Listening to the Logos

"Listening to the Logos is a creatively insightful synthesis of primary works and secondary scholarship that explains the dynamic interaction between logos and sophia in ancient Greek thought by examining the relationship of these critical concepts with such developing notions as phronesis, nous, and doxa. Johnstone's meticulous and detailed scholarship reveals how the meaning of wisdom changes from mythic to pragmatic and, in the process of his analysis, readers benefit from insights into the diachronics of Greek mentalities, the forces at work that shape thought and expression, and the implications of those modifications across time. Johnstone explains the grounding of Hellenic rhetoric and philosophy, offers a sensitive understanding of issues of morality, and establishes a context for such important thinkers as Plato, Aristotle and the Sophists. True to the spirit of this work, Johnstone also reflects on his own developing notions of the relationship between thought and expression in rhetoric."—Richard Leo Enos, Piper Professor and Lillian Radford Chair of Rhetoric and Composition,Texas Christian University

"Listening to the Logos is the magnum opus from Christopher Johnstone that scholars of classical rhetoric have been waiting for. Johnstone gives us a comprehensive account of the evolving relationship between wisdom and reasoned speech across some four centuries of Greek thought, from Homer to Aristotle. The synthesis of primary texts is unparalleled in previous rhetorical studies and the narrative crafted in these pages sparkles with the originality and insight we've come to expect from Johnstone. His study moves with remarkable thoroughness and pithy prose to advance our knowledge of how wisdom was formed and expressed in the classical world."—Edward Schiappa, Paul W. Frenzel Chair in Liberal Arts and Department of Communication Studies chair, University of Minnesota