I believe the transmission of any message involves the tri-focus of communication: the content of the message, the context of the message, and the conveyor of the message. In On Rhetoric, Aristotle argued that there are three parts to persuasive speech: pathos, ethos, and logos. We can borrow these terms to distinguish the three unique and essential parts of effective Christian spiritual formation through proclamation. Each of these parts of persuasive speech is essential to authentic communication. I would argue that if one of these parts of a sermon is ignored, no real hearing of the Word occurs, and therefore, no real Christian formation takes place. This paradigm can also be used to evaluate any sermon to determine its effectiveness as a true communication of the authentic logos of the Word of God in the authentic ethos of the hearing audience, with the authentic pathos of Church leaders.
