The Rhetoric of Passions in John Tillotson's Sermons

Abstract

As the leading member of the Latitudinarian movement, scholars have often referred to John Tillotson as the father of the reform of ecclesiastical oratory that took place in the second half of the seventeenth century. His influence as a prose writer continued in the eighteenth century and his writings were appreciated by religious and lay critics. Although his style has been often described as ‘impassionate’, sober and reiterative, this article shows how he adapted his style to conquer the hearts of the congregation by exploiting two passions, self-love and fear, which are impossible to eradicate in Man.

Keywords

• Eighteenth-century Rhetoric. Latitudinarianism. Passions. Sermons. Tillotson