‘Charging’ a Confirmation Sermon with Suspense

What is it about?

The feeling of boredom during a speech is not a new phenomenon, but in a late modern information society this challenge is intensified. This article explores what sort of rhetorical opening strategy which may help a speaker to 'charge' a speech or a sermon with an appropriate suspense to help the audience to remain attentive throughout the speech. Drawing on an analysis of video recorded sermons, the article suggests three possible characters the speaker could take on to create a suitable suspense, that of the teacher, the poet, and the prophet.

Featured Image