Britt-Smith, Laurie Ann

English

epublications@Marquette

Conversations on Jesuit Higher EducationVolume 51 Article 272-1-2017Book Review: Traditions of Eloquence: The Jesuits andModern Rhetorical Studies, edited by Cinthia Gannettand John C. BreretonLaurie Ann Britt-SmithFollow this and additional works at: http://epublications.marquette.edu/conversationsRecommended CitationBritt-Smith, Laurie Ann (2017) "Book Review: Traditions of Eloquence: The Jesuits and Modern Rhetorical Studies, edited by CinthiaGannett and John C. Brereton," Conversations on Jesuit Higher Education: Vol. 51 , Article 27.Available at: http://epublications.marquette.edu/conversations/vol51/iss1/2750 CONVERSATIONS ON JESUIT HIGHER EDUCATION                                                                                                                                          “Eloquence,” as defined by John O’-Malley, S.J., in the foreword to this col-lection, is “to mean what you say andto say what you mean – and to say itwith grace, accuracy, and force.”  Elo-quence, or eloquentia perfecta, is a keyoutcome of Jesuit rhetorical practice,but as noted by editors Cinthia Gan-nett and John C. Brereton, the influenceof this Jesuit twist on classical rhetoric,and by extension its influence on theWestern system of education, has beenneglected in contemporary scholar-ship. These essays are a first step to-ward rectifying this omission. The textis primarily the work of a consortiumof rhetoric and composition scholarsfrom across the 28 Jesuit colleges anduniversities. They have created an am-bitious exploration of the order’s in-vestment in education in the area ofrhetorical theory and practice and ofhow that history is manifested in thework of contemporary rhetoric andcomposition programs and classrooms.        Organized in a loose three-partstructure, each contribution can beread as a part of a whole or as an inde-pendent piece. Section One features es-says linked through the use of historyas a lens. Such a large framework al-lows for conversations that include thespecific rhetorical moves made by St.Ignatius in his autobiography and theSpiritual Exercises, the adaptation ofclassical rhetorical training by the Je-suits, the changing role of liberal edu-cation and Jesuit training, therelationship of the “Black Robes” towomen’s religious orders in earlyNorth American educational institu-tions, and a comparison betweenrhetorical training historically and cur-rently offered at the College of theHoly Cross and at Sogang Universityin South Korea. Although somewhatcounterintuitive, that last one is actu-ally the first essay in the collection.Written by Patricia Bizzell, it master-fully sets the tone for the entire text, es-tablishing historical context while alsodiscussing current affairs. Allowing forthe largest possible audience, the intro-duction to each section and at least oneessay in it provide a coherent chronolog-ical, theoretical, or pedagogical overviewfor those entering new territory or whoneed a helpful reminder/map of this in-tellectual terrain.         The remaining sections are nar-rower in scope but continue the patternof establishing the conversation, break-ing it into smaller parts and then expanding again into a larger consider-ation of the theme. Section Two coversthe post-suppression era in Jesuit edu-cation in the United States, starting withthree excellent chapters written by theeditors and by Steven Mailloux andKatherine H. Adams respectively,which review the history of rhetoric andwriting studies in what has become theAJCU. These are followed by essayswhich showcase exemplar scholars whoare irrevocably tied to the tradition:Walter Ong, Ed Corbett, Bernard Loner-gan, and Paulo Freire. The section endswith a forum section of rhetoriciansbriefly reflecting of the importance oftheir Jesuit education.        Building on the momentum ofthose who influenced or were influ-enced by the tradition, the third sectionexamines the application of Jesuit rhet-oric through a discussion of eloquentiaperfectia as translated in today’s peda-gogies. The voices gathered here in-clude some of the most respected in thefield, for example, John Bean, whoseEngaging Ideas is canonical in the disci-pline. Some essays focus on the cir-cumstances found at specificuniversities that have larger applica-tion for other Jesuit institutions. K. J.Peters’s discussion of the core curricu-BOOK REVIEWTraditions of Eloquence: The Jesuits &Modern Rhetorical Studies. Cinthia Gannett and John C. Brereton, Editors.THE BRONX, NY: FORDHAM UNIVERSITY PRESS, 2015. XVIII + 444 PAGES.Reviewed by Laurie Ann Britt-Smith1Britt-Smith: Book Review: <em>Traditions of Eloquence: The Jesuits and ModernPublished by e-Publications@Marquette, 2017                                                                                                                                                                                                               51lum at Loyola Marymount and oth-ers, like Vincent Casaregola’s fasci-nating reconsideration of what“voice” means in a digital world,have implications for all who teach.The text closes with an Afterword byJoseph Janangelo. Titled “Technology,Diversity, and the Impression of Mis-sion,” it brings the discussion full cir-cle, considering where the tradition,always intertwined with the Jesuitmission, is going as it is increasinglytransferred to lay faculty who mustaccompany 21st-century studentsinto new spaces and places.       The essays form a wondrous ca-cophony of ideas and individualstyles. The effect is attending a largeparty with fabulous guests, each talk-ing passionately about the subjectswhich they most care about. Such awide-ranging conversation can causea bit of alienation, even with thebuilt-in moorings for the uninitiated.Those who have never been to thisparticular party may anticipate thatthe text will be awfully dry and bor-ing. Fear not. One the advantages injoining these conversations is thatthey are led by men and women whoat their core are teachers, teacherswho are experts at making the kindof rhetorical moves that can captivatean audience. It is worth the effort toengage with this work and to con-sider what the next steps in suchscholarship might be. After all, theseskilled rhetoricians have cultivated intheir own writing, and in their workwith their students, eloquence.  Laurie Ann Britt-Smith, a former mem-ber of the Conversations seminar, is nowthe director of the Center for Writing atthe College of the Holy Cross.A student ﬁnds inspiration underneath a portrait of Saint Ignatius at Rockhurst University. 2Conversations on Jesuit Higher Education, Vol. 51, Iss. 1 [2017], Art. 27http://epublications.marquette.edu/conversations/vol51/iss1/27

Book Review: \u3cem\u3eTraditions of Eloquence: The Jesuits and Modern Rhetorical Studies\u3c/em\u3e, edited by Cinthia Gannett and John C. Brereton

https://epublications.marquette.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2080&amp;context=conversations

Book Review: \u3cem\u3eTraditions of Eloquence: The Jesuits and Modern Rhetorical Studies\u3c/em\u3e, edited by Cinthia Gannett and John C. Brereton

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