Faculty Spotlight: Paul Lynch, Ph.D.
The College of Arts and Sciences at Saint Louis University is proud to announce that
Paul Lynch, Ph.D., associate professor of English, has been awarded the 2024 Religious
Communication Association (RCA) Book Award for his monograph "Persuasions of God:
Inventing the Rhetoric of René Girard." This prestigious honor, bestowed by the RCA
— a division of the National Communication Association — recognizes significant contributions
to the fields of communication and rhetoric, particularly in their intersections with
religion.
Lynch’s "Persuasions of God" is a groundbreaking rhetorical study of René Girard,
the renowned French-American theorist whose work reimagined the relationship between
religion, violence and human culture. By exploring Girard’s unique perspectives, the
SLU faculty member offers readers a compelling examination of how rhetoric shapes
and redefines understandings of faith and sacrifice.
Reflecting on the design process of the book’s cover, Lynch shared, “One of the original
designs featured the earliest known depiction of the cross in association with Christianity,
the Alexamenos graffito. It’s fascinating because it captures how absurd the idea
of a crucified god would have seemed in the second century. Crucifixions weren’t just
torturous — they were meant to humiliate. It’s a stark reminder of how radically this
symbol has been transformed.”
At SLU, Lynch specializes in rhetoric and composition. He earned his Ph.D. from Purdue
University and teaches a wide array of courses that engage with rhetoric, literature,
and interdisciplinary approaches to understanding faith and culture. His scholarship
has been widely recognized, and his work continues to inspire students and peers alike.
The College of Arts and Sciences congratulates Lynch on this well-deserved recognition and celebrates his contributions to the academic community at Saint Louis University and beyond.
