“A public speaking book unlike any other: a joy to read, personal, engaging, interesting, faith-directed, and practical. Schultze’s experiences and stories often make this book read more like a novel than a textbook. It is the kind of book you will want to keep and use repeatedly—and give to friends who are afraid of speaking or who have never really learned how to speak well.”
—Martin Medhurst, Baylor University
“Rarely are instructional books relevant and excellent. This is one such innovative rarity, with impeccable pedagogy and masterful writing.”
—Clifford Christians, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign (emeritus)
“This is the most interesting, thorough, and useful speaking text I have ever encountered! It is my dream. I can’t wait to use it. It includes exactly what I need to teach others. Schultze beautifully integrates Christian principles and practices with comprehensive material on ethical and effective speaking. Everything I have wanted in a text for students in my public speaking courses is in this book.”
—Mary Albert Darling, Spring Arbor University
“Since our human communication reflects God’s communication to us, we should not hesitate to invite God’s wisdom into our efforts. Schultze’s Essential Guide to Public Speaking does just that, lending biblical insight and Christian sensitivity to the sphere of public speaking.”
—Paul A. Soukup, SJ, Santa Clara University
“Master teacher Quentin Schultze’s timely text on public speaking is more than a guidebook on learning how to communicate effectively in diverse settings. It is truly an essential guide for articulating one’s faith with confidence and joy and living out one’s life with humility and virtue. Readers will discover how loving one’s audience may even chase out the fear of public speaking.”
—Terry Lindvall, Virginia Wesleyan College
“The speech-making process no longer has to be a nail-biter, full of stress and anxiety. Schultze has created a Christ-oriented speaking guide that functions as a lifeline for those involved in the art and practice of public speaking. This wonderful book is theoretically grounded, organized for easy reference, and written in an engaging way that informs, inspires, and entertains. Speakers, both novice and advanced, will find helpful explanations and useful tips throughout the book’s pages. Anyone seriously applying this information to their own speaking behaviors will see their skills grow.”
—Don Simmons, Asbury University
“Dr. Schultze’s subtitle captures the heart and soul of this wonderful book: serving audiences with faith, skill, and virtue. I have witnessed Schultze himself using the principles in his book. What a joy to learn from a true servant speaker. He has poured himself into this book to enable us to embody these qualities. I can’t wait to see our campuses filled with servant speakers!”
—Patricia R. Harris, president, Kuyper College
“Pithy, principled, and practical, Schultze’s second edition of An Essential Guide to Public Speaking serves as a thorough handbook for preparing and delivering speeches in the interest of faithful communication. You can tell that Quin has been there—in loving his audience, planning his talks, and serving with integrity and grace. Appropriate for professors, pastors, students, and people in the pew who hope to gain wisdom and credibility for speaking well.”
—Bill Strom, Trinity Western University
“This commendable book integrates rhetoric, faith, and speaking skills. By far the best text for teaching public speaking at Christian universities.”
—John Pauley, Eastern University
“An Essential Guide to Public Speaking is the necessary alternative to secular public speaking texts—compellingly replete with biblical insights and lessons from church history. Schultze powerfully serves his reading audience by building around the central premise, employed from the Savior, that the greatest speech performer will be the servant of all, including opponents and even the seemingly disinterested. Characteristics of effective service are centrally tied to the nine fruits of the Spirit, which is offered as a chief preparatory filter for ‘servant speaking.’ This is truly a biblically informed offering. I’ve loved what I’ve learned!”
—Paul D. Patton, Spring Arbor University
“An Essential Guide to Public Speaking integrates the importance of Christian faith and civic virtue. Dr. Schultze encourages readers to become servant communicators who love God and, therefore, bring their own voices into harmony with God’s to love and serve others. With topics like ‘prophetic voice’ and ‘advocating for others,’ he goes beyond other public speaking primers and helps Christians develop their own virtuous voices. This is the perfect text for public speaking courses at Christian universities.”
—Brandon Knight, William Carey University
“Dr. Schultze’s new edition is even better than the excellent one I used for years. It is interesting, engaging, and even inspiring—all in a textbook that seamlessly integrates faith and skill. I yearn to get back in the classroom with this terrific book.”
—Lew VanderMeer, senior pastor, New Community Church, Grand Rapids, Michigan
“An Essential Guide to Public Speaking is a ‘God-send’ for instructors teaching at Christian colleges and universities. Students will appreciate the warm, inviting voice of the author and the multiple contemporary examples he uses to illustrate his advice. They will also quickly realize that the guidance Schultze offers will help them to be more successful in class and with outside audiences. Instructors will appreciate the way Dr. Schultze uses rhetorical theory to undergird the guidance he gives and his emphasis on ethical considerations and speaker integrity. They may also find the organizational structure of the text a model for how they want to structure the progression of assignments in their syllabus.”
—Em Griffin, Wheaton College (emeritus)
“Schultze has done it again! Written directly to students, as his ‘audience neighbors,’ this text imparts rich Augustinian and ancient rhetorical scholarship while providing practical advice on overcoming anxiety.”
—Elizabeth W. McLaughlin, Bethel University, Indiana