesians'3:20.
‘And as we prw, we can consider, like Job, the wonder and the
power and the majesty of the works of God's creation from the
infinite to the infinitesimal. ‘
1. Let us for a few moments focus our mental telescopes upon the ,
infinite. A The earth-Any astronomer friends; tell men-weighs
six sextillion, six hundredquintillion tons-~66 with twenty
zeros. 'llle sun weighs a third of a million' times as much as
does the earth: mo octillion tons--2 with twenty-seven zeros-
In the galaxy that we call our solar system there are at least ;
a billion stars. Our sun is a little less in mass than is the 1
average of our galaxy. Multiply the two octillion tons of our '
sun by one billion, and we find our galaxy to weigh more than
two undecillion tons--2 with thirty-six zeros. With Mount
wilson's lOO-inch telescope, astronomersestimate one hundred
million galaxies. me entire sidereal universe weighs at .
least 200 tredicillion tons-~2 with forty-four zeros. William ;
Beebe, the naturalist, tells a story about Theodore Roosevelt
and himself that points the truth. Says he: "After an evening
talk, perhaps about the fringes of knowledge, or some new
possibility of climbing into the minds'or senses of animals, .

we would go out on the lawn, where we took turns in an amusing:
. 1

. J
little astronomical rite. we searched until we found, with or;
1'

without our glasses, the- faint heavenly spot of light-mist 1’

beyond the lower left-hand corner of the great square of

Pegasus, when one or the other of us would recite:

194
"That is the Spiral Galaxy of Andromeda. .
It is as large as our Milky Hey. i
It is one of a hundred million galaxies.
It is seven hmdred and fifty-thousand light-years way.
It consists of one hundred billion stuns, each one
larger than our sun. '
After an interval, Colonel Roosevelt wouldegrin at me and
say: '80:: I think we are small enough! let's go to bed.""--
W. ed., Willi-s Beebe, page 234.

. 2. Nothing is better calculated to keep us huable than the sight
of things that are great. we need perspective. After all,
we mortals have little in ourselves to make us proud. Bunsn
bodies are pretty much the seas. "The Colonel's Lady an'
Judy O'Grady are sisters under their skins!" I

c.‘ not in this-quest for humility we mt go beyond the contempla-

tion of God's created works to the Creator Himself. He must
see God.

' 1. In the parenthetic preface to Isaiah's vision, recorded in

t the sixth chapter of the book, there is a lesson for you and
me who are thinking our way through the pages of this little
book. In the year that King Uzsiah died, the young Isaiah is
standing in the porch of the temple. And as he gazes within
its glorious portals, the posts of the door are moved, it
‘semas that the sacred veil is lifted, and the prophet looks
beyond into the verycourtsfof heaven, where, says he, "I saw
also the Lord, . . . high and lifted up."" lie catches the

vision and begins to" learn to practice the presence of God.
I I

VI.

195
As he stands, celebrating the sacrmnsnt of silence, clearing
the avenues of his soul of all worldly traffic, he hears the
angels singing, "Holy, holy, holy, is the lord of hosts."
Overwhelmd with the "worthship" of God, he have in adoration,
and cries in confession: Woe is me! for I ma undone;
because I me a man of unclean lips: . . . for mine eyes have
seen the King." he is hlmtled before the King in His beauty.
Imediately there comes the voice of an angel, and it is the
voice of forgiveness: "'nline iniquiq is taken may, and thy
sin purged." No sooner does the prophet hlmlbly acknowledge
his unworthiness before the worthship of God than his sin is
forgiven. But huaility is not a passive virtue--it is active.
It yearns for somedling to do. It is not static; it is
dynmaic. It is not anemic; its blood surges with the desire
for service and grows red in loving ministry. Another voice
, is heard. It is the voice of. the lord, and it is a'voice of
invitation: 'whon shall I send?" Quick comes the prophet's
‘ response of dedication: "Rare In I; send me." Humility seeks
a cause to serve. At once, accepting the prophet's dedica-
tion, the voice of the lord says, "Go," and to the prophet is
given the great Osmium. lhsaility hath her perfect work.
But we are prone to think that the greatness of our service or
the worth of our humility is tested by the position of the one
served or the apparent dignity of the service. It may seem a
great thing to minister to a king or a prime minister or a
merchant prince or a president. he doctor who attends a king,
the nurse who keeps vigil at the bedside of a princess may feel

I96
highly honored. But it may be just as great a thing to minister
to the king's servant or the princess' kitchen boy, or to the
poor Indian outcasts in a Calcutta gutter, or the abandoned leper
in the wilds of New Guinea. For our service is measured not by
the station of the one whom we serve, nor by the nature and
apparent importance of the service rendered, but by the nicety of
the performance, the sincerity of our purpose, and the unselfish
devotion that we put into the his-blast task.

A. Great is the surgeon who by performing a difficult and unusual
piece of surgery, saves a bum life, or the physician of the
body or of the mind who diagnoses the hidden malady and pro-
vides the effective treatment. But equally great in the sight
of heaven may be the quiet, prayerful nurse who sees her
patient through the crisis, the nutritionist who prescribes the
right regimen to rebuild the wasted body, the technician who
.does the necessary laboratory work, or the patient therapist

n. faithfully employs God's natural rmaedies. 9

1. "All service ranks the seas with God. 'lhere is no last or
first." The unselfish motive is all-important. . The Master
said: ."Wh as ye have done it unto one of. the least of
these it brethren, ye have done it unto me." ‘uatthew, 25:40.

3. here is a story of some of the least of these. :1 rode into the

mission hospital on a tractor. that was the only means of travel-
; ing over the eight miles beuveen the diminutive ailrstrip and
that New Guinea mission station. Once there, I smv a leper
?hospital caring for 150 local patients and the lmndreds of out-
patients. lhe hospital buildings were simple struhtures of

 

 

 

a‘ hmgllafijim

 

. p 197 .
. native palm and button and rushes. 'lhere was; a meeting hall
without windows, without furniture. There were two double rows
of huts for the patients, one for each of the: two types of
leprosy treated there, floorless, with the inevitable fire pit
for warmth in the center. There was a laboratory hut with a
dirt floor, about the walls piles of boxes in orderly array
containing medicines and supplies, a simple sort of autoclave,
a microscope, a few instrmaents. There was a surgery adjacent,
the operating table only a board, supported by two wooden
standards. here was. a but used as the out-patient department,
wherein the patients crouched together on the floor about the

fire, with his side rooms for very sick patients, each contain-

—- —— _~-..... _. .
s

ing the semblance of a bed. j.And presiding, over this simple
menage were the superintendent, a male nurse trained in a

“ Christian school of nursing; and experienced in well-equipped 5
government hospitals : two women nln-ses, likewise trained in the g
’ most modern schools and used to excellent modern equipment; and”:

to do locum tenens, as it were, while the nurse-superintendent

 

went on furlough, a Christian doctor who had recently left his I
large city practice and his distinguished urban clientele. Why 5
should they spend month after month ministering to the needs of".
squalid, benighted aborigines, used tousmaaring their miserable
bodies with rancid pig grease and dwelling with the pigs in the
stench of their iilthy huts? Because they smv, submerged in
these rm: natives the image of the lord God, and believed with
all their hearts that hulale ministry" to the. least of men is

ministry to God.

 

1x33 wand-NIH.-

 

198
1. And I could wish no greater blessing than this for doctors

who do not give their lives for foreign service. New and
again take three months away from your practice. Give your
selvices to a needy mission field. It is not my place to
emphasize the wealth of the experience you will gain. Mine
only to promise that you will return to your practice on fire
with intelligent zeal for God's kingdom and inspired by a
broader vision of service.
Conclusion
A. Listen to the tale of Mario and Anselmo. In his Agnnturgs lg
32 Worlds, Dr. Cronin retells it. Perhaps you, remember that
file clever Mario, the son of a well-to-do landowner, and the
not-so-fortunate Anselmo, son of the village cobbler, were
fast friends. Now Mario wanted to be a greatlxp'reacher. One
day, as the two boys drelned together, Mario exclaimed, "I wish
that 1 might have the gift of tongues." Quietly Anselmo
replied: "'1 will pray every day that you may have that gift. "
And so it. can about that Mario entered the abbey for training,
and, soon after, Anselmo bec-ue a lay brother, performing menial
duties in the same monastery. Finally Mario was ordained. As
he rose to preach his inaugural sermon, he spied down below him
the confident eyes of his friend, Anselm. The sermon was a
great success." thrio's' fame grew, with sermons of greater and
greater power, until he became lord bishop and lived in the
grand style. But he seldom thought of his devoted friend, who
so faithfully cared fonhi‘s daily needs. 'nlenfone day,“
Mario preached, he realized that something was 'lacking in his

. 199
message. the sermon was dead. Anselmo was not there. Mario
sent for him, only to ’be told, "He died a quarter of an hour
ago." It was an old priest speaking. Shocked, unbelieving,
he asked tobe takentohim. Theoldmsnledhlmto the bare
cell where Anselmo lay dead, clad in his worn habit. "How did
he pass his tin?" asked Mario. "£17 lord bish'op," replied the
priest, "he served you. find in his little spare time, he fed
the birds from his meager fare, and gave to the beggars at the
palace gate, but most of all he prayed--for you." lurio's
heart was pierced. ‘lhe story tune. as is Md to Rome to
preach in St. Peter's-“and this at the height of his career.
he begins to preach to the comregation, but only trite phrases
fall from his lips. The sermon is a failure. In shame, Mario
quits Rome. Bis physicians advise him to seek his former power ‘
in the quiet of the Pyrenees. But Mario prefers to return to i
the monastery where Anselmo .Ifirst served him. There one day I
the father superior finds him kneeling beside Anselmo's grave.
"Do you prq, w son, that the gift of tongues may be restored
to you?" "No,” it it Herio‘r speaking, “no, 1 ask for a far I
greaterublessing.” And he whispers, 'humility." I'
Greater than all the honors that the world can give will be the ‘I
honor of being received into the heavenly mansions. Christian, I
in his progress through this world, as human tells the story, :
stood on a hill looking far off toward the Delectable Mountains:

. But before he reached Isnanuel's land he had to pass through

the Valley of Humiliation, and there it was that Prudence said;

to him: "It is hard for a man to go down into the Valley of

nmiliation." Before honor comsth hlnility.

 

Elwin-"49 ign

 

200
0. Thus as Browning hashis David say in "Saul"
I ever renew
(With that stoop of the soul which in bending
' upraises. it too)
'lhe submission of men's nothim-perfect to God's
all-complete,
As by each new obeisance in spirit, Inclimb to
. His feet.
D. It is only by traversing the vale of humility that we shall ever
reach the sun-crowned haights of the Ciq of God.

m. ‘lhe structure of the sermn is relatively simple.
me introduction, as indicated in the chronological substance outline,
consists of a hypothetical illustration designed to get attention and to
provide background for the theme. In Brigance's terminology, it is the ~
"illustration or comparison" type of introduction. The illustration is
followed by a transition sentencena device frequently; used by Weniger"? ‘
that connects the introduction with the first part of the body of the ‘
sermon. ‘

There is another possible way of dividing the sermon. ‘nle first
thirteen paragraphs, as arranged in the published text, could all be
considered as introduction; the quotations and illustrations from Jesus
could be considered as the text of the sewn; the question "Why do we
talk about hmaility‘l". could be considered as an apoloy for the topic
and the final part of the introduction. The present investigator prefers 1
the shorter introduction, but Ithe longer one could be defended and I
would make an acceptable structure.

201
As the body cf the sermon has been divided in ’the chronological
substance outline, there are six main divisions. ‘nle f first includes a
series of illustrations and statements from Jesus regarding humility.
The second asks the question "th talk about hunility?" and suggests an
answer. The third asks the question "What are the uses of hmnility?“
and suggests three anuers. the fourth begins with an assertion, "All
great man are hlnble,“ and backs the statement with several illustra-
tions. nae fifth asks "flow can we attain this hlrnility?” and gives
three suggestions as to means to accomplish this objective. The sixth .
begins with a paragraph implying that service is not measured by station
.in life, but by sincerity and devotion, and gives two illustrations-none
hypothetical and one personal. I I I f
The outline of the body of the sermon is geared to persuasion in
that it seeks for attention through illustration, ”it poses problems
("that are the uses of hlmlility‘t" an'd 'fiow do we attain hunility‘l"), and I

it suggests solutions to these'problems. It incites action by suggest- I

V-
h~-‘.‘

ing that only the hlnble will be great, and in suggesting the challenge
of mission service. I I.

The conclusion is very clear-cut, consisting of three illustra- I
tions of a classical type and ending with a restatement of the theme. I
The slmery is informal and subtle, the motivation being implicit rather
than explicit. I . '

One device used by Weniger at least fourteen times in the sermon
is the "incidental application,” or "incidental cement," or "conclusion. "
These all fit the same general pattern, and are different only in manner
of expression. After citing an illustration or an example, or after

making an assertion, the speaker introduces a brief statement climbing _

202

the idea. In the cases of incidental applications or consents, these

statements might logically be in parentheses. In the case of conclusions,§

the statemnt might begin with the word "therefore." These statemnts
do not appear as being didactic or homiletical, but. rather give a "light
touch" that reminds the listener. of the recurring variations of the
theme of a symphony. " ' .

'nle theme of his sermon seems" completely clear, is reflected in
every illustration, every assertion, and every division, and is sum-
marized in the closing sentence. mire are no digressions.

Some aspects of the organization of the sermon suggest Monroe's
lbtivated Sequence, which is a favorite speech pattern of Weniger's.
his sermon resembles the adaptation of the motivated sequence charted
by Monroe under the heading "To StimlateJ'B The general end of this
sermon is stimulation, the reaction sought is inspiration to Christian
humility, attention is drawn by illustration and biblical passages, a
feeling of need is aroused, and solutions are suggested in the questions"
asked and. mud in the body of the speech. The Visualization Step 1.
very pronounced in Weniger's recital of his New Guinea experience and
his narration of Mario and Anselmo. The Action Step is included in the
m incidental applications, and in the final appeal for hunility.9

Pegsonal pmf. here are ‘no direct statemnts that could be
classified as personal proof in this sermon, the nearest approach being
Weniger's story of his experience at a mission hospital in New Guinea.
‘Ihe personal proof factor in this story is indirect, as the speaker's

 

. 8A. ll. lbnroe, Pr nci I o S h (New York: Scott,
Poresmsn, 1935-1962), p. 320, fourth edition.
9

The organizational pattern of this sermon cane through well in
actual delivery, as recalled by this investigator.

I
I
I
I
I
I
I

. 203
intent may be assuned to be to glorify the missionary physicians and
nurses who were operating the hospital rather than to add to his own
2229.-

‘nle personal proof in this sermon is built on implications and
inferences. ‘nla choice of the subjectnhlnilityudemands that the
speaker himself he hunble, recognizing “the worth of people of lower
social and professional status thul himself. It is the opinion of this I
investigator that those who knew fleniger had no doubtsiof his outlined-I
tions in this regard. I

Probably the major factor of personal proof in this sermon has
to do with the choice of evidence: (1) the generous use of biblical
illustrations would ingratiate the speaker to the majority of a
conservative Christian audience, (2) the use of classical illustrations
would reach the more sophisticated members of an audience that included
a large percentage of highly educated people, and (3) the effective use
of personal experience would enhance the speaker in the minds of all
levels of his hearers.1o .

Clear, reasoning always tends to influence an educated audience
in favor of a‘ speaker”. while this. sermon was intended to be persuasive
rather than informative, the large nunber of exanples and illustrations

produce a feeling that the speaker's viewpoint is well substantiated.

 

f

. 10This statement, and others regarding the nature and responses
of the audience at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, are based on a rather
intimate knowledge on the part of this investigator of the College of
Medical Evangelists (now Loma Linda University) and its clientele. For
eight years this investigator was a member of the faculty of this
institution, for three years a member of the Board of Trustees, and for
fifteen years an observer of Adventist organizations and audiences in
Southern California. Also, as previously mentioned, the present investi-
gator was in the congregation at Pasadena. It is granted, however, that
asslnptions are involved in these attempts at audienceannalysis.

, 204
These examples and illustrations were chosen from sources that were
respected by the audience-"for sample: the Bible, familiar religious
literature, and mission experience. Unprovabls assertions and unsound
inferences that would prejudice intelligent hearers seem to be absent
from the sermon.

, he gm of the speaker is enhanced by an arrangement of
material that is easy to follow. The frequent repetition of the theme
leaves no room for uncertainty as to his meaning; and such devices as
the opening paragraph and the closing sentence help produce "c losure" in
the mind of; the listener, which increases his adniration of the speaker.

be simple style of the sermon and its drastic appeal helped
inspire appreciation for the speaker. This investigator recalls clearly
the obvious sympadtetic attitude of the audience and the many expressions
of appreciation following the address.

In addition, the speaker had an established reputation for
competence, character, and good will. lie. was given no introduction and I
he needed none. There were, no doubt, hundreds of his former students
in the audience, plus hundreds more who had known and «hired him for
years. he very fact that he had been invited to come from Washington
as the speaker on this occasion added. to his 9599;.

It would not be correct to ”It“, however, that his ethical
appeal was unanimously appreciated. If there was in the audience an
atheist with no religious interests, a materialist with no cultural or
' esthetic appreciation, or a person who had become disillusioned with
hunanitarianism, Weniger's ethical appeal to such persons would probably
be negative. Weniger's meticulous precision and carefully turned phrases
might have seemed stilted and Victorian to some of his listeners.

r

205
Weniger obviously had strong ethical appeal for the majority of the
audience at Pasadena Civic Auditoriu, June 7, 1952; but it is not easy
to imagine him establishing rapport from the rear platform of a
political campaign train! lie was, as'has been mentioned, a popular
speaker at a certain type of secular occasion; but his ethical appeal
was always that of the idealist. N
‘ Materials of Lape- rience. It is in this area that weniger's

sermn, in the opinion of this investigator, is richest. The purpose of ;
the sermon is not to inform but'to persuade. lhe speaker is dealing with 5'

A . , I
two great huaan motives that are often in conflict with each other-.. :

pride and altruism. He recognises, on the one hand, that pride of
possessions and accomplishents is a’ strong hmanodrive, but that 3
huility, expressing itself in altruism, may be an equally strong motive“!
He is addressing a class of graduates in medicine. Probably ’1!
there is no profession where the conflicting pulls of pride and altruism
are so great. because the status of the profession begets pride and the
demands of the profession suggest altruism.11 ’Heniger's self -appointed If
objective was to point out the values of hmnility and altruism to these‘
graduates who were feeling the impact of thesetensions. Materials of f
experience, motive appeals, and suggestion had to be used. no mere
recital of facts could meet this deeply hunsn problmn, and a head-on
approach to the problem would 1.... resulted in closed minds.

keniger chose to demnstrate that huility results in true honor.
His method was to present quotation after quotation, illustration after .

illustration. lhese materials are not strung together like a string of

 

nThis investigator taught practically all of the students in
the graduating class in medicine to whom Heniger was speaking, and can
speak from personal observation concerning the reality of these tensions.

 

r‘

5.311,
P
III
a... f. .. ,

 

- 206
beads, but are arranged in a form intended to heve a cumulative emotional
impact on the hearers. base materials include: (1) biblical narratives,
(2) stories of connendable htnility on the part of professional people,
(3) illustrations suggesting reasons for humility, (4) a personal illus-
tration, (5) classical illustrations. this variety of. materials of
experience constitutes a network of persuasive materials, all geared to
the seas and, but adapted to differing backgrounds and interests.

‘lhere is little or no negative suggestion in the address. Never
are the graduates told that they must not be proud and selfish. It is
rather suggested to them, largely through indirection, that the better
wq of life is the way of hmnility and altruism.

All four classifications of materials of experience are employed.
Motive appeals are limited, as stated above, to the tension bemveen ‘
pride and altruism. Attention is secured through illustration, style,
tone of voice, personal proof, and organisation. Suggestion is employed 3
by identifying with the "heroes" of the sermon-Jesus, Moses, a Christian;
physician in New Guinea, Mario and Anselmo. Application results from 1
the subtle thrust of short quotations, proverbs, and aphorisms.

The speaker's objective was to appeal to the 'heart" with
materials that would not be offensive to the ”head." For this reason,
materials of experience and materials of development are difficult to
separate. Even the materials of develOpamnt were designed to appeal to
certain motives; so, in a sense, they too were materials of experience.

‘ MW. Veniger makes a liberal use of the
materials «moon to all speaking. Examples are used liberally, and
include both instances and illustrations. Narratives are used effectively
at several points in the address. Statistics are used :in one instance

3

 

’5-"

l--w/ -KVI‘

 

5207 2/

f

.’

for the purpose of providing an example. Quotations are numerous, most
of which are selections from the Bible. As to materials created'by the
speaker, Weniger nukes occasional use of repetition, restatement, and
contrast.‘ These devices, however, are not prominent in this sermon.

The logical pattern of the speech is fitted to the objectives.
me speaker sets out to demonstrate the truth of the assertion ”Before
honor is hunility." unis proposition hardly adapts itself to syllogistic
proof because it is in the area of axiology. The procedure, therefore,
is largely inductive. . Weniger multiplies cases, illustrations, examples,
and quotations'with the design that the listener, after hearing this
array of evidence, will decide that, despite the tendencies of a status-
conscious culture, humility Q9”. come'before honor. the examples are
plentiful and typical, and the quotations are from sources highly
regarded by a conservative Christian audience. However, a listener
might argue that huility is a hindrance to securing honor in our
culture. The speaker makes little attempt to refute such possible
negative reactions, but a baccalaureate sermon is usually not considered
an occasion for polemics.

As to the logical adequacy of the sermon, it is self-evident
that there is no digression from.the theme. The argument is internally
consistent, but might be considered by some to lack relevance in a
materialistic culture. ‘As to reliability of sources, the answer depends
on the viewpoint of the listener-~if there*were those in the audience
who did not accept the authority of the Bible, the principal source
would be without credibility. Bowery", weniger assured the authority of
the Bible; and he knew that this asstmption was shared by most of his

listeners.

I

g - ,

 

i

298

This sermon is definitely a speech of fadvocacy, intended to
produce or strengthen a viewpoint. Realizing the tendency toward self-
sufficiency on fie part of young medical school graduates, he. endeavored
to confront them wifi enough evidences of the importance of hunility to
cause them to embrace the speaker's vimrpoint. Be avoided, howaver,
appeals for inediate action.

£52.11.- In the opinion of this investigator, much of the
strength of Weniger's public address resides in his style. It is, at
least, a plausible theory that Weniger's style has been influenced by
his background as a student of Hebrew poetry. Having sufiored a thesis
on the four orations of Deuteronouy and a comentary article on the
Book of Psalms, and having tmght biblical literature for years, he is
well versed in the Hebrew poetic pattern of parallelism. lie has
developed skill in oral interpretation of Old “Bast-sent poetry, and
often his interpretation resembles that of a Hebrew cantor in a syna-
gogue service.

It my be fiat this deep sensitiveness for poetry has influenced
his prose, and has some bearing on his choice of words and his fine
sense of balance in parallel constructions. His subtle rhythmic touch
may bear some relationship to this profound appreciation of the poetic
form in which such of fie Bible is written.

‘firoughout fie sermon, clarity is prominent--to precast the
sentences in fewer or better words is usually not easy. The simplicity
of fie speaker's style is reflected in a ample word count revealing
that 902 of his words are of one or two syllables. Sentence structure
and arrangement also contribute to fiis clarity.

With few exceptions, fiere is instant intelligibility in terms
of oral presentation. Excellent diction enhances this effect in fie

' 209
actual public speaking situation. Porcefulness is produced by crispness
of style, significance of ideas, personal m and quiet dignity.
Vividness is attained, especially in the narrative portions of the
address, by recital of detail in a style fiat produces images in the
minds of fie hearers. The words are concrete and expressive and do not
obscure fie fiought. Word pictures are' painted in delicate hues--fiere
are no glaring colors.

There is a flowing style in fiis sermon, produced in part by
skillful use of emotive words and phrases and fie absence of abrupt
halts or mvkward pauses. Part of this is due to logic and arrangement,
but not a little of the effect stems from style.

Variety of sentence structure is marked. There are many short,
simple sentences, especially in the narrative portions of the speech.
‘lhere are many compound sentences, divided into phrases fiat "speak"
well. here are periodic sentences, leading to climactic statements.
here are few sentences of the complex type, and no dangling phrases or :
clauses. Figures of speech are chosen with good tastes-fiey are not ‘
mnerous, but they give color to the address. here seems to be a
”built-in" beauty fiat makes it possible to read and reread fie sermon
with growing appreciation. i

!

"Pitfalls"

Just six days before fie foregoing baccalaureate sermon was
delivered, Heniger presented a comenmnt address entitled "Pitfalls"
at Pacific Union College. A chronological substance outline of this
address follows:12 7

A._ - L
3

12Charles B. 'Heniger', "Pitfalls" (unpublished manuscript from
Weniger files). i - 9

l

 

”Wm- .

 

fi‘s up no .r [N‘hlfli‘ b. Ifll‘t N.

' 210

Introduction

A. Today is not the end. This is Comencement. To you seniors

C.

who are weary wifi exmninations and term papers, laboratory
experiments, and shOp assigmaents, this may'not be a refreshing
idea. To be told fiat you are about to begin again may be a
bit disconcerting. To some of. you, I fancy, nothing could seem
more desirable fian to recline. in a sort of sardonic glee before
a closed book, or to samter wifi supercilious mien past a fast
bolted laboratory door. Neverfieless, I say, this is not fie
and, seniors. You are but,comencing to travel on a new way,
and fiat way is beset with pitfalls.

You have asked me to speak a word as you comence your journey.

In a matter of minutes you and I shall be fellow alumi. Just

a third of a century ago, I, too, walked down these aisles,

climbed fiis platform, and received from the hands of
President Irwin my Bachelor's sheepskin. On that day Pacific
Union College was only half its present age. Today I look back
and seem to span fie years. It is not hard to do when I see
one moong the graduates whose fafier and mofiar, also sitting
in fie audience, took fieir degrees in fiis chapel, .and whose
grandfafier, also present today, had his counencement at old
flealdsburg College, fie predecessor of Pacific Union.

So, I exercise w prerogative as an alumna, and essay to give
you a bit of advice, reserving a word of counsel for your

elders toward the close of up remarks. There are pitfalls
ahead. now can you avoid them? What are fiey?

l. Perhaps the deepest of fiese pitfalls is fist of mental laziness.

You have learned a few facts, and applied a few'principles. The

4
I

7‘s!

III-'1' . ..

 

fi—F '-r

 

211
world of knowledge and of skill still lies before you. The chief
peril of life is not fiat it shall be vicious, but fiat it shall
be vacant; not fiat it shall be sinister, but that it shall be
shallow. Before fie Christian student there is a pafi of con-
tinual advancement firough a world of endless horizons. 'You are
planning to follow a score of professions and vocations, not the
least of which is fist of homemaking. Your success will be
largely proportional to your continued mental activity reinforced
by your spiritual experience. '

A. Some of you will be doctors of medicine. Of course you will
not fall into fie pit of mental laziness for fie next four years.
If you do, you will smmnarily fall out of the medical school.
But what of it after you have gained your medical degree? Shall
you continue to study?

1. The elder Mayo insisted that his sons, no matter how busy or
tired they were, or how many calls fiey had to make, should
give at least an hour a day to reading and study. Thus
Doctor Hill formed a habit fiat he never lost. All his days
he kept careful account of his reading time, with unavoidable ,
debits recorded to be paid up in full, and no record of credits!
in advance. . ‘

2. Said Sir William Osler, one of medicine's patron saints:

Five years, at least, of trial await fie man after part-
ing from his teachers, and entering upon an independent
course-"years upon which his future depends. . . . Wifi-
out any strong natural propensity to study, he may feel
such a relief after graduation fiat the effort to take to
books is beyond his mental strength, and a weekly journal
with an occasional textbook furnish pabulum enough, at
least to keep his mind from hibernating. ‘ But ten years

later he is dead mentally, past any pos‘sible hope of
galvanizing into life as a student, fitto do a routine

212

practice, often, a capable, resourceful run, but without
any deep convictions.

B. Many of you will be preachers. ‘ All of you are called to give a
reason for the hope that is in you. Upon all of you-~and upon
ministers especially-erests the responsibility of continued
study. here is nothing worse fian a dull preacher, and dull-
ness is often the result of mental laziness. ."Study to show
thyself approved." '

1. Last sums: I descended from the bright sunshine of the Roman
Forum by way of a medieval staircase into fie lowest level of I
the Mamertine Prison (not firough the two holes in the ceiling
firough which prisoners were firown down into fie horrible
cell). It was here fiat Paul probably wrote his second letter'
to young Timothy. In that dank, dark cell Ithought of his '
request to his protége. Paul is old and weary; he is sick'
and cold. Hence he writes: ' "The cloke fiat I left at Troas
wifi Carpus, when thou comest, bring with thee." lbre
important fisn physical comfort, his mind malt be warmed with
study; and he adds: "and fie books, but especially fie ‘
parclmmnts." mink of it: "Ila is inspired, and yet he wants

. books.‘ he has been preaching at least for thirty years, and
yet he wants books." He has seen fie Lord, and yet he wants
books! He has written the major part of theINew Testmnent,
and yet he wants books!" Paul is not ashamed to acknowledge
his need of books. 'nreschol'ars of fie New Testament mat

' continue to feed his mind till the end. I”

- 7' 2. Nearly fifteen hundred years later another man languishes in

a prison cell in a norfiern clime. Winter is approaching, and

I

213
it is not warm then in Belgian. Hear William 'lyndale's own
words as he addresses his superior:

I believe, right worshipful, fiat you are not ignorant
of what has been determined concerning me . . .;
therefore I entreat your lordship and that by the Lord
Jesus, fiat if I am to remain here . . . .during fie
winter, you will request the Procureur .to be kind enough
to send me from my goods which he has in his possession,
a warmer cap, for I suffer extremely from cold in the
head, being afflicted with a perpetual 'catarrh, which is
considerably increased in this cell. A warmer coat also,
for fiat which I have is very fiin: also a piece of
clofi to patchomy leggings: w overcoat is worn out; up
shirts are also worn out. He has a woolen shirt of mine,
if he will be kind enough to send it. I have also wifi
him leggings of fiicker cloth for putting on above; he
also has warmer caps for wearing at night, I wish also
his permission to have a lmnp in the evening, for it is
wearisome to sit alone in the dark. But above all, I
entreat and beseech your clemency to be urgent wifi the
Procureur that he may kindly permit me to have av Hebrew
Bible, Hebrew Cranmer, and Hebrmv Dictionary, fiat I ma
spend so time with study.

Like Paul, Mdale too is cold. He is ill. The cell is
’ dark. But more necessary than fiese comforts. he too would
feed his mind. lbre inortant fian clofiing and light are
his Hebrew Bible, his, grm-ar, his dictionary. Tyndale also
must study. ‘ .

'3. A lady once called at fie home of one of my friends. He was

. in his stuchr. His gentle wife apologized for his absence
from fie living room by saying that he was staying.
"Studying?" case the quick retort. "swaying: .th I thought
he had finished his education.” Seniors, if you have finished
your education, you are already on the edge of the pitfall of
mental laziness. I E.

II. Hear fiis pitfall, and just as deep, is fie pitfall of pride--
pride of learning, pride of position, pride of accomplishment.

I
I
I
I

'214

And great is fie crash when a man falls into that. For "pride

goefi before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.”

If you would avoid fiis pitfall, you least be filled wifi fie

grace of huility, which is bofi fie beginning and the end of

fie education process.

A. The late Governor Stone of Hississippi rammnbered wifi grati-

tude-mot mixed with shams--fie first lesson he learned
concerning the prop'er way to deal with fie public. No farmers
cans to a little railway station in Iuka, where Stone was
holding forfi as agent, to ask a few questions concerning a
freight shipmnt. Agent Stone, extremely busy and important in
his own eyes, grew weary of their queries, and answered fiem
sharply and inpatiently. when fie two farmers finally turned
away from the window, still a bit puzzled and dissatisfied,
Stone overheard one remark to the ofier: "That's always fie

way--fie littler fie station the bigger fie agent." Conversely,

l.

2.

fie'greater fie position, fie more hmmlle fie man.

Huility is hard in learn; even the Hester had a difficult time

teaching it. >
One day His disciples were disputing muong fiemselvea as to
who should be the greatest in His kingdom. 'You remember His
answer-"so simple but so hard to understand-~"If any man
desire to be first, fie smae shall be fie last of all and fie
servant of all."
But fiey did not understand; and on anofier occasion, He
called a little child, took it upon an knee, and said:
"Except ye . '. become as little children, ye shall not enter
fie kingdom of heaven. "

1| Igaljajfi

3.

-4o

0.

. 215
line lesson still unloarned, on His last night wifi them,
Christ tried again to teach it. You runenber fiat no one of
then was willing to perform the menial service of washing fie
feet. ‘men Jesus, Lord" of heaven and earth,’ took a towel,
stooped down and performed the task, as if to epitomize His
life of lnnble service.

For two fiousand years we have tried, indifferently, to learn
fiat lesson, not realizing fiat true humility is fie key to
knowledge and skill. For you cannot learn wifiout an open
heart and the eager thirst or a little child. And 1: follows
‘ fiat fie more you learn, fie more you canzrlearn. Hvery idea
driven into your brain is enofiu peg on which you may hang
anofier idea. "Deep calleth unto deep," and "unto him fiat
hath shall be given," but from the proud' shall be taken away
even fiat which he hafi. '1 ,
Hhen Solomon prqed, "I_’ am a... a nun child: 1 know not how
to go out or come in," God answered: "In I have given thee a
wise and an understanding heart; so fiat 'fiere was none like
fiee before thee, neither after fiee shall any arise like unto ;
fiee." "And Solomon's wisdom excelled thewisdom of all the ‘5
children'of fie east country, and all fie wisdom of Egypt. For ,i
he was wiser fian all nan." ’
Further, true hunility gives a holy boldness. Of John fie
Baptist, who considered himelf uncorfi even to unloose the

latchet of his Haster's shoes, it is said: 'He could stand

erect and fearless in the presence of'earfily monarchs, because

he had bowed low before fie Rim of Kings." Such humility you

N- ‘—
W“.

1|M§3..11JJ411H an

 

III.

216

cannot put on like a cloak-1ou must plant its seed in fie

heart, and let them take root and grow.

Near the pitfall of pride, and not infrequently connected with it,

is fie pitfall of intolerance-~intolerance of new ideas, of new

methods, of anyfiing fiat does not fit into fie accustomed groove

of your fiinking and acting.

A. And strange as it may seen, fie so-called educated man--fie

l.

scholar--is especially susceptible to falling into fiis pit.
‘fie lost highly educated person ought to be the most under-
standing. His breadth of knowledge ought to make him not only
fie nost tolerant but also fie lost magnaninous of men. But it
does not always work that way, and the world beholds fie sorry ‘
spectacle of academic intolerance. Of all types of intolerance,

none can be worse fian fiis.

V

No one can be more despicable fian fie academic snob-~be he

' A.H. , 3.8. , A.H. , “.0. , or Ph.D.--who acorns every area of

husan knowledge save his own, not realizing that his bigotry
is a confession of ignorance of every ofier field. Intensive :
study of one field has blinded his eyes so fiat other fields
simply do not exist. Not strange, than, when he sits as an

administrator, or works as a' comittee member, fiat the wheels

. of progress grind to a stop. His academic one-track mind is

closed to fie entrance of every new idea, and institutions

remain as they were "since fie fafiers fell asleep.“

2. After pondering fie reason for fiis, I have concluded fiat

fie chief reason lies at fie door of too early specialization.
nae scholar needs. to gain a rounded view of Ilife as a whole

3

3.

217

before he intensifies study in nu chosen field. mo and
fien only can he relate his, special interest to fie whole

scope of knowledge- God give us fie specialist who ”sees life '

4

steadily and sees it whole,” and fien wifi real insight under- 1

stands fie relationship and contribution of his part to fiat

glorious whola.
Hell would it be, on fiis Col-mncemnt Day, if each senior

would take wifi Hippocrates Jr. the'fioyalty oafi for
scholars. " 1 am: it in a recent issue of my mm:

It shall be unto II as law that in conversation with
students or colleagues, I shall never by word or look
imply scorn for any intellectual enterprise foreign to
mine, viz.: If a man,- of science, I shall not dismiss fie
hunanities as vague, inspirational subjects; and if a
hunenist, I shall not despise openly nor in aw heart fie
natural sciences as mechanical. fire, in all av waking
moments I shall judge every person, known or unknown,
for what he individually is or seems, and refrain from
classing and Judging him by his vocation, and inferring
the unknown from the half-perceived.

loyalty to fiis oath would deliver you from the pitfalls of

intolerance.

3. Open your hearts, fien, to all fiat is. trufi.

l.

2.

You scientists, complement your study in your specific fields

1

I

i

wifi excursions into the world of the arts and philosophy and

literature. Only then will you gain an adequate realization
of fie significance of fie material. lien is more fian a
brain-ohe has a heart. be brain may understand, but only

fie heart interprets.
You who love poetry and music and art in its mied forms,

seek to appreciate fie world of science aromd you. here is

sufficient beauty'in true science to stir the emotions of any

I
J
I
I

218

student who sees. in fie operation of nature's laws fie reve-

lation of fie divine. Euclid-and Huclid was a mafiematician-

”Euclid alone has looked on beauw bare.”

3. And you who are theologians-what shall I say to you? You go
forfi to divide fie Word of 'l‘rufi to fie saving of men's
souls. '

a. The greatest Christian preacher, fie one determined to know
nofiing save Christ and Him crucified, declared fist he
'hust be all fiings to all men fiat by all means he might

' save some."

b. Surely, if any of you, Class of 1952, should pray for
tolerance of mind, magnanimity of spirit, it is you
ministers-to-be. The world is your parish. All fieology,
all experience, all art, all science, all poetry, all trufi
met be poured into your hOpper, to make you living sermons,
known and read of .11 men, fiat by all means you might have?
some. Of all man you need to be fie most magnanimous.

c. And when your largeness of heart shows fiat you are wrong,
you should be willing to change your mind; in fie words of
Ben Franklin, if you please, to “abate a little of your own!
infallibility.” 'Doo many fof us are like fie doughty Scotché
man who prayed: "O Lord, make me always right because I A
change so hard." ‘ f . I

O. And, all of you, doonot despise work-1nd,‘:Mmst, hard manual
‘ ' labor. Paul was a tent maker. Jesus was a' carpenter. '
5 :v. sun anofier pitfall that '1 would warn you against on fiis

‘ Moment Day is the pitfall of what 1 mllécall

6
;

 

 

A.

B.

219 ‘

"institutionalism." Its characteristics are organization,
propaganda, goals, methods, devices, techniques, processes--
things all very good in themselves, but stifling when fiey become?
ends in fiemselxies rafier fian means to an end.i

Hhen Albert Schweitzer, considered by many as. fie greatest man

of this wentieth century, quit Strasbourg to serve God and

: hmanity in French Equatorial Africa, he did not take a lavish

equipment With him. He chose a place wherei’fiere was no doctor?

. within a radius of 500 miles. He and his bride began by white-:

washing a partly roofed, abandoned hen house; ~ and there the
doctor performed his first operation. Before: long, fie tom-
toms spread fie message firough fie jungle of Q fie white medicine
man who would kill a :native (at least, fiat was what anesthesia
looked like to fie natives from fieir treetop' amphifieater),
cut him open, saw him up, and'bring him back to life wifi no
more pain in his stomach. And Dr. Schweitzerg's work was a '

success from the beginning. But his greatness was not based on

‘an institution, or organization, or mere techniques; it was the
- spirit in his great heart fiat lifted him above mediocrity and

placed him high muong the greatest of philosophers, theologians,

philanfiropists, and, yes, of musicians.
Hzekiel' s vision is a magnificent picture of wheels wifiin

wheels in a blaze of Icolor, all enmeshed and moving in perfect

rhythm beneafi the firone of God. But fie significance of fie
'vision lies not in the wheels but in fie spirit of life which

was in fie wheels. "Hot byjmight, nor by.;power, but by my

. ' spirit," saifi fie bond. Ohly as the institution, fie

“‘~ w‘----hu «‘ - -.- -p~._

 

1 in... H
V".

.. Tl.

220
organization, the technique is invested with the Spirit of God

can it succeed. Beware of fie pitfall of "institutionalism."

V. 'Ihere is yet anofier pitfall of which I must warn you--

A.

forge tfu lness .

l.

2.,

3.

’0.

"Not to remember the past," said Cicero, "is to remain forever
a child."

Not to know fie lessons of courage, of firift, of lofty faifi
fiat fie lives of fie founding fafiers of Facific Union CollegeE
have taught is to begin back where they began; to know the past?
is to provide for yourselves a vantage ground of understanding
from which you may carry on. ,‘Ve have nofiing to fear for the i
future," says fie one who approved fiis site more fian forty I
years ago, "except as we shall forget fie way.fie Lord has led ‘
us, and His teaching in our past history." l; '

There was a day-"not too many decades ago-fi-when your fathers ;
and mothers studied in these halls by fie light of kerosene
lamps and at eventide warmed cold peanut butter sandwiches
over those same lamps. :

There was a day when, on Friday afternoon, the college men
built a fire on fie ground under an ordinary water tank and
retired to fie old swiming pool to take fie weekly befi.
There was a day when you did not enter the tua-room library,
but if you really needed a reference book, you asked for it
firough a sort of little wicket gate and respectfully waited
"until an untrained so-called librarian handed it to you.

‘lhere was a day when you did your laboratory work-dwhat little
you did--in what he'd been the public bar of a manner resort.

 

 

 

 

5.

6.

221
That was fie day when President C. Halter Irwin, assisted by
his far-visioned faculty, 'hvifi fsifi in his, heart and a pick-
ers in his hand carved a college out of a mountain. "
That was fie day when President and Mrs. Irwin drew only
enough of fieir monfily salaries to provide the mere

essentials of personal existence-«he bulk fiey left in the

‘ college till to pay fie current operating expenses.

7.

The factor fiat made fiat day great was not buildings,

laboratories, or natural facilities--it was fie consecration

‘ of mew-Newton, Hashburn, Faulin, Hibbard, Rina; fie Peeps,

the Hobbinses, fie wolfkills; Hrs. McKibbep,‘ Miss Andre,
Hrs. Osborne, and fie other giants in the land-«sen and woman
moved by faifi in God and the ideals of Christian education. 1
mt day is gone.. may sowed. We have reaped. Look about
you and see "what God hafi wrought" firough them and the
widening line fist has followed. Rusembcr yjeur heritage.
For the memory of the trials, the hardships, fie courage, fie | '

. hard work, fie ideals of fiose days will prompt devotion to

Conclusion

fiem, actively manifested in reconsecration. Thus in you fie t‘
light of Christian education will not perish from fie earfi,
as you hasten the day when fie knowledge of fie Lord shall

cover fie earfi as the waters cover the see. No, we are not
to live in the past, but knowing the past helps us to inter-

pret fie present and plan the future.

A. How, a parenfiesis for you who have come to do honor to fie

graduates.

l.

2.

222

These seniors are energeticnkill not fieir energy. They are
afire with high endeavor--quench not the flame. They are see-
ing visions and dressing dreams--dim not fie vision.

Let not young souls be smothered out before

They do quaint deeds and fully flaunt their pride.

It is fie world‘s one crime, its babes grow dull,

Its poor are ox-like, limp and leaden-eyed.

Not that fiey starve, but starve so dreamlessly;

Hot fiat they saw, but fiat fiey seldom reap;

Not fiat they serve, but have no god to serve;

Not fiat fiey die, but fiat fiey die like sheep.
'fie time may come when fiey will take your places. Why not
prepare fiem now to carry on your task? If we are guilty of
one ahinistrative sin above another, it is fiat we do not

train our successors, and when one of us shuffles off fiis

 

mortal coil, fie man who follows him cannot stand where his
predecessor left off, but must cover fie same ground. No one
has evaluated the mere economic waste in this custom, not to
speak of fie years .of spiritual growfi lost in fie process.
Friends, give these graduates a chance, to achieve for God.
Hental laziness, pride, intolerance, institutionalism, forget-
fulness--how shall you, seniors of 1952, avoid these pitfalls?
Your college has pointed out one way. What is it? In his
just-off-fie-press book entitled W
Dr. Buttrick condemns much fist is called modern education--
what he calls fie deification of fie attitude of suspended .
qument, fie cult of objective study, and so ‘03--“ concludes:

If God is fie sovereign act of life, God is fie
sovereign fact for education. . . .

lbdern man has tried fie suspense of believing nothing, j
and because suspense is soon unbearable, he has ended by
believing almost anyfiing. . . . That is, modern man has no
mental home, but only a succession of rooms in cheap lodging

 

'0.

223 '

houses. How can any man study in such homelessness? . . .
The mind, like any travele, needs a compass and a fixed
point of departure. . . . re is need only to return to
Him in whom return is but a braver venture.

To confess that fie assuaptions of recent education haveI
been false is realism, fie first step toward home. To avow ;
once more fie abiding implicits of fie soul is to find j
home's welcome: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God wifi all ‘2
thy heart and with all fiey soul and wifi all thy mind, and ,

tlv neighbor as thyself."
This is but anofier way of saying, "In a knowledge of God all
true knowledge and real development have theiri source."
On another day during 'Isw stay in Home, I turned aside from fie
Via del Corso to visit the Renaissance church of St. Ignatius.

I wanted to see fie stupendous ceiling fresco of Andrea Pazzo,

master of perspective. Entering fie church I Esaw above me only

a baroque hodge-podge 'of hmaan, animal, and angelic figures in
various groupings, amid clouds and temples, fruits and flowers,
meaningless and confusing. I walked ahead, for I knew fiat a
round marble slab of contrasting color set in fie pavement
marked fie spot from which I could gain fie proper point of
view. Reaching fist spot, I looked up and beheld an eloquent

visual representation Iof man's relation to God. The perspective

was so painted as to be seen wifiout distraction from only one

point 'of view. All the lines of perspective focus on the cross,

fie symbol of Gad' s redemption of man. In his advice "To fie,
Ilover of Perspective," fie great artist wrote:

Therefore . . . , q advice is fiat you cheerfully begin
your work; with a resolution to draw all fie lines thereof
to fiat true point, fial Glory of God.

I
a
.‘

You need perspective. I

i

‘.- - _._— .-_--- _‘ _

”Nod—C“,

 

 

224
D. This, seniors of 1952, is an parting word: Cheerfully, while
were of the pitfalls in fie way, comence your work in fie
clear. perspective of fie Cross, placing before fie honor of men

fie honor of God. And may God bless you on your journey.

inch fist has been included in the rhetorical criticism of m
m could be repeated in regard to "Pitfalls." For fiis reason, fie
analysis of "Pitfalls" will be more general, with special attention to
places where fie format of fie co-aancement address differs from fist of
fie baccalaureate sermon, or where ofier differences are obvious.

"Pitfalls" is obviously geared to a different academic level than
m. The introduction indicates an appreciation of fie attitude
of the study-weary undergraduate. The frequent allusions to Pacific
Union College betray a bit of nostalgia on the part of an alunnus who
had spent 30 years on fie campus. 'me address with limited discussion
of five areas under one general head is probably better suited to fie
undergraduate fian fie more exhaustive development of one idea, as in
Beforg Honor.

Structun. The organization of "Pitfalls" is extranely simple--
an introduction, five ruin points, and a conclusion. 'fie main points are
suggested in each case by fie title, and each main point has appropriate
subheadings. For exanple, "mental laziness" is applied (1) to doctors,' A
(2) to preachers. In bofi cases, illustrations and quotations drive
home 'fie point. ‘nie division was realistic because medicine and ministry
were fie two principal professions followed by Pacific Union College
graduates in 1952. Under "pride," the subheads are different--fie first

is an illustration, fie second deals wifi Jesus' teaching regarding

 

111

225 I
pride, fie fiird quotes King Solomon, and fie fourfi‘ refers to John fie I
Baptist. Under the pitfall "intolerance," fie aubhesds are interrelated-i-
not discrete. They have to do wifi the tendency of educated people I
toward intolerance, wifi reasons for the phenomena, and wifi an appeal
for tolerance. Special reference ismsde to fieologians in fiis connec-
tion. ‘nue heading "institutionalism" is buttressed by two illustration“;
and fie final point "forgetfulness" leads into description of fie pioneer
days of Pacific Union .College.. ' ‘ I I
‘me conclusion includes firte parts: an appeal to fie older I
members of fie audience to help prepare yom people for life; a smaryIf
ofI fie five points of fie address, gincluding a quotation from Buttrick; I:
~ and a personal travel experience emphasizing the need of perspective. '
The general plan of the address is "cnunerate," "apply," and
"illustrate." A point is made, then it is applied and illustrated. fix a

is one of the simplest and most effective mefiods of organization in ..
I
' ' I

I

public speaking. I
Compared to gforg Honor, fie structure of "Pitfalls" is simpler.
The careful listener is conscious of transitions from point to point in
fiefore Honor, but even fie casual listener cannot miss fie transitions!
in "Pitfalls." "Pitfalls" is easier to outline--the divisions are more
[distrete, fie structure is more obvious.
I Personal proof. The principal factor of personal proof in '
"Pitfalls" is fie fact fiat Weniger was generally considered one of fie
‘most distinguished and beloved alumni and former teachers of Pacific
Union College. He had spent 30 years on fie campus, and had won for him-
self an enviable reputation. It would be hard to inagine a more complete

climate of acceptance fian fiat which greeted him as he arose to give his

 

226
commencement address on June 1, 1952. His introduction helped to include
the graduating class in his circle of admirers, alfiough few of fiem
knew him personally. Also, his introduction struck a nostalgic note,
reminding his hearers of the past of fie college.

'lwo illustrations from his recent travels abroad also helped
enhance fie speaker's em. Since leaving fieir campus four years
a before, he had been around the world. ‘lhis couldn't help but add some
weight to his words.

His reference to 'hw" arisen. Scholg and Dr. Buttrick's "just-j
off-fie-press" book reflected his reading habits. Such allusions would ;
not be likely to be interpreted as insincere in fie presence of a group,
many of whom were aware of his scholarly interests. 1

Again, under point five of his address, Weniger returned to fie ;
theme of fie history of Pacific Union College. His warm appreciation of \ -
fie founders of fie school could not but ingratiate him wifi his audience,
a large nuaber of whom felt a fierce loyalty to fieir college. .

. 'mese unique factors of personal proof, in addition to fie more ’
general factors mentioned in connection wifi Beforg Honor, made an '
appearance at Pacific Union College a personal triumph for Weniger.

Materials of gperiencg. nu: cements under this classification
"regarding Before Reno; apply in general to "Pitfalls." The speaker,

however, adapted the motive appeals very aptly to each audience. has
‘ Pacific Union College class was a more heterogeneous group-"men and
women, future physicians, ministers, scientists, teachers, homemakers,
etc. 'lhe firust of "PitfallsE covered, several areas, and thus could be
presumed to meet the needs ofisuch a group. Mental laziness, pride,

' intolerance, institutionalism, and forgetfulness cover a broad spectrun

.l

.’
" _ , 227 i
'of hunan experience; and it would beihard to imagine a master of the ‘
class who could not profit by one or: anofier of these appeals. 'me
emlotional appeal of fie address, though on a dignified plane, was not
lacking. ’ {the references to fie traditions of fie college; fie reference
to recent travel experiences: the use of illustrations built around such7
personages as Mayo, Osler, Tyndale, Governor Stone, Schweitzer, and [I
Buttrick; the use of an effective poem in fie conclusion; the use of I

I

funiliar Bible passages and experiences-wall of fiese devices reinforced
fie appeal to avoid the "pitfalls" nasad in fie address. ’

As in fie case of W all four classifications of
materials of experience are employed. Motive appeals are geared to each
of fie five points of the address. Attention is secured firough illus-
trations and personal references. Suggestion follows the sane pattern
as in W and application is probably more specific fian in
the baccalaureate address. Persuasion, not information, is obviously
fie objective of bofi addresses.

W. The general approach in this area is
very. similar to fiat of W. The speaker sets out to demon-
strate fiat college graduates are faced with certain "pitfalls"; and he
proceeds to prove his point inductively by use of examples, illustrations,
and quotations. An unusually apt example of the use of analogy, as well
, as an illustration of style, is found in fie conclusion, in which Weniger
i relates his experience in Rome in fie church of St. Ignatius. weniger's
appeal for perspective could hardly have been couched in a more effective
setting. His final statement has a pointed firust that justifies a
second look:

You need perspective. This, seniors of 1952, is my parting
word: Cheerfully, while were of fie pitfalls in fie way, comence

228

your work in fie clear perspective of fie Cross, placing before fie
honor of men fie honor of God. And may God bless you on your
journey. 13 .

_ 1313. Perhaps fie effectiveness of Weniger's style can best be
captured by exmnining some selected passages from "Pitfalls." for
sample, the following passage from fie introduction illustrates his
ability to construct visual images:

‘Do some of you, I fancy, nothing could seem more desirable fian to
recline in a sort of sardonic glee before a closed book, or to
saunter wifi supercilious mien past a fast bolted laboratory door.“

Effective use of alliteration is revealed in the following line:i

. E
111a chief peril of life is not that it shall be vicious, but fiat it
bhall belgacant; not that it shall be sinister, but fiat it shall be:

The forcefulness of Weniger's style 1: reflected in the follow- ?

ing statement:

No one can be more despicable fian the academic snob--be he A.B.$
B.S., A.Pl., 11.11., or Ph.D.--who acorns every era of human knowledge E
save his own, not realizing fiat his bigotry is a confession of i
ignorance of every other field. Intensive study of one field has 3
blinded his eyes so fiat other fields simply do not exist. Not ‘
strange, fien, when he sits as an administrator, or works as a i
comnittee member, fiat fie wheels of progress grind to a stop. his '
academic one-track mind is closed to the entrance of every new idea”

and institutions remain as they were "since fie fathers fell
asleep."16

And a pifiy realism shines in fie following lines:

And when your largeness of heart shows fiat you are wrong, you .
should be willing to change your mind; in fie words of Ben Pranklin, ‘
if you please, to "abate a little of your own infallibility." Too '
many of us are like fie doughty Scotchman who prayed: "0 lord, make
me always right because 1 change so hard." "17

V. A striking eamnple of parallel structure and climax as a stylise
tic device is present in the description of fie historical background of

A MAA A _e

13am” I» 15- Enema 1» 1. 15m... p. 2.
16M", p' 8' 11mg}. Fe 10.

 

 

r-w-rvvr
.__- .

1Uq§nfl5ifiijw

229
‘ Pacific Union College. In recounting historical incidents, Weniger
begins four statements wifi "mere was a day . . ."; two statements wifi
"fiat was the day . . ."; a smary statenent with "The factor that made
that day great was . . ."; and a final paragraph wifi "That do is
my“
'fiere seem to be a difference in sfile between Before Roger
and "Pitfalls." me baccalaureate sermon has a more poetic flavor-it
is couched more in fie language of scripture and fie symbols of religion.
'fie comencement address has more of a journalistic style, abounding in
short, pungent phrases and attention-catching devices. Weniger's fieory

fiat baccalaureate sermons and connencement addresses are different

 

seems to carry over into fie area of style.

'1BuLJEEEL2uLsha_!aizszaiszP
Exactly twelve years to fie day after fie baccalaureate address
~' 250;; nonog, Weniger was fie scheduled speaker for the lone Linda
University comencemant. At fiis occasion (June 7, 1964), it became
necessary for someone else to read his address because of his condition
of healfi. The address, entitled "The Idea of the University," was
intended as a statesmnt of fie philosophy of Seventh-day Adventist
graduate education. 19
This address was much briefer fian his earlier addresses. It
contained practically no illustrationsand few quotations. kafier fian
developing an idea inductively, as in bofi of fie ofier addresses, he
‘ adopted fie approach of making a series of definitive statements intended

J
181bid., p. 12.

19Charles 8. Weniger, "'lhe Idea of fie University" (unpublished
manuscript).

 

'5; .0... 3 .55

 

230
to reflect a viewpoint. Although no attempt will be made at a rhetorical

analysis of fiis address, excerpts will be given to illustrate its

In his endeavor to answar fie question as to whefier fie newly
reorganized Loma Linda University has an educational philosophy fiat
justifies its existence, he quotes Ellen G. White's classic statement:

True education means more than fie pursual of a certain line of
study. It means more fian a preparation for fie life fiat now is.
It has to do with fie whole being, .and wifi fie whole period of
existence possible to man. It is the harmonious development of fie I
physical, the mental, and fie spiritual powers. It prepares the
student for the joy of service in this world, and for fie higher joy
of wider service in fie world to come.

E

weniger consents on this viewpoint as follows:

This concept of education is a progression, it is never a
finality; something to be striven for, never wholly attained. It
proceeds gradually from birfi, through fie formal schooling of
college and professional school and graduate research, firough fie

, experiences of mature life on fiis earfi following fie university,

‘ and on into eternity. The tutelage of the university is but a step
in fie total process, fie life here is a preparation for the life
hereafter, and eternity is a succession of progressive steps in
education, each step opening a vista of excellence still broader and

'higher, as fie student is Zimpelled to learn more and more, develop- .
ing physically, mentally, 'and spiritually, in a continually ‘
unsatisfied but at fie same time progressively satisfying conquest
of fie universe of trufi before him. But it is not only personal
development fiat lures him on. His supreme motivation is fist of
service-~he finds his ultimate satisfaction here and hereafter in
involvement: his life is dedicated to the service of God and man.
This expansive philosophy of education supplies fie antidote for fie _
frustration, fie mediocrity, the purposeless, fie emptiness of this
'age of confusion. . . . I:

Herein lies the philosOphy of education upon which fie struc ture :
of Loma Linda University is built. It hunbly professes an idealism
..at once inclusive, expansive, and of lofty motivation.

In landing fie development of Loma Linda University from a

professional school to a university, Weniger says:

L- _J

20:11“ a. White, Edggagion (Mountain View, Calif.: Pacific
Press. 1952). pe 130

nWeniger, "The Idea of the University," p. 3.

 

231

A man must be a man before he can be a physician or a preacher -
Or an engineer. In an institution devoted primarily to professional .
.training, fie professional student finds himself surrounded by fiose I
of his own kind, and he tends to lose contact wifi the world outside
his field. The abundant life is not possible for fie student who
lives alone in his little corner, no matter how well furnished fiat
corner may be. The student needs to have contact wifi people in
other corners, where he may enjoy the exchange of mental and
spiritual ideas and the sifting of diverse points of view.
Dr. Donald A. Laird has said fiat it is "inductive suicide to have
most of our hunan associations wifi those who have fie same interests
and are engaged in fie same work as we are. "

***

to appreciate the beauty of a Bach chorale, a Beethoven symphony,

an Elgin marble, a da Vinci fresco, a lyric of David, or a rhapsody
,of Isaiah, to gain satisfaction in a spirited discussion of a social 5
science problem; to recognize fiat "Euclid alone hafi looked on "
Beauty bare." 111a student of fie liberal arts and sciences will
achire fie elegance of the accurate scientific demonstration. 22

- E
In fie true university,.fie well-rounded graduate student comes '
E
E

Panamanian—firm?

l

The speaker's climax in his development of fie idea ofa j

Geristian university is as follows: i

But fie uniqueness of fie University lies in fie fact fiat the ’

spirit of Christianity should be present in all classes and I

University activities. . . . Every investigation in sincere search .‘
for trufi will end in God.”

‘fie closing moments of fie address included a condensation and I“
revision of "Pitfalls," given twelve years before. Seven "perils" are
listed: institutionalism, professionalism, academic pride, forgetful-
ness, "fie journalistic superlative," compartmentalization, and mental
laziness. M quotations were repeated from "Pitfalls"--Hippocrates Jr. 's
" "loyalty oafi for scholars" and Sir Hillier Osler's advice to embryo
physicians.

‘ The p_a_t_h_o_s_ of fie closing paragraph can best be felt when it is
recognized fiat fiis address was written while weniger was suffering

intensely. It represents a valedictory of a man whose life had been

 

”Legs” p. 5. ”£1.21... p. 6.

232
deeply involved in Christian education as he understood it, and 'who was
pronouncing his blessing on a forward move on fie part of his church.
This is his final quotation:

Our hearts, our hopes.are all wifi fies,
Our hearts, our hopes, our prayers, our tears,

Our faifi, triumphant over fears,
Are all wifi fies, are all wifi thee.

. em
. How has Usniger's speaking career in general, and as reflected
by these fires studies, harmonized with his fieory of fie relationship
of speech and homiletics?
l. Weniger's sermons and religious addresses are constructed
' according to the csnons of classical rhetoric. 'fiis fact becomes
evident in fie process of rhetorical criticism, especially as fie
critic notes the ease with which the classical Ecanons can be
applied to Weniger's religious speaking. 'lhis fits in wifi

Weniger's contention that homiletics is a branch of speech.

‘2. 'Ueniger's sermons and religious addresses are basically suasory
discourses. 'fis techniques of persuasion are prominent, although
fie hortatory approach, comon to many sermons, is lacking.
3312;, 29.91.21: and 1.239; hold a prominent place firoughout his
religious speech. ‘ nus is. in harmony with Usnigsr's contention

- E
fiat preaching is persuasion. i

l
E

‘3. Weniger's sermons and religious addresses drawéon a wide range
of sources. Religious“ and secular literature, fbiography, travel,
"science-"these are nong the materials poured into the "hopper"
to produce Weniger's sermons. The product of this process

C
I l

233
contains surprisingly little theological speculation and almost
no ecclesiastical "gobbledygook." This reflects his belief fiat

fie preacher must be at home in new fields of hunsn knowledge.

4. Menigsr's sermons and religious addresses reflect a strong
emphasis on Delivery. while fiis is not obvious in fie manu-
scripts, fie present investigator heard one of fie speeches
studied in fiis chapter, and may other of Weniger's speeches,
and can report fiat he performs almost flawlessly in fie areas
of voice control, pronunciation, articulation, and bodily move-
ment. This reflects Weniger's conviction fiat voice and diction

are extremely important to fis preacher.

Weniger never served as pastor .of a church; fierefore, his
religious speaking is all "occasional"lspeaking. It can only -be con-
jectured how he would have applied his fieory of preaching week after
week in fie pulpit of his own church or on the evangelistic platform.

For fiis reason, it is hardly accurate to compare him as a preacher wifi
such men as Posdick, Marshall, Soclnean, Peale, Graham, or Richards.
Usniger was a teacher, -md.th1.pulpu‘f‘x‘ itlrefifilaboratory where he applied
his fieories. . ‘

 

: mm v:

E
60161.08st

'lhs avowed objective. of fiis study is "to describe, analyze, and
interpret Charles I. Heniger's fisoryof the relationship of speech and
homiletics as revealed in his teaching procedures, his writings, and r
his public addresses. "1 Chapters I to V have been primarily descriptive— I

E

k sectndarily analytical and interpretative-of his rhetorical background; E

E

 

of "fie hisfirical background of the issue involved; and of his teaching E
procedures, writings, and public addresses. Using fiis material as a 1

source, fie present chapter will deal wifi Weniger's 91.2.9. under four

, heads: (1) an analysis of Meniger's definition of homiletics; (2) a ‘
cowerinn of Weniger's fieory of homiletics wifi contemporary fieoriss;
(3).];possible explanations of win "enigsr holds his theory; and (4) fie

influence of Weniger's fieory-

’f—su--.__.._ _-_

An Anglysig of Ugiggr'g’ Definition of Bomilgt_ics
Weniger's fieory of fie relationship between speech and homi-

- _ ,___ -fi-

; E . ‘
. letics is best epitomized in his definition of homiletics: E

Homiletics may be defined as fiat branch. of speech which, empl
ing all available means and taking to itself fie whole realm of
human knowledge wifi emphasis on fie Bible, seeks by persuasion to
drmv men to a better life and a more abundant entrance into fie E
kingdom of heaven.2 , f

In an. definition, homiletics 1. called "5 branch of speech." /‘
. 'fiis expression has broad implications. Such a viewpoint of homiletics,

 

j

1Supra, p. vi. 2Sgpra, p. 7.

235'
imediately links it wifi fie rhetorical theory of the person stating
fie definition-win Weniger's case, wifi fie classical tradition as fomd
in Aristotle, Cicero, Blair, Hhately, 95.2.8.1;- In ofier words, if
homiletics is a branch of speech, fie accepted theory of speech must
apply to homiletics. "ihis mans, according to the classical tradition,
fiat fie rationale of sermons would be Invention, Arrangemnt, Style,
and Delivery, wifi all of fie criteria fiat fiese canons involve. this
is exactly what is reflected in Weniger's teaching procedures, writings,
and public addresses.

Weniger's bibliography for his course in homiletics includes
selections from Brigance, lbnroe, Oliver, Sarett and Poster, and Cracker
as well as from homileticians.3 his subject headings follow fie general
pattern of Invention, Arrangement, Style, and Delivery. His adaptations
of these classical canons are modern--for exmnple, he stresses enriching
enperiences as an important factor in Invention, and he recoumends
Monroe's Motivated Sequence as an effective form of Arrangement.

In his writings for fie clergy, he deals repeatedly wifi topics
fiat are prominent in works on speech. For exanple, hegives special Z
stress to m4 arrangement,5 and such aspects of delivery as voice
' culture, articulation, prontmciation, and pulpit mannerisms;6 and he
iadapted a self-grading rating scale from a work on speech education.7
- Be reconnends a list of twelve books on speech for his clergy friends,8
and he organizes for fiem appropriate titles from fie Knower index of

\.

Commications Dissertations in American Schools of Iheology.9

1511199; _13 220. 45.32;... p. 125. 5832‘ re, p. 128.
58 Chapter IV. m- - f ‘ 1m 1» 1M-
8822:: ‘. pa 151a 9% ”a 153‘162.

 

 

in}! If

236 '
This fieory of homiletics as a branch of speech was' conveyed not
only to fie clery, but to his professional colleagues in fie field of
speech. In an article in 1119 smech Teacher, he says:
Preaching is not a fiing apart from speaking; it is a part of
fie speaking field, albeit a part wifi the highest objective fiat
can be conceived: persuading men into fie kingdom of God. mere-
fore, what is true of speaking in general must be true of preaching
in particular. ‘l‘o fie extent fiat a man is trained to be an
effective speaker, he will stand a better chance of being an effec-
tive preacher, provided, of course, fiat he is dedicated to his
calling. 10
In his analysis of a religious speaker in his doctoral disserta-
tion he uses fie classical canons wifiout deviation;11 and his own
religious addresses adapt fiemselves to criticism according to classical
criteria. 12
'mlgigg all playable mam." This phrase, apparently
adapted from Aristotle's definition of rhetoric}3 may be seemed to
refer to fie 'heans" of persuasion mentioned by Aristotle-1fios, pafiog,
and m. Weniger insists that fiese "means" should be fie property of
the preacher; and in teaching persuasion to fieological students, he
built his course about fiese firee concepts.“ In teaching fie unit on
32193, he supplemented fie standard textbook material with a section
especially relevant to ministerial students on the gfiog of Jesus. Under
29.512! , young preachers were asked to study "suggestion, social pressure,

mental stereotypes, and ftmdamental hunen wants as factors in emotional

 

1%. s ech Teacher Vol. vi. No. 2 (March, 1957). p. 103.

“we pp. 164-171. 1.2522.» Chapter v. we.

13m; Rhetoric of Aristotle (Lane Cooper edition). 9. 7: "So
let Rhetoric be defined as the faculty of discovering in' fie particular
case what are fie available means of persuasion.”

E

143m 9. s7.

lulu”. Julullnaw

 

237 "
appeal."l'5 Under m the student was pointed to Aristotle's Rhetorich
and to contemporary books on argtmentation and logic. hccordithg to
Weniger, fie preacher must be a man of competence, character, and good
will; a man who tmderstands hunan psychology; and a man who knows fie
luvs of evidence and proof. Again, rhetorical fieory and homiletical
fieory, as Weniger understood them, stand in perfect agreement.

”Taking to itself fie wiholg gealm of human knowledge." Weniger
excludes no area of knowledge from fie subject-matter of fie preacher.
his would imply fiat fie preacher may draw on literature, science,
history, mathematics, language, and all other fields for material for
the pulpit. He likes to refer to William Stidger's illustration of
preaching as a hopper into which all of fie different metals are poured:

he raw products of preaching come from fie departments of church

history, sociology, psychology, Old and New Testament, from fie

departments of philosoplw and fieology.16
his viewpoint implies fie necessity of a broad general education,“
Weniger points out in his article for he Spggch Ieachgr on "Hhat fie . .
Seminaries Expect of Graduate speech Departments." It is in fiis article '
fiat he quotes Cicero, ". . . no man can be an orator possessed of every
praiseworthy accomplislunent, unless he has the knowledge of everything
important, and of all liberal arts."17 Uith allowances for fie phenome-

nslgrowfi of hmn knowledge, fiis is weniger's ideal for the preacher.

I E

It was fiis philosophy fiat motivated. him to write to his- friends in fie
clerg, "he message is fie supreme thing in the se'if-mon";l'8 and, on
another occasion regarding the clergyEman, "Nofiing lumen can be foreign

to his interest. "19

_._— ‘\ J_

”Supra, p. 79. . 163mm, 1). 1oz.

l'7Cicero, 'Qg Oratoge, I, vi. 13322“, p.;' 140. 1'9

Supra, p. 173. g

. E
f 238 'E

' ifi emphasis on fie Biblefl'jl Here, according to Weniger, is
one of fie "plus factors" fiat distinguishes homiletics from secular
rhetoric. Alfiough fie preacher must, be conversant wifi a broad range E
of knowledge, his principal source is fie Bible, which, according to E
Weniger's view, is authoritative for religious discourse. his view- E
point underlies weniger's insistence on (1) fiorough understanding of E,
fie Bible, (2) effective oral interpretation of fie Bible, and,(3)' E
expository preaching. he first of these firee items is implicit in EE
Weniger's teaching, preaching, and writing; fie second is underscored by}!
fie fact fiat he taught a course in oral reading of fie Bible and per- E
formed in fiis field with distinction himself; and fie fiird is reflected
in his inclusion of expository preaching in his homiletics course, and
in his own practice as a preacher. E

“Seeks by persuasion to draw an to a mtg-gr life and a more

dan . n r i to .0 av n." As previously stated,

Weniger considered preaching as persuasion. his was fie reason he ‘ .
exposed his students to fie entire field of persuasion, and made fiem
acquainted wifi the authorities in fiat field. But persuasion, he
believes, must have an object. In his Speech Teacg' g article, Weniger
lists as one of fie "minimun desiderata" in speech for fie seminary
student "knowledge. of fie objectives of public discourse, in the over-
all framework of persuasion, as the general, ultimate end of preaching.
i'roo many sermons have no goal in view. "20 he goals of fie sermon,

according to Weniger, are spiritual. But even fiough fie objectives are

super-mundane, fiey are accomplished by persuasion.

1. #A A “A A. __A_‘

20Supra, p. 113.

 

, J 239‘
he central idea of Weniger's fieory of homiletics is fiat

preaching is persuasive speech, using materials appropriate to religious
objectives. he canons‘of rhetoric are fie canons of homiletics. he
methods of persuasion apply in preaching in a comparable way to which
fiey apply in business, law, or politics. he technical "know how"
taught in voice and diction is just as important for a bishop as for a
news comoentator. he principles of oral interpretation apply in a
similar manner in interpreting St. Paul and Shakespeare. while Weniger
does not ignore the factor of divine guidance in preaching, he believes
fiat ." ~1. . . inspiration in delivering a sermon depends on inspiration
in preparing it, " and fiat "Coddoes not inspire vacuity."21

A marison of Weniger's heogz of Homileticg

With Congegpgr ag heories '
Chapter II traced fie interaction between homiletical and

rhetorical theory from Augustine until modern times. It was noted in
~fiat chapter fiat many homileticians, beginning wifi Augustine, fashions
fieir fieory more or less according to classical. rhetorical models. As A
Caplan pointed out, fiis was true, to a greater "extent fian is often
believed, even of medieval preaching. he preacher-rhetoricians“ E
lBfi-century England put fieir stuap of approval on fie wedding of E
‘ rhetoric and homiletics, and fiis viewpoint was introduced into fie
American scene by Droadus and ofiers whose fieblogical orientation was}?
similar to his. weniger's theory is not dissimilar to that of Broadus,
except fiat Weniger has given unusual emphasis to persuasion, and has

used contemporary speech materials more fully fian most ofier

— —»<.—v -~---
-—-..-.._.-_ ..- .cm.. .- a. -

 

218upra, p. 137.

240
homileticians. In his emphasis on persuasion, he may be compared to
Ronald Sleeth, anofier rhetorician-honiletician who has stressed fiis
element.22 E

It must not be assuned fiat Weniger's fieory represents the
“nave" eifier of fie present or fie future. menu years before Weniger
began teaching homiletics, harry Emerson Posdick wrote his well-known
article "What is fie Matter with l’reaching‘!"23 in which he proposed the
problem-solving sermon for which he became fmous. Where Weniger con-
siders the prime function of fie sermon as persuasion, Fosdick aims at
fie solution of sons human problem. where weniger accepts fie Bible as
a primary source, Posdick looks at fie Bible as "a searchlight, not so
much 1an to be looked at as to be firown upon a shadowed spot. "24
Bofi agree on fie necessity of meeting human needs, but Fosdick would
transfer fie text from the beginning to a later place in fie sermon.
Posdick places little emphasis on Delivery; Weniger believes it to be of

great importance. hese two fieories of preaching overlap in some of

~ their nefiods and objectives, but are based on vastly differing concepts:
Bosdick is fie psychologist, fie sociologist; Heniger, the rhetorician.
Fosdick is fieologically a liberal; Weniger, a conservative.

here are others who maintain fiat preaching no *longer commi-
cates fie gospel, but ". . . has become a liturgical matter, like

reading a responsive reading."25 A proponent of this theory says:

AL;

22Ronald Sleeth, Pegguasige Prgghggg (New York :. Harper and
Brothers, 1956).

”Ringer's. Vol. mm (1923-1929).
ulbid.

2f’lloger K. Powell, "Stand in a New Areopagus," he Qiggst of
kgarch in Religim SaskngpVol. I, No. 3 (April, 1964). P. '7.

241

he congregation cannot see the proth in fie preacher, no
matter how much he experiences it. hey are not oriented to per-

, ceive a new comunication from God through fiis man. Instead, fiey
perceive preaching as a kind of liturgy. hey expect it, but they
expect fie familiar story, a message which fiey have heard before.
his much they can perceive.

hey will hear fie sermon exactly as fiey hear fie responsive
reading. Coming out 'of context, as fiese psaln portions often do, ;
fiey cannot be expected, even by the minister, to make logical sense :
always. Yet fie people read fiam respectfully because fiey have a "
liturgical meaning. hey call to mind symbolically coded messages
'received long ago. heir meanings lie in feelings and attitudes
toward fie sacred, rather than in rational content.
his is also what fie people usually get from the sermon. Its
value for fie average hearer lies not in a new message, not in a
rational development of thought, but in the symbolic recall of
messages about God received long ago in childhood.

- "m-whu‘“ _.
_._ .._ _... -y‘...

(laviously, fiis theory is dimetrically opposed to Weniger's
vimpoint. Powell leaves little room for persuasion, especially firoughE
fie channel of logos. Heniger- is not opposed to liturgy, and he prizes .

interpretation; but he places persuasion in fie forefront as fie main E
E . E

firust of preaching. .’ I

In recent years, fiere has arisen a fieological fieory of ’E
preaching alluded to in fie section of Chapter II entitled "Relationship
Bemeen Contemporary homiletical heory and Rhetorical heory. "27 host
who embrace fiis viewpoint believe preaching to be "in a category apart
- from ofier forms of discourse."28 hey consider preaching essentially? a
divine act in which the preacher is "fie median firough which God con-
temporizea his historic self-disclosure in Christ. . . ."29 his
viewpoint is held by Karl Barfi, who says:

. . . fiere is no basis in hunan experience for fie concept of .

preaching. It is a purely fieological concept, resting on faifi
alone. As has been said, it is directed to one and only: to point

273

szélbtde’ We 6. 7a 22". , ppe 43ft.

238 re, p. 43. 29Supra, p. 44.

 

242

E to divine trufi. It cannot pass beyond fie bounds 8f its own
nature, to assrme another form more easy to grasp.

Since God wills to utter his own trufi, his Word, the preacher
must not adulterate fiat trufi by adding his own knowledge or art.31

his very prominent school of thought takes a position almost
completely opposite to Weniger's fieory. he difference stems from
fieological bases. hose who agree, in substance, wifi Weniger accept
fie Bible as the prime source of preachim, believing fiat God speaks
firough its pages, and fiat fie preacher's business is to interpret Bis
message rightly and to persuade people 'to accept it. 'hose who agree,
in substance, wifi Barfi believe that fie Bible records confrontations
between God and man, but is not, 5.5.9.9.: the message of God to man. hey
also' believe fiat preaching is God's doing, and fiat fie preacher is
, merely fie instrument firough whom God speaks. Weniger's fieory places

upon fie preacher a great responsibility to interpret correctly and

E appealingly, to deliver his message with finesse and appeal, and to
persuade his hearers. Barfi discourages fie preacher from "adding his I
own knowledge or art. "32 heEWeniger viewpoint rests on fie historical-E
grmatical concept of divine revelation; fie ofier outlook, though
placing great emphasis in fie.Bible, rests on an existential view of fie'
relationship between God and man. 33 E

While fie basis of fie view of preaching described above is
theological, fie results have rhetorical implications. Part of fie

contemporary distrust of speech as a part of fie training of fie clergy

 

h - r L
30Karl Barfi, he PMi pg of fie Gospel (Philadelphia:
Westminster, 1963). P. 11. .
31119.12.» p. 13. . , 321.1931-

331t must be recognized fiat this emery ofi‘ fie theological

view of preaching is highly generalised. Different proponents of this
view vary in fieir approach. .

243 '_

stems, no doubt, from fiis philosophy. his brand of fieology holds
fiat it is a misunderstanding of fie Christian message to believe that
conmunication theory has significant answers for fie preacher of fie

gospel.
E hus it may be seen fiaEt fie concept of homiletics held by
Weniger is rejected by some homiletical fieorists, just as the classical
concepts of rhetoric are questioned by some rhetorical theorists. But
while fie Karl Barfis of homiletics and fie Kennefi Burkes of rhetoric

nsychallenge fie classical positions, their challengesE do not
necessarily disprove these positions. Changes in homiletical fieory
mirror fieological change, just as changes in rhetorical fieory reflect
philosophical change. E E

Other. fieories of homiletics might be added to fiis list, along

wifi furfier modifications of fie theories already described. It may be”

sufficient to say fiat fie speech-persuasion fieory of homiletics, as

held by Heniger, does not exist in an al togefier friendly world.

E Possiblg Explanations as to mEWegiger Holds the
‘ hpgefi -Persuasion heog E E E
It is never wise to be dogmatic in assigning motives and
endeavoring to explain hunan behaviorl Such speculation, however, can
be indulged with some profit providedi the conclusions are tentative._
his investigator would submit the following as possible reasons for
Weniger' a viewpoint regarding homiletics:

l. Heniger's membership in, and'dedication to, a conservative.
church is doubtless one reason for his position. he could not

subscribe to the Posdick fieory, fie liturgical fieory, or the

l

 

in‘u.‘ '

 

2.

3.

4.

2..
new "fieological" fieory because none of these fieories gives
fie Bible fie place in preaching fiat Heniger's fieology would
demand.

Heniger's training as a rhetorician rafier fian a fieologian
would probably predispose him to a theory of preaching based on
fie canons of rhetoric rafier fian on more speculative fieologi-

cal premises.

Weniger's developing years as a rhetorician were contemporary
wifi fie great emphasis on persuasion. Brigance was one of his
teachers, and fie works of ofiers who wrote on persuasion were
very familiar to him. His tremendous interest in persuasion

seemed to shape his fiinking as a homiletician.

Being a member of a church whose clergy is strongly evangelistic,

weniger would naturally be interested in persuasion as fie

5.

center of his homiletical fieory. _No other approach would have

as much pragmatic appeal for an evangelis tically minded religious

movement.

Weniger's deep interest in literature, particularly biblical
literature, would, no doubt, influence him taterd a homiletical
fieory fiat would leave room for fie wide use of literature in
preaching. To him literature was an important part of "fie
whole realm of hunan knowledge" on which fie preacher was to

draw for fie content of his preaching.

E

E

 

!» Ii-

245 '

Inflpgncg of Weniger's heon

he questionnaire reported in Chapter III obviously reflected not a

only fie effectiveness of wenigar's theory of homiletics, but also fie
effectiveness of his £539; and teaching techniques. In a few instances,
however, fiis questionnaire reveals some reactions to Weniger's fieory
fiat may have validity. E

In section 3, part b, the respondent is asked for his reaction
to fie fieory that homiletics is "one facet of speech," and fiat fie
rules of public speaking apply to preaching wifi some modifications.
Porty-firee respondents held fiis approach to be "enlightening";

,"helpful"; and no one marked "confusing," “unrealistic," or

"irrelevant." I

he consents at the close of' the questionnaire have been studied

to find reactions fiat are specifically geared to Efieory, rafier than to I.

9.399. and mefiodology. Samples of these reactions follow:

of speech, his mefiods of teaching the subject, and his practice

E

E

l. A former college speech teacher says, "I feel that his concepts /

of the art, all combine to put him in fie front rank of fie

great teachers of modern times. I as sure that his influence E
inspired my interest in speech, which has now broadened a bit /
perhaps to cover fie entire field of courmmication. while he

didn't use fie word much 30 years ago, fie principles he taught E

covered comnication theory. "

2. A pastor in California says, "He gave me a clear view of fie E
power of expository preaching. to fiis day fie view is undiluted."

3. ‘ An evangelist in California says, "His course in Persuasive
Speaking should be a 'must' for every Adventist worker.
Adventists have to persuade people to do ten times more fian the
ministers of ofier religious bodies. Hence we ought to be
masters of persuasion in every sermon. . . . he scientific
aspects of persuasion need to be fully explored, as Dr. weniger
points out in his course. "

l0. A'retired minister in California says, "In our study of Greek
persuasion, fie emotional, logical, and efiical appeal was
explained and exploited. his stimlated my research in fie
efiical appeal."

246

he influence of Heniger's fieory on his students is difficult
to measure. It is probable fiat most of them were not prepared to com-
pare his theory with ofier fieories of homiletics. If instruments could .
be produced to determine to what extent a teacher's fieory makes more
persuasive preachers of his students, fie task of measuring results
would be simplified. E

he results of Weniger's writings are even harder to measure fianE
fie results of his teaching. he articles in he Minism over a period E
of 36 years tended to extend his influence from fie classroom throughout '
fie Adventist clergy. His fieory was clearly reflected in fiese
' articles, and could hardly help but exer.t some influence on fie readers.

Outside fie borders of his church Weniger represented his view-
point as an active member 'of the Speech for Religious Workers Interest
Group of the Speech Association of America, as a consulting editor of
hp Spgch Ippcher, and as an occasional speaker for civic and religious
groups. . E

. his public address, as shown in Chapter v, illustrated his

fieory. he principles of persuasion and fie rules of voice and diction

were. especially well revealed in his speeches.

It is fie opinion of fiis investigator that Charles 3. Weniger
has somefiing to say to fie homiletical world of today His voice has
not been heard very loudly because he has chosen to dedicate his life to
training fie ministry of one of the smaller denominations, and because
he has not published extensively. A-lso, he does not agree wifi fie
contemporary trend way from a rhetorically oriented homiletical fieory.
But he, and ofiers like him, perfdrm a definite service for bofi fie

247E

profession of speech and fie profession of homiletics by demonstrating

fist fiese moo professions can be happily married, and fiat fieir union E

can result in a consistent and affective homiletical theory.

E
E
E
I
. E
E E
u E
E i
‘ E
E r
E E
U
E
E
‘ 0
E
E E
QEE
E.
.E.
E.
EE
'E
E
E
1E
I
E J
E ,
i
E
t s
E
E
l‘
E
I
E
E
E
E
E
E
E

A " mvw--—~_-_

..._ -4'—_ ~ _
Wu-»-_-.-._‘- - -r‘

 

-—.__—..

 

 

 

k——‘ ._

i.‘|’ll’\||

snuocm

Book;

Abbey, Merrill R. Preaching to the Congmggan and. New York:
Abingdon, 1963.

Adana, John Quincy. lecgggg on Eggric ind $1131.12. 2 vols. New York:
_ Russell and Russell, 1962.

Augustine,~Aure1ius. W. English translations in
Schaff, Philip (ed. . Nicene and Post-Nicene rags“. Vol. II.
New York: 1888; and The Fathers of SE mach. Vol. IV. New
York: Cima Publishing Co., 1967.

Baldwin, (mules Sears. WW3. Gloucester,
Nass.: Peter Smith, 1959.

Barfi, Karl. W. Philadelphia: Westminster,
1963.

Blair, Hugh. Eggs; on Rhetoric and Belle; 25229 Philadelphia:
Bayes and Zell, 1854.

Breweck, winston 1.., and howell, Willims 8. Persuasion: A Means of
Social Control. New York: Prentice-Hall, 1955.

Broadus. John to www- Rem ed-
New York: liarpers, 1944.

Cuban, George. 14¢ a on s t c d Pul Blo .
Boston: Lincoln and Bdmands, 1832. .

Cicero, Marcus “nullius. De Oratore. Cabridge, Mass. : Harvard
University Press, 1942 (The Ioeb Classical Library). .

Clowney, Edmund P. Pgachigg and Biblical E01951. Grand Rapids,
Mich.: Hillier B. Berdmsns, 1961.

Cooper, Lane. e c o A . New York: Appleton-Century-
Crofts, 1932. ‘ ‘

Dargan, B. o. W. Grand Rapids, Nich.: Baker Book
non... 1954s ‘ E

. WW. 1:... York:
Doran, 1922.

 

 

 

. ; 249 j '
Davis, 11. Grady. Wm. Philadelphia: Portress, 1958.

Hence, Kenneth G. , and Buck, Barold Arfiur. Mlic 82E eakigg g
WW- Enslaved cum, :1. J-:
Prentice-Ball, 1961.

Hence, Kennefi G., Ralph, David C., and Viksell, Hilton J. Principles 2f ,
A m. Belmont, Calif.: Nadsworfi Publishing Co., 1962.

men. Wilbur semi. my: g1 manage in ragga, 1203-1100.
Princeton: Princeton Universiq Press, 1956..

Bowes, Raymond 1". (ed.). r l 8 di s ri d
metoricim. Ithaca, N. Y.: Cornell University Press, 1961.

Luccock, Balford B. W. New York: Barper and
Brofiers, 1953.

E

mm... Wayne c. 11.. Art og nggggigg. Boston: :Boughton llifflin Co.,

E 1957s ' E v; E f

lbnroe, Alan H. r: 1 s d s . a... York: Scott, E
Poresman, 1935-1962. -

I .

mm Blvood- Wo Chicasoy upmott. 1944- _E

310331. 3011116 34 W. New York: Rarper and Brothers,.E

19560 E

- W- NEW York: Abin’sdon. 1964.

'lhonssen, heater, and Baird, A. Craig. W. New York:
Ronald Press Co., 1948.

 

' E

Wallace. nu (cm) W IMiler!“
Appleton- Centuy- Crofts, 1954 E

Weniger, Charles B. W. Nountain View, Calif. . Pacific PresL,
1953. E

r P a . Washington, D. C.: BevieIEr

and herald Publishing Association, n.d. J

. "The Psalms,” 'th 311.1 -"

Vol. 111. Neshington, D. :C.: Review and Herald Publishing
Association, 1954.

“hits, Ellen a. snug” chm: Leggy. Oakland, cum: Pacific
P“... 1900s .

. Desire of Ages. Nomtein View, Calif.: Pacific Press, 1940.

 

. M. Maintain View, Calif.: Pacific Press, 1952.

 

 

. . :I. t gill“

Ell!

 

White, Ellen G. Testimonies Q Ministgpp. Mountain View, Calif.:
Pacific Press, 1923.

Nilson, Thomas. Thg Arg of Rhetopig. A Facsimile Reproduction.
Gainsville, Florida: Scholars Paceimiles and Reprints, 1962.

Winans, Janes A. W. New York: he Century Co., 1917.
Articlps

Abernathy, Elton. "Trends 'in American Bomiletic Theory Since 1860,"
Speech lbnoggaphg, X (1943).

Brack, Harold A. '1lomiletics," Mrterly Jogpgl of Sass!» 1. (April,
1964) 186-189.

Caplan, Barry. "Classical Rhetoric and the Medieval Theory of Preaching,”
Clgsical Philolog, XXVIII (April, 1933), 73-96. E

Casteel, John L. "College Speech Training and the Hinistry,” Marl:
Journal of Smch, XXXI (February, 1945), 73-77.

Davis, R. Grady. "me Teaching of Homiletics: the Present Situation in
Neerican Saninaries," Bncoungr, 10:11, 3-13.

Bdney, Clarence H."Campbe11's lectures on Pulpit Eloquence," Speech
lbnograplg, m (March, 1952), 1'- 10.

Posdick, Harry Emerson. What is the Matter with Preaching?" Rappers,
CLVII (1928).

hunt, Everett Lee. "me Teaching of Public Speaking in. Schools of
Theology-,9 Marl! Journal pf Sggch, x (1924).

Lents, Hillim Carson. "Rhetoric and 'lheologyuIncompatible?" Nestem
Sgech Journal (March, 1955). Reprinted in The Digest of
Resparch in Religious Sgekipg (October, 1963), 3-5.

haphy, James J. "St. Augustine and fie Debate about a Christian

Rhetoric," Marl: Journal of Speech, XLVI (December, 1960),
400-410.

Sargent, Leslie N. "Comunication and fie Spirit," Christianig Todg,

Toohey, Gillian, C. S'. C. "Is Preaching Merely Sacred Rhetoric?" The
American Ecclesiastical Eview, CRIN (September, 1961). Abstract
in "Newsletter," Speech for Religious workers Interest Group,
Speech Association of America (February, 1963).

Vallace, Karl R. "Bacon's Conception of Rhetoric," Speech Homraphp,
III (1936), 21-48.

251

Heniger, Charles E. "Some Notes on English Pronunciation," The Minism,
I (July, 1928), 19; I (August, 1928), 25, 26; I (September, 1928),
16, 17; I (October, 1928), 13; 11 (January, 1929), 18, 19; 11
(September, 1929), 14; II (November, 1929), 19; II (Decanber,
1929), 20,21.

"Inspired Preaching," W VII (June, 1934). 9-

. "The Minister” s Speekim Voice," W x (m. 1937).
a. 9; 1: (July, 1937). 15. 16. '

. "Giving Bible References," M X (September, 1937),
19. .

 

 

. "111s hesege Is the Thing," W XI (December, 1938),
15, 16.

. "Personality Involves e Pleasing Voice," Mm, XII
(September, 1939), 11, 12.

 

 

. "What About Your Handshake?" W m (Hay, 1941),
38.

. "How Effective Is Your Speech?" W XVI (June, 1943),
37, 38.

. "Some Questions to Ask Yourself," W XVI (July,
1943), 5, 6.

. "The Porn of Sound Words," W XXII (January. 1949).
7, 8.

. "'me Personality of Your Radio Voice," W XXII
(3m, 1949). 25-27; XXII (July. 1949). 9‘. 10s

. "Nelve Book 'msts' for the Public Speaker," be giniggz,
XXVIII (February, 1955), 12-14.

. "A Note on the 0:11 Reading of the Scriptures," n13 Mining, 3
XXXVII (January, 1964), 28, 29. . i

. "A bibliography for Ministers," The 1111119915, XXXVI! (February, ‘
1964), 33, 34; XXXVI! (March, 1964), 35, 36; XXXVII (April, 1964),
23; XXXVI! (Hay, 1964), 31; XXXVII (Jtme, 1964), 38. g

. "Potpourri for Preachers," m XXXVI! (July, 1964),:
15. . . . ; :

 

. "that the Seminaries Expect of Undergraduate Speech Depart-
ments," W VI (lurch, 1957), 103-105.

 

 

IIIA’III'

 

252

Unpublished Material

Paber, Warren E. "Does the Preacher Need Rhetoric?" Address given at .
Speech for Religious Workers Interest Group, Speech Association
of America, at Cleveland, (his, December, 1962. Reported in
Newsletter, " Speech for Religious Workers Interest Group (May,
1963

Lundquist, Carl. "Relationship of Speech and Homiletics in American
Protestant Sani’naries." Mimeographed copy of speech given before
Speech for Religious Workers Interest Group, Speech Association
of America, St. Louis, Missouri, December, 1960.

Perry, Lloyd Merle. "Trends and Emphasis in the Philosophy. Materials,
and nethodolog of American Protestant Eomiletical Education as
Established by a Study'of Selected Trade and Textbooks Published
Demeen 1834 and 1954." Unpublished doctoral dissertation,
Northwestern University, 1961.

Sleeth, Ronald E. "Theological Criticisms of Contemporary Speech and
Comunication Theories. " Address given at Speech for Religious
Workers Interest Group, Speech Association of America, New York,
December, 1961. Apricis published in "Newsletter," Speech for
Religious Workers Interest Group (Hay, 1962).

Weniger, Charles E. "American Oratory: Patrick Henry." Unpublished
stenographically reported speech.

. "The 'Buddy System' in Teaching How to Preach." Unpublished
manuscript, Weniger files.

. "A Critical Analysis and Appraisal of the Public Address of
Willimn Miller, Early American Second Advent lecturer."
Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Southern
California, 1948.

 

. "The Idea of the University." Unpublished comencement
address given at Loma. Linda University, June 7, 1964.

. "Persuasion in the Orations of Deuteronomy." Unpublished
Haster' s thesis, University of Southern California, 1933.

 

 

. 'Titfalls." Unpublished comnencemsnt address given at Pacific
Union College, June 1, 1952. t

. 'Treacher-‘l‘raining in the Seventh-day Adventist Theological
Seminary.” Speech given before Speech for Religious Workers
Interest Group, Speech Association of America, n.d.

 

. gum. 12 eggs Mlptics. gmrgg r 220. Winteg. 1250.
. 11 CoureZO Voie dDiction Autunn ' ter 19

e Brie "1 °llB °~~ P -0 Pa -‘_1- my“.

253

W

Weniger, Charles E. "Baccalaureate and Comencement Addresses." Pile
containing a few sets of notes and one complete manuscript.

. "Bulletins." A file of bulletins of churches an! other
organizations indicating the time and place of many of the
Weniger sermons and addresses.

. "'Naster Preachers' Pile." A file of material covering 68
preachers and public speakers.

 

"Materials, 'Naster Preechars,’ 1950." Weniger files.
. Materials, 'Easic Romiletics,’ Winter, 1950." Weniger files.

. ”Materials, 'Persuasive Speaking, ' Sumner, 1955. " Weniger
files.

. "Personal Public "Speaking." Pile of accounts of Weniger
speeches clipped from newspapers and church periodicals.

 

"Procedures, 'lisster Preachers, ' 1950." Weniger files.
. "Procedures, 'Easic lloni1etics, ' 1950." Weniger files.

 

. "Procedures, 'Voice and Diction,’ Autlaln, 1953." Weniger .
files.

E 1"Procedures, 'Persuasive Speaking, ' Sumner, 11955." Weniger
1 es.

 

. "Speeches. " Pile of letters: {regarding speaking appointments
and speeches.

 

. Personal taped interviews with Norval P. Peese, December,
1962. .

i

 

_.d \ 6......lfllll. Ill... [gall—4

l1.llllll|l1l

 

 

   

  

RIES

”immrjfiwifllfllfi'HEWEIEWEIWJILUW’