Course curriculum

    1. Lesson Overview

      FREE PREVIEW

    2. Proverbs and Persuasion Reading

      FREE PREVIEW

    3. Biblical Wisdom on Persuasive Communication

      FREE PREVIEW

    4. Quiz: Proverbs and Persuasion

    5. Proverbs and Persuasion Reflection and Discussion

    1. Lesson Overview

    2. What is Persuasive Communication?

    3. The Persuasive Environment - Audience Analysis

    4. Quiz: What is Persuasive Communication?

    5. Persuasive Communication Reflection Prompts

    6. Creating Your Argument Worksheet

    1. Lesson Overview

    2. How to Think About Persuasion

    3. Dissonance and Vision - The Effects of Persuasion

    4. Quiz: How to Think About Persuasion

    5. Persuasion Reflection Prompts

    1. Lesson Overview

    2. How to Write the Speech

    3. The Five Canons of Rhetoric - Invention

    4. The Five Canons of Rhetoric - Disposition

    5. The Five Canons of Rhetoric - Style

    6. Quiz: Developing a Persuasive Presentation

    7. Outlining Your Speech

    1. Lesson Overview

    2. The Five Canons of Rhetoric - Memory

    3. Quiz: Practicing Your Persuasive Speech

    4. Practicing Your Persuasive Speech Reflection Prompts

    5. Practicing Your Speech Worksheet

    1. Lesson Overview

    2. The Five Canons of Rhetoric - Delivery

    3. Speech Anxiety

    4. Handling Q&A

    5. Presenting Your Persuasive Speech Reflection Prompts

About this course

  • $24.99
  • 1.5 hours of video content
We live in an age of opinions and information, which means you can’t say a word without someone disagreeing with you.

That wouldn’t be a problem, except people can get so angry! How can you navigate disagreements without offending? How do you persuade without losing relationships?

You have two options - take a vow of silence or learn how to be an effective persuasive communicator. Given our roles as ambassadors of the Kingdom of God and Christ’s command that we take the gospel to the world, we need to learn to persuade well.

This course on persuasive communication walks you through some key biblical concepts connected with persuasion, teaches you how persuasion works, and guides you through the process of developing an audience-centered persuasive presentation.

The goal is not manipulation or hard selling, but friendly persuasion. Featuring seven lessons from Tim Milosch, a professor in Biola University's Communication Studies department, the course also contains quizzes, reflection questions, and worksheets to help you develop a persuasive presentation and grow as a communicator.

Course Author

Interim Director of Digital Learning, Biola University Tim Milosch

Tim Milosch is the Interim Director of Digital Learning and an adjunct faculty member in the Political Science Department. He holds graduate degrees in Government (M.A.) and Political Science (Ph.D.) with specialties in the fields of Middle East Politics, Political Philosophy, and International Relations. He currently teaches courses on international affairs and national security and writes about those subjects on Substack at Tim Talks Politics and in the pages of Providence Magazine.

About the Provider

Division of Communication |
Biola University

Biola University's Division of Communication exists to prepare students to become effective communicators, leaders and influencers who can meet today’s challenges and develop employer-impressing skills that are in demand across career fields — from marketing to media, from medicine to ministry, and everything in between.
Learn more about the Division of Communication
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Frequently Asked Questions

  • How long will it take for me to complete this course?

    Each lesson is designed to take approximately 1-2 hours, depending on how deeply you engage the reflection and discussion questions. Since this is a self-paced course, the time it will take you to complete it will depend on the speed with which you want to progress through the course.

  • Will I be able to interact with the professor(s) during the course?

    Since this is a self-paced course, you will have no interaction with the professor(s).

  • Will I need to purchase any additional materials?

    No. The course contains everything you need to successfully complete the course. There are resources recommended at the end of the course that you’re free to purchase if you wish to pursue further study on the course topics.

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