N. Claire Jackson
4 articles-
“There is Not One Shred of Evidence That [Being Trans] is Not a Divine Gift”: Grace and Lace Letter and the Rhetorical Construction of an Evangelical Transfeminine Identity ↗
Abstract
Grace and Lace Letter was a newsletter by and for transfeminine evangelicals in the 1990s. This article explores the rhetorical approaches contributors used to bridge these seemingly contradictory identities. Through a recontextualization and historicization of Biblical passages and an employment of a "created this way" discourse, these contributors created possibilities for an evangelical transfeminine identity and advocated for trans acceptance within their evangelical communities. However, these strategies also reveal complicity with other marginalizing discourses. Thus, this article considers the rhetorical processes through which transgender religious identities are constructed and the limitations of such approaches.
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Drawing on Our Jesuit Mission to Make the Case for Rhetoric: A Profile of the Rhetoric and Composition Minor at Holy Cross ↗
Abstract
Despite a rapid growth in student interest, the Rhetoric and Composition minor at the College of the Holy Cross faces staffing challenges due to its placement in an interdisciplinary center but reliance on faculty lines in English. In an attempt to address these challenges, we sought to develop a new gateway course to the minor that was deeply situated within our unique Jesuit small liberal arts context. This profile explains our development of such a course, focusing on the Jesuit rhetorical concept of eloquentia perfecta , or writing and speaking for the common good. Ultimately, we suggest that mission alignment is an important strategy for writing programs at small liberal arts colleges as we work to articulate our value to the institution and draw needed resources to the program.