The Proverbs and the Art of Persuasion

In this article, George Schwab looks at the subjects of persuasion, motivation and counseling from the book of Proverbs. Schwab argues that the fundamental human need is for wisdom, for God’s counsel. Proverbs describes four kinds of people: the simple, the young, the wise, and the fool. He maintains that the goal of counsel is not alleviation of symptoms but gaining a framework for wise living. Proverbs describes two paths, wisdom and folly, and targets the human “heart” as the control center of life. Proverbs teaches and models the art of persuasion. Schwab concludes with a discussion of the 10 elements of persuasion and 8 elements in individual Proverbs that bear on the counseling task.