Classical Rhetoric and Its Christian and Secular Tradition from Ancient to Modern Times

Since its original publication by UNC Press in 1980, this book has provided thousands of students with a concise introduction and guide to the history of the classical tradition in rhetoric, the ancient but ever vital art of persuasion.

Now, George Kennedy offers a thoroughly revised and updated edition of Classical Rhetoric and Its Christian and Secular Tradition. From its development in ancient Greece and Rome, through its continuation and adaptation in Europe and America through the Middle Ages and Renaissance, to its enduring significance in the twentieth century, he traces the theory and practice of classical rhetoric through history. At each stage of the way, he demonstrates how new societies modified classical rhetoric to fit their needs.

For this edition, Kennedy has updated the text and the bibliography to incorporate new scholarship; added sections relating to women orators and rhetoricians throughout history; and enlarged the discussion of rhetoric in America, Germany, and Spain. He has also included more information about historical and intellectual contexts to assist the reader in understanding the tradition of classical rhetoric.

"This is a truly revised and enlarged edition of a major work. The eminent classicist presents the history of rhetoric and its various relations from Homer to contemporary deconstruction. . . . Kennedy writes with ease and lucidity. His synoptic prowess melds the lives of the rhetoricians and the life of rhetoric in the West into one living process."-- Journal of Early Christian Studies