Authentic Communication

I attended a book event and panel discussion yesterday for "Authentic Communication" by Tim Muehlhoff and Todd Lewis.   Dr Lewis has a really good speaking voice that captures one's attention and comes out clearly; and both authors gave good highlights from a couple of the chapters in their book.

While there really weren't any earth-shatteringly new concepts, however, the speakers were able to pull together several communications points and bring it to the forefront, so that we can be more clearly aware of them:

• Communication is important in order for us to be able to effectively engage the world of ideas within the contours of the Christian Worldview, rather than privatizing our faith
• For someone as analytical and mathematical as I am, the theories and models presented, make sense and are easier to remember:

1. Persuasion and Effectiveness can be modeled by the inversely proportional relationship between predictability and information; which, for someone as analytical and mathematical as I am, makes sense and is easy to remember.  So, for example, Jesus was good at speaking in a manner with "low predictability", in that he used expected and different language and techniques; and that resulted in "high information", getting people's attention and getting His point across
2. The Social Judgment Theory and Latitudes of Acceptance chart is another way to model the concept that the road to salvation is a process and each encounter in evangelism can be a step in that process, from Rejection to Non-Commitment to Acceptance
3. Congruity Theory can help remind us to start with shared "beliefs" by looking for congruency; and then expanding upon that
4. The process of coming to Christ follows the pattern of Compliance->Identification->Internalization; and the three modes of persuasion, most effectively used together, are:  Pathos (emotional proof), Logos (empirical evidence, testimony, logic), and Ethos (source credibility, trustworthiness, charisma)

• "Abnormal Communication" in our "Argument Culture" can be effective in breaking the "Communication Spiral" by altering the normal response.   

1. There are examples from Scripture, such as Romans 12:14, 17; and 1 Peter 3:9, where we not only do not "curse" back; but we offer a blessing.
2. Content is meaningless without the relational aspect, so personal narratives can be effective.  In our "bridge building", we do still need to bring them to the point of decision, but be aware that listening and seeking to understand can easily be casualties in our "Argument Culture"
3. There is a difference in adversarial interaction during debate versus personal interaction; so, that we can agree to disagree on a topic but not extend any dislike to the person.  And we can be "quietly blunt" without being overtly combative or condemning
4. There is a difference between guilt (outside in) and conviction (inside out)

Most importantly, with all these communications concepts, tools, and techniques,  we need to trust the work of the Holy Spirit; and remember that God is omniscient and I am not.  God works in ways we may not even be aware of; and we are not expected to know everything.  Besides, for someone else to be "smarter" or even a better communicator, does not change the TRUTH about God.