Written Communication Feb 2026

Rhetoric and Affect: The Role of Faith in Student Writers’ Wayfinding

Amy D. Williams Brigham Young University ; Jonathan Ostenson Brigham Young University

Abstract

This article adds to previous literature on writing “wayfinding” by examining how a writer’s religious beliefs and commitments shape their rhetorical choices and influence their writing wayfinding. The 5-year longitudinal study we report here used discourse-based interviews to understand the experiences of student writers who are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Examining texts our study participants wrote in and outside of college classrooms, our analysis highlights moments when they used emotion and affect as rhetorical strategies to accomplish instrumental and relational goals. We found that in these moments, participants’ commitments as Latter-day Saints and their related identities significantly affected their writing decisions and their sense of wayfinding, particularly as they navigated writing contexts outside of familiar academic settings. The article suggests that understanding the challenges and opportunities writers face in the intersections between their rhetorical choices and their commitments as members of an organized church can help writing teachers better support students' writing development.

Journal
Written Communication
Published
2026-02-21
DOI
10.1177/07410883251410169
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Open Access
Closed
Topics
rhetorical criticism discourse analysis empirical research affect and writing
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