Kyle Gerber Wins 2023 Michael Purves-Smith Paper Award

Kyle Gerber has received RhetCanada’s Michael Purves-Smith Student Paper Award for his paper, “Re-imagining the Rhetorical Powers of Prayer,” presented at the 2023 RhetCanada conference. The committee offered the following comments:

Kyle’s study of prayer as devotional practice and theological site (with reference to Amish programs of spiritual formation and attitude) was interesting and demonstrated a sustained engagement with the thinking of Kenneth Burke. His paper provided a sustained, textured rhetorical treatment, and  his delivery was engaged, confident, and  invested in his topic. The work had a depth and maturity and commitment.

Congratulations Kyle!