Book Description

Speaking with Spirit: A Guide for Christian Speakers was deemed “the most thorough treatment on the subject of public speaking I have ever seen” by Linus Wright, Former Under Secretary in the U.S. Department of Education. Vassallo published a former edition of this book in 1990, which was declared a “must for an excellent collection of books of this genre” by the American Library Association. Endorsements “This extraordinary piece of work is the most thorough treatment on the subject of public speaking I have ever seen. Speaking with Spirit is full of factual information organized in easily recognizable categories. I was particularly gratified to find not only a catalog of possible openings for different types of speeches but also an example of each taken from a successful presentation. When you have finished Wanda's book, you will regard speaking before an audience as something to anticipate with confidence and optimism.” —LINUS WRIGHT, Former Under Secretary, U.S. Department of Education, and Dallas Schools Superintendent “At last! A public speaking book written especially for Christian speakers. Wanda's book will serve as a trusted guide for the novice speaker as well as a valuable reference for the experienced speaker cast onto unfamiliar turf, such as appearing on television for the first time. Her examples of different genres of speeches, tailor-made for Christian audiences, provide a treasure trove of proven material.” —MAMIE MCCULLOUGH, Motivational Speaker and Author “I am so pleased that Wanda has written another book on speaking. Her previous book on the subject proved to be very popular at our conferences. We sold several hundred copies. Wanda has spoken at our conferences over the years and has always been a favorite among our people. I know this book will be well received. I am eager to begin offering it to our conference attendees.” —REG A. FORDER, Director of American Christian Writers “This book by Wanda Vassallo will be much appreciated and used by pastors and leaders in Christian churches, as well as by speakers in other contexts. Having served as a pastor for 28 years, as well as being a theological educator and a denominational executive, I am called on to speak in a variety of settings. Based on my experiences, I know that Wanda's book will be a priceless resource for the Christian leader. I recommend it without reservation.” —REV. RONALD E. VALLET, D. Min., Author, Adjunct Professor, McMaster Divinity College; Pastor, Fredonia Baptist Church, Fredonia, N.Y.; Minister for Stewardship and Mission Support, American Baptist Churches of New York “I taught Communications in a Christian University for many years and often used Jesus Christ as an example of the greatest of the communicators. Naturally, I directed my students to scriptures that verified that fact, but I never had a complete scriptural reference to Christ's sermons, teachings, speeches, and arguments. Now, Wanda Vassallo has included in her first-rate public speaking textbook, a chapter on “Jesus as a Speaker—Our Example!” This is a true blessing for the Christian speech teacher. It's all there in Dr. Vassallo's book—all the scripture references, the interpretations of those scriptures, and the speech “techniques” of Christ! It's all there in a textbook that goes on to tell the student and the teacher how best to present oneself before an audience. It's all there in one volume—a complete course in public speaking. A text like this with Jesus as the master speaker has long been needed. Now, it's available. Our prayers have been answered. Thank you, Dr. Wanda Vassallo!” —DR. ROSE-MARY RUMBLEY, University Professor, Professional Speaker, and Author