Suppose I argue that what makes a proposition true is its correspondence to a state of affairs. “All very well,” my interlocutor responds, “but true statements are so much more than statements that correspond to reality. They often inspire, exhort, warn, and comfort.” Or, suppose I say that apologetics is a rational defense of the the content of Christian beliefs. “Yes, yes,” my interlocutor says, “but defenses of the faith shouldn’t just be rational defenses. They often require imaginative storytelling, poetry, and other art forms. People aren’t merely reasoning machines. We must appeal to their imaginative nature.” In both cases, the reply should not be a defense of a reductive…
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Persuasive Modes
Imagine you are gathered at a family reunion (or any other social event). Your family comprises of atheists, mystics, agnostics and whatever else you can think of. As the discussion gets going everyone seems very appreciative of one another’s views. “One just has to do one’s best in life,” grandma says. “I find divinity in everything,” a great aunt remarks. “Just because he’s gay doesn’t make him wrong,” your brother says to nods of approval. The conversation is pleasant. Pleasant, that is, while you, the exclusivist Christian, remain silent. For, you know that, when challenged to comment, you will very likely be received as judgmental, harsh, thoroughly anti-party-mood. But to stay silent pricks…