Qualities of a Great Speaker

*1). Think of a speaker you admire (please do not use the President of the United States as an example). Does his or her power to persuade come from ethos, pathos, or logos? Think about your own ability to persuade others. What personal qualities do you have that make you persuasive? Does Aristotle's classification scheme work for them, or do they fit into another category?

A speaker whom I admire greatly is my friend Jason Dulle, a scholar, theologian, and apologist for the Apostolic/Pentecostal movement. Jason is almost finished with his PhD in theology at the age of 27, while supporting his wife and two children. He is one of the most sought after speakers in the United Pentecostal Church.
When you hear Jason speak about the validity of Biblical teachings, the existence of God, and other such arguments you hear reasoning that is drenched in hours upon hours of study. For a single 50 minute lesson he will admit to spending over 20 hours in study. This gives him both ethos and logos rarely seen in individuals who teach upon complicated and sometimes unclear biblical issues.

The logos in his style is plain to see because he is well versed in his field. Because of his long hours of study he is so confident while he is teaching that complicated streams of information are broken down to laymen's terms in matter-of-factly fashion.

This confidence also exudes ethos, or honesty, because almost anyone who is confident about something means that what they are saying is well-thought out, and what they are saying comes from the heart.

The qualities that make me effective in communicating are similar to Jason's, but with a little bit of variation. I am effective when I am confident about my subject matter. Words and reasoning will come easily because I will be comfortable in my confidence. Secondly, my empathy for the audience also helps me get my message across, becaue if I can understand where they are coming from then I can relate my message to them even better.