Evaluating Feedback from Audience for Effective Relatable Examples
Effective communication, particularly in teaching or preaching, often relies on the judicious use of relatable examples, a practice with roots in biblical wisdom and early Christian thought. The book of Proverbs emphasizes the value of speaking "pertinently" with "apt expressions" that are "adapted to the case of the person spoken to" [1]. This ancient wisdom suggests that words, like "golden apples in pictures of silver," gain their value from being well-circumstanced and timely [1].
Jesus himself frequently employed parables, which are stories that draw an analogy between everyday life and spiritual truths [2]. These parables, such as those found in Matthew 13, were designed to communicate profound messages in an accessible way, even if their full meaning was not immediately apparent to all listeners [2]. The effectiveness of such examples lies in their ability to connect with the audience's lived experience, making abstract concepts more concrete. However, interpreters are cautioned against over-allegorizing every detail of a parable, focusing instead on its central analogy and historical context [2].
The Preacher in Ecclesiastes also "gave good heed" to finding "acceptable" words and writing "uprightly... truth" [3]. This suggests a deliberate effort to craft messages that are both agreeable in style and correct in sentiment, implying an awareness of the audience's reception [3]. The act of "weighing" words indicates a careful consideration of their impact and suitability [3].
Early Christian thinkers like Augustine also recognized the importance of tailoring discourse to different audiences. In his work On the Holy Trinity, Augustine discusses how an address should be "adapted to different classes of hearers" [5]. He suggests that observing actual engagement with topics can provide a more thorough understanding of effective communication than merely reading about it [5]. Augustine also acknowledges that a speaker might find their own discourse displeasing even if it is well-received by others, indicating a subjective element in evaluating one's own communication [7]. one tradition notes that in this life, understanding is often "as in an enigma," implying that perfect clarity is an elusive goal, yet the effort to communicate effectively remains crucial [7].
The concept of "private judgment" is also relevant to how an audience receives and processes examples. The apostle Paul, in 1 Corinthians 10:15, appeals to his audience's "own powers of judgment to weigh the force of the argument" [4]. This implies that listeners are not passive recipients but active participants who evaluate the examples and arguments presented to them [4]. While acknowledging the potential "weakness of private judgment," the Jamieson, Fausset & Brown commentary on this passage argues against dismissing its use, emphasizing the responsibility of individuals to judge for themselves [4]. This highlights the dynamic interaction between speaker and audience, where the effectiveness of examples is ultimately determined by the audience's capacity and willingness to engage with them.
Clement of Alexandria, in his preface, describes his treatise as hinting at some things, lingering on others, and merely mentioning still others, aiming to "speak imperceptibly, to exhibit secretly, and to demonstrate silently" [6]. This approach suggests a nuanced understanding of communication, where the impact of examples might not always be overt but can work through subtle suggestion and gradual revelation [6]. This method acknowledges that different points may require different levels of emphasis and directness, depending on the subject matter and the intended effect on the audience [6].
The careful selection and presentation of examples are thus not merely stylistic choices but integral to the transmission of truth. The biblical and patristic emphasis on speaking pertinently, using analogies, and adapting discourse to the audience underscores a long-standing recognition that effective communication requires an understanding of the listener's context and capacity for reception [1, 2, 5]. This involves a deliberate process of "weighing" words and considering their impact, rather than simply delivering information [3]. Even when faced with the inherent difficulties of perfect communication, as Augustine noted, the effort to make truth accessible through relatable examples remains a vital endeavor [7].
Sources
- Proverbs (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Proverbs 25:11: Solomon here shows how much it becomes a man, 1. To speak pertinently: A word upon the wheels, that runs well, is well-circumstanced, in proper time and place - instruction, advice, or comfort, given seasonably, and in apt expressions, adapted to the case of the person spoken to and agreeing with the character of the person speaking - is like golden balls resembling apples, or like true apples of a golden colour (golden rennets), or perhaps gilded, as sometimes we have gilded laurels, and those embossed in pictures of silver, or rather brought to table in a sil”
- Matthew (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Matthew 13:3: 13:3-9 This parable (interpreted in 13:18-23) addresses the mostly negative responses of the Jewish nation to Jesus and his message. • Parables (Greek parabolē) are stories that usually express an analogy between a common aspect of life and a spiritual truth. To understand a parable, it is necessary to locate the central analogy and understand it in its historical context and in the context of the Gospel text; then the central message can be understood. Speculative allegorical meanings that were not intended should not be found in every element of a parable.”
- Ecclesiastes (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Ecclesiastes 12:9: gave good heed--literally, "he weighed." The "teaching the people" seems to have been oral; the "proverbs," in writing. There must then have been auditories assembled to hear the inspired wisdom of the Preacher. See the explanation of Koheleth in the Introduction, and chapter 1 (Kg1 4:34). that which is written, &c.--rather, (he sought) "to write down uprightly (or, 'aright') words of truth" [HOLDEN and WEISS]. "Acceptable" means an agreeable style; "uprightly . . . truth," correct sentiment.”
- 1 Corinthians (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on 1 Corinthians 10:15: Appeal to their own powers of judgment to weigh the force of the argument that follows: namely, that as the partaking of the Lord's Supper involves a partaking of the Lord Himself, and the partaking of the Jewish sacrificial meats involved a partaking of the altar of God, and, as the heathens sacrifice to devils, to partake of an idol feast is to have fellowship with devils. We cannot divest ourselves of the responsibility of "judging" for ourselves. The weakness of private judgment is not an argument against its use, but its abuse. We should t”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 3: Augustine — On the Holy Trinity — CHAP. 15.--OF THE METHOD IN WHICH OUR ADDRESS SHOULD BE ADAPTED TO DIFFERENT CLASSES OF HEARERS. (part 3): discourse which you ought to follow,(2) you should acquire a more thorough understanding of the matter by contemplating us, and listening to us when we are actually engaged with these topics, than by a perusal when we are only dictating them.”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 2: Hermas, Tatian, Theophilus, Athenagoras, Clement of Alexandria — CHAP. I.--PREFACE--THE AUTHOR'S OBJECT--THE UTILITY OF WRITTEN COMPOSITIONS.(1) (part 9): his footsteps. Some things my treatise will hint; on some it will linger; some it will merely mention. It will try to speak imperceptibly, to exhibit secretly, and to demonstrate silently. The dogmas taught by remarkable sects will be adduced; and to these will be opposed all that ought to be premised in accordance with the profoundest contemplation of the knowledge, which, as we proceed to the renowned and venerable canon of trad”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 3: Augustine — On the Holy Trinity — CHAP. 2.--HOW IT OFTEN HAPPENS THAT A DISCOURSE WHICH GIVES PLEASURE TO THE HEARER IS DISTASTEFUL TO THE SPEAKER; AND WHAT EXPLANATION IS TO BE OFFERED OF THAT FACT. (part 3): that your discourse is not displeasing to others as it is displeasing to yourself; and you ought not to consider yourself unfruitful, simply because you do not succeed in setting forth in such a manner as you desire the things which you discern; for, perchance, you may be just as little able to discern them in the way you wish. For in this life who sees except as "in an enig”