In this study, we examine the interrelationship between language, faith, gender, and environmental attitudes, revealing how men's andwomen's language within their denominational faith perspectives prescribe competing environmental behaviors. We interviewed students at three west Michigan seminaries, dividing each seminary group into men and women participants. Each group listened andresponded to a set of real-life narratives and Biblical verses. In an attempt to understand the seminarians' environmental perspectives, we conducted a rhetorical analysis of the discussions of the men's and women's transcripts. A distinction between the men's and women's views and relationships to nature was evident through themes, language used, and stories told. Women at the Reformed seminaries expressed a personal connection to place and a vision of nature as part of their community, indicating that these future ministers may be more likely to work with their congregations on environmental issues.

While the Vatican embraces the web for its potential to connect directly to its wide base of followers, it also confronts increased competition amidst a large number of attractive religious alternatives on the web. Drawing upon classical conceptions of ethos and also contemporary theories of identity, this investigation reveals that a large range of techniques is possible to negotiate these demands. This case study demonstrates how a group's special circumstances could call for a different set of rules regarding ethos and identity, and serves as a beginning for those wishing to evaluate the ethosbuilding techniques of online religious groups and as a historical account of the Vatican's online persuasive strategies at one point in its evolution.

This study describes a phenomenon in political rhetoric labeled The Pharisee Effect. The term describes those situations in which religious appeals are used within the political context and have a boomerang effect on the targeted audience, i.e., the audience reacts negatively to the appeal. The authors argue that the phenomenon of the Pharisee Effects fits within general game theory in that the political context encourages an escalating exchange of messages which can lead one of the participants to engage in rhetoric that voter consider unacceptable. When the religious appeal goes too far, it may be subject to negative evaluations regarding the speaker's intention or motivations. These negative evaluations could fall into one of five different categories: (1) self-serving motivations, (2) hypocrisy, (3) inappropriateness, (4) fanaticism, or (5) a ''holierthan-thou" attitude.

From a study of 59 adult women's stories about self-esteem, a commontheme emerged from 41 of the stories - that faith experiences play an important role in those women's self-esteem. This paper explains both the positive and negative roles played by Christianity and the church, and relationships within the church, for these women's self-esteem. The positive influences on self-esteem were typically held by the women who spoke of a "personal" relationship with God vs. a "church"-centered relationship with God, leading the author to propose that God can be considered as a "significant other" for the theory of symbolic interactionism. Implications for communication scholars, in terms of expanding the theory of symbolic interactionism to include a "divine other" and one's faith experiences, are explored.

This paper aims to bring clarification and justification to the common assumption that The Epistle to Diognetus is a second-century Christian apology. The essay begins with an analysis of the rhetorical situation of Diognetus and then proceeds, in the second section, to a rhetorical analysis of several other second-century apologies in order to illustrate how they contrast and compare to Diognetus. In the third section I argue that, despite the differences between the works considered, they are all united in the fact that they arise from similar rhetorical situations.

The visual and spatial orientation of Western and Greek thought is analyzed against the aural and temporal perspective found in a Jewish and Hebrew mode of thought These different modes of thought have directed the use of language and communication within these two groups; by comparing these two methods of communication, we are able to locate and discuss the strengths and the weaknesses of each. A new balance between the two can encourage a more effective and affective communication.

For the majority of known history, the deaf have been considered social and spiritual outcasts. Limited knowledge of deaf impairment restricted deaf communication in society and the church, as well as in education. This essay contrasts historical practices in deaf education with those of two Benedictine monks, Pedro Ponce de León and Abbé Charles-Michel de l'Épée, who are considered the first to have educated the deaf. Furthermore, this essay suggests a contemporary model for deaf education based on the Rule of Saint Benedict as applied by the Benedictines in early deaf education.

Factors such as religion and spirituality influence identity formation. Though parents serve as the primary influence on identity in childhood, the search for identity becomes more independent as adolescence progresses. Upon departure from the parent's home, factors outside the family, including peers and the media, take on greater influence. Undergraduate students (N = 100) were surveyed regarding religion and spirituality in relation to media consumption, gender and communication with parents, and selection of a religious versus secular college. Positive results were indicated for religious identification and use of religious and spiritual media, as well as for communication with parents about religion and spirituality. Additionally, religious identification was apositive factor for selecting a religious college.