Communicating with Grace and Virtue: Learning to Listen, Speak, Text, and Interact as a Christian

by Quentin J. Schultze

Overview

Communications expert Quentin Schultze offers an engaging and practical guide to help Christians interact effectively at home, work, church, school, and beyond. Based on solid biblical principles and drawn from Schultze's own remarkable experiences, this book shows how to practice "servant communication" for a rich and rewarding life. Topics include how to overcome common mistakes, be a more grateful and virtuous communicator, tell stories effectively, reduce conflicts, overcome fears, and communicate well in a high-tech world. Helpful sidebars and text boxes are included.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781540961273
Publisher:	Baker Publishing Group
Publication date:	09/01/2020
Pages:	160
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x (d)

About the Author

Quentin J. Schultze (PhD, University of Illinois) is a speaker, mentor, consultant, and professor of communication emeritus at Calvin University in Grand Rapids, Michigan. His many books include An Essential Guide to Public Speaking and An Essential Guide to Interpersonal Communication. Visit his website at www.quentinschultze.com.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments 13

Introduction 15

1 Accept the Call 21

Communicating for Life 22

Communicating in Culture 27

Learning Great Communication 29

Communicating Courageously 31

Examining Our Motives 32

Conclusion 35

2 Offer Thanks 37

Engaging Our Hearts 38

Receiving Gratitude 40

Using Symbols 41

Employing Verbal and Nonverbal Language 42

Sending and Receiving "Texts" 43

Sharing Understanding 45

Contextualizing Communication 46

Doing Communication 47

Understanding with Discernment 49

Conclusion 50

3 Be Responsible 53

Communicating Responsibly in God's Name 54

Listening Obediently 56

Listening Intimately 57

Listening Actively 59

Listening Dialogically 60

Listening Vertically 62

Communicating with Excellence and Compassion 63

Communicating "Christianly" 63

Embracing Confusion 64

Conclusion 66

4 Address Brokenness 69

Accepting Imperfection 70

Being Vulnerable 71

Sharing Appropriately 72

Sharing Healing 74

Identifying Our Biases 75

Blaming Others 76

Releasing Control 77

Sinning by Omission 79

Sinning by Commission 80

Confessing Regularly 81

Conclusion 82

5 Embrace Community 85

Growing Together 86

Knowing Ourselves in Community 87

Nurturing Shalom 89

Embracing Diversities 90

Questioning Stereotypes 91

Nurturing Trust 94

Seeking Truth Together 96

Forming Truth-Loving Communities 98

Conclusion 100

6 Be Virtuous 101

Being Genuine 102

Seeking Integrity 103

Being Joyful 105

Embracing Peace 106

Being Patient 108

Being Kind 110

Being Good 111

Being Gentle 112

Being Self-Controlled 114

Conclusion 116

7 Tell Stories 119

How Stories Work 120

Communicating Indirectly 122

Capturing Metaphors 123

Mapping Life 125

Engaging Comedies and Tragedies 127

Interpreting Stories through the Biblical Metanarrative 128

Critiquing Media Mythologies 130

Conclusion 131

8 Discern Media 133

Defining Technology 135

Communicating with Media Technologies 135

Elevating the Spoken Word 136

Fitting Medium to Message 137

Rejecting Communication Technologies 139

Adapting Communication Technologies 143

Creating Communication Technologies 144

Conclusion 145

Closing Thoughts 147

Notes 151