Pedagogies of Persuasion: Using Rhetorical Theology to Discuss the Politics of Sex and Sexuality

Rhetorical theology, a term coined by Andre E. Johnson, is religious rhetoric grounded in the context of lived experience that produces constructs of God concerned with the practical implications of religious doctrine. For example, Johnson argues that Henry McNeal Turner’s rhetoric, “God is a Negro,” takes seriously the harmful psychological implications of the Black community serving a white God, thus illustrating how theology emerges from the lived consequences of belief. Building on Johnson’s framework, this paper proposes rhetorical theology as a pedagogical approach to build bridges of understanding when engaging with contentious topics of sex and sexuality in higher education. Students are assigned a rhetorical theology paper on a topic, such as gender roles, transgender identity, homosexuality, masturbation, or polyamory. Students argue two contradictory perspectives of the topic by applying rhetorical theology’s four key assumptions to each position: faithful persuasion, implications of doctrine, contextuality, and the invitation of the rhetor. The process develops critical thinking by examining the theological claims, socio-political contextual realities, and the practical implications of each position, regardless of the students’ personal convictions. This pedagogical practice fosters bridge-building across divergent perspectives while equipping students to engage in conversations about sex and sexuality with greater nuance, understanding, and awareness of theology’s social and political consequences.