The act of exhorting refers to the act of speaking to someone with the intention of convincing them of something, making a proposal or encouraging them. Normally the one who exhorts is an individual who has a certain authority over others.
A general addresses his army before battle through an exhortation. Similarly, a religious leader addresses his faithful or a political leader addresses his followers through words with which he tries to convey ideas or feelings that serve to motivate them. In any case, an exhortation is a proposal based on reasoning.
In the action of exhorting there are three elements: someone who speaks, an audience and the content of a speech. For words to be convincing, the speaker must have certain qualities, such as ease of speech, moral and intellectual authority, and the ability to connect with others.
If the exhorter has discursive ability, the audience will pay attention and will most likely accept the proposal of the speech. In terms of content, it will be convincing if the message is clear, emotional and direct.
In the theological realm
The term exhortation comes from the Greek, specifically from paraklesis, which could be translated as appeal or consolation. In the New Testament there are several references to this concept and it is usually used to mention the gift of convincing or encouraging others through words. In this sense, Jesus Christ exhorted his followers, that is, he proposed something that should govern their behavior (for this he used parables that served as examples that illustrated his teachings).
In the military field
Before the start of a battle, soldiers know that they can die. Consequently, whoever exhorts them (for example, the general in command) must persuade them to be courageous and determined. The general's words are a kind of exhortation, specifically a harangue. In the harangue the spirit of the troops is inflamed with very resounding ideas (save the country, fight in the name of God or fight for the freedom of a people).
Types of speakers
There are speakers who make their exhortation reach the hearts of those who listen to them, while others are boring. Broadly speaking, there are four types of speakers:
1) he who speaks only when he is very sure of what he is going to say and his reasoning is based on rigorous information,
2) the one who addresses others with emotional intensity and a certain aggressiveness,
3) the sympathetic speaker who uses humor to connect with the audience and
4) the practical speaker whose purpose is to explain some ideas as well as possible.
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