Charitable Writing: Cultivating Virtue Through Our Words

“In Charitable Writing, Richard Gibson and James Beitler achieve the worthy goal they set for themselves: they draw on rhetorical theory as well as art and writers in the Christian tradition to explore the all-encompassing effects of Christian love (charity) on the practice of academic writing. When Christians compose with the aim of enacting charity, they listen with humility, they respond to others as fellow children of God, and they demonstrate the discipline required by the metanoic process of writing. Gibson and Beitler offer fresh and worthy models for writers as they seek to embody the law of love.”

“Gibson and Beitler draw upon a broad, deep understanding of the Christian tradition as it is represented in both word and image. Charitable Writing will inspire students and their teachers to approach the task of composing argumentative prose in a new way: as a spiritual discipline animated by love of God and love of neighbor. For as long as I continue to teach and to write, I will keep their wise book close at hand.”

“In this delightful book, Richard Hughes Gibson and James E. Beitler III take an approach unusual in writing studies—something I can best call ekphrastic criticism—to offer us a lovely new way to consider the art and craft of writing and the vital ways it is linked to our very discipleship. For Gibson and Beitler, to 'listen humbly, argue lovingly, and keep the time of writing hopefully' is to understand our own faith incarnated in our words, the high calling of writing as spiritual practice.”

“Charitable Writing offers a transformative vision of writing as a Christian spiritual practice. It is a compelling book that invites readers to reimagine the generative ways Christian tradition can animate writing practices, rhetorical education, and rhetoric itself.”

“At this time of cultural polarization that is undermining the basis of democracy and threatening the unity of Christians, Charitable Writing offers lessons of the highest importance, not just to Christians but to all who care for the future of our civilization.”

“Richard Hughes Gibson and James E. Beitler III offer a refreshing alternative to agonistic argumentation, inviting us—readers and writers, teachers and students—to reimagine writing with humility as its cornerstone. Assembling a polyptych of saints as models for what such charitable writing might look like, Gibson and Beitler have added themselves to this great cloud of witnesses. Their nuanced and generous book led me to rethink the habits informing my own reading, writing, and teaching; may it do the same for you.”

“Who we are is absolutely foundational for anything we write. Gibson and Beitler take us to the heart of this largely unexamined principle. Without being grounded as people, our writing will run into a ditch, or we will, or both. As just one instance of this, the authors unmask the menacing metaphor of argument as a form of war, generously offering alternatives to reshape us. Throughout they gently yet firmly guide us to embrace loving others not only in what we write but in how we write.”

“I have lived my life attempting to follow Christ and have devoted my academic career to understanding rhetoric and religion. Yet Charitable Writing challenged me to think about writing as spiritual practice in ways I never had. Listening humbly, arguing lovingly, keeping time hopefully: take these concepts even remotely seriously, and they will transform your idea of what writing ought to be. Kudos to Gibson and Beitler. This is important work.”