A Different Kind of Influencer
Ask a young person these days what they want to be when they grow up, and there’s a 57% chance that they will answer, “an influencer,” according to recent reports. Of course, Gen-Zers and those after them typically have social media influencing in mind when they employ the term. Classical Christian education, however, would never deny the aspiration to influence. In fact, the classical trivium is intentionally designed to equip students to have a powerful and unique influence on the world through its culmination in the rhetoric stage of education.
In the first part of her Clapham School Podcast episode, Clapham rhetoric faculty Kelsey Peterson explores the purpose of rhetoric, and what’s at stake when students cut off their classical education at the conclusion of the logic stage, rather than moving on to rhetoric. The truth is, rhetoric is everywhere. Our students are swimming in a toxic flood of rhetoric. Surrounded by a relentless barrage of text, ads, social media, and memes, every single student—especially those immersed in digital environments—is constantly targeted. Because this is the new reality, we are failing them if we don’t urgently equip them to interpret, analyze, and effectively contribute their own rhetoric to the world.
What’s at risk when we skip rhetoric?
Mrs. Peterson argues that students are at risk of being ineffective communicators if they chop off their classical education after the logic stage. Furthermore, since everyone inevitably learns rhetoric, students may be unprepared to recognize and resist unethical or vicious rhetorical methods they encounter or are tempted to use. Finally, rhetoric training equips students with wisdom through giving them the tools to recognize and refute false teaching. Ultimately, rhetoric equips students to establish confidence in their faith as they encounter a variety of ideas in the marketplace. It also trains them to express themselves with wisdom and eloquence. At Clapham, all this training has a clear goal in mind: we want our students to be confident, critical thinkers who are equipped to witness to the gospel of Jesus in all its power.
Be sure to listen all the way to the end of the episode, when Kelsey and Val discuss the interplay between effort (using all of the rhetorical arts to the best of our ability) and the movement of the Holy Spirit to make our words bear fruit. Because if the gospel bears fruit, we know who to thank for that kind of growth–and it’s not us. Check it out below.