The History and Theory of Rhetoric

An Introduction

Luke Winslow (Baylor University, USA), James A. Herrick (Hope College, USA)

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English

Routledge
18 August 2025

Public speaking guides; Writing & editing guides; Semantics; Communication studies; Media studies

By tracing the traditional progression of rhetoric from the Greek Sophists to contemporary theorists, this updated eighth edition gives students a conceptual framework for evaluating and practicing persuasive writing and speaking in a wide range of settings, including written, visual, and digital media.

Through an expansive historical purview, the book illustrates how persuasive public discourse performs essential social functions and shapes our societies, drawing on the ideas of many of history’s greatest thinkers and theorists. This new edition includes an integrated exploration of non-Western rhetorics, an updated account of contemporary rhetoric, and an enhanced analysis of rhetorical theory in a digital age. Known for its clear writing style and contemporary examples throughout, The History and Theory of Rhetoric emphasizes the relevance of rhetoric to today’s students.

This revised edition serves as a core textbook for rhetoric courses in both English and communication programs, covering both the historical tradition of rhetoric and contemporary rhetoric studies.

A suite of online resources, including a detailed instructor’s manual, PowerPoint slides, and videos from Dr. Winslow, can be found on the Instructor and Student Resources website at www.routledgelearning.com/historyofrhetoric.

By: Luke Winslow (Baylor University USA), James A. Herrick (Hope College, USA)
Imprint: Routledge
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Edition: 8th edition
Dimensions: Height: 254mm, Width: 178mm,
Weight: 870g
ISBN: 9781032816616
ISBN 10: 1032816619
Pages: 366
Publication Date: 18 August 2025
Audience: College/higher education , Primary
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

1. An Overview of Rhetoric 2. The Origins and Early History of Rhetoric 3. Plato versus the Sophists: Rhetoric on Trial 4. Aristotle on Rhetoric 5. Rhetoric at Rome 6. Rhetoric in Christian Europe and North America 7. Rhetoric in the Renaissance 8. Enlightenment Rhetoric 9. Rhetoric and Modernity 10. Rhetoric and Postmodernity 11. Rhetoric in the Twenty-First Century

Luke Winslow is Associate Professor of Rhetorical Studies in the Department of Communication at Baylor University. His teaching and research interests include rhetorical studies, political communication, and the rhetoric of religion. He is the author of numerous scholarly essays and five books, including Oligarchy in America: Power, Justice, and the Rule of the Few. He lives in Waco, Texas, with his wife, Addie, and their three children. James A. Herrick was Emeritus Professor of Communication at Hope College, USA. His publications included Argumentation: Understanding and Shaping Arguments, 6th edition (2017) and Visions of Technological Transcendence: Human Enhancement and the Rhetoric of the Future (2017). In 2020, Dr. Herrick retired after teaching at Hope College for 36 years. He passed away on May 24, 2024.