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Rhetorical Use of Text (TEL)

Partner Pacific School of Religion
Learning Pillar Theological Imagination
Rigor Level Medium
This course is one part of nine in the Theological Education for Leadership (TEL) Learning Path offered by PSR.  It is one quarter of the full-term course of the same name and is considered the introduction to the introductory overview of the Rhetorical Use of Text.  Learners will develop the ability to critically analyze a variety of texts, identifying key themes, rhetorical strategies, and historical influences. They will learn to apply these insights to understand how texts construct meanings within different cultural, social, and political contexts.  They will also enhance their critical reading skills by engaging deeply with both sacred and secular texts, learning to question assumptions, recognize biases, and interpret complex ideas. This objective emphasizes the development of thoughtful, informed, and nuanced interpretations that consider multiple perspectives. Further, they will learn to connect theoretical concepts from the texts to contemporary issues, fostering a greater understanding of inclusivity, social justice, and the role of texts in shaping societal values; which then encourages students to use their interpretive skills to contribute to discussions on equity and social change in various community and global contexts.

Learning Objectives

In this TEL course, you will learn:
  1. Analyze and Interpret Texts Across Contexts
  2. Develop Critical Reading and Thinking Skills
  3. Apply Theoretical Concepts to Real-World Issues

Course Components

Rhetorical Use of Text

  • Introduction to the Rhetorical Use of Texts: Faith, Persuasion, and Interpretation

    Course Tiles (26)
    10 Minutes
    Assignment
    Lesson Locked

  • Interpreting Enigma, Inclusion, and Marginalization in the Gospels

    thumb (9)
    10 Minutes
    Assignment
    Lesson Locked

  • Postcolonial Perspectives, Identity, and Power in Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book

    thumb (10)
    10 Minutes
    Assignment
    Lesson Locked

  • Hermeneutics and Social Location: Reclaiming Inclusive Biblical Interpretation

    thumb (8)
    10 Minutes
    Assignment
    Lesson Locked

Features and Benefits

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How This Equips Faith Leaders

This section is dedicated to explaining how the course equips faith leaders with necessary tools and insights.

Rhetorical Use of Text (TEL)

Taught by EunHye Grace So

This course develops learners’ critical reading and analytical skills through engagement with both sacred and secular texts. Students will explore key themes, rhetorical strategies, and historical influences, learning to interpret texts within diverse cultural, social, and political contexts. Emphasizing multiple perspectives, the course fosters thoughtful analysis, encourages questioning of assumptions and biases, and connects theoretical concepts to contemporary issues such as inclusivity, social justice, and equity—empowering students to contribute meaningfully to community and global dialogues.

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EunHye Grace So

Meet Your Instructor,
EunHye Grace So

EunHye Grace So, Assistant Professor of New Testament and Rhetorical Studies at Pacific School of Religion, blends her passion for scriptural exegesis with a deep commitment to pastoral ministry. Currently, she is a Ph.D. candidate at the Graduate Theological Union (GTU) in Biblical Studies (New Testament). EunHye’s dissertation’s working title is: “‘Become as I am, for I also have become as you are (Gal 4:12)’: Paul’s Rhetorical Use of Ethos in Galatians,” where she explores how Paul strategically and efficiently uses the Aristotelian rhetorical device, ethos, which is among the three different means of persuasion, pisteis (logos, ethos, pathos), to present himself as credible to the Galatians in order to persuade his audience to accept his main thesis that justification comes by faith/faithfulness and not by works of the law. Before her Ph.D. work, EunHye completed her M.Div. at Presbyterian University and Theological Seminary and B.A. in Christian Education at the same institution. Her research interests include Galatians, Classical Rhetoric, Aristotelian ethos, and 4QMMT.

EunHye has served as an adjunct faculty at the Church Divinity School of The Pacific, Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary, and San Francisco Theological Seminary / Graduate School of Theology of the University of Redlands and taught as a Newhall Teaching Fellow at the Graduate Theological Union. She also acknowledges the importance of balancing academy and faith and desires to be a faith-oriented and spiritually rooted instructor because she considers “teaching” as “ministry.” EunHye is a lifelong Presbyterian and is in the Presbyterian Church of the United States of America (PCUSA) ordination process as a candidate. She has had experience serving as a Children’s Ministry Minister in Seoul, Republic of Korea.

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