Our Approach
Logos · Ethos · Pathos — truth, character and transformation, held together to help faith shape the whole person.
Why Logos, Ethos & Pathos?
The classical rhetorical triad — Logos, Ethos, Pathos — predates Christianity by centuries. Aristotle identified them as the three fundamental modes of persuasion. We have reclaimed them as a formation framework because each one helps us bring understanding, character and transformation together.
Logos points to Christ himself: "In the beginning was the Word (Logos), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." (John 1:1). We believe truth matters: Christian claims welcome honest questions and careful investigation. Our writing aims to be logically sound, scripturally grounded and intellectually honest.
Ethos echoes Paul's call to "speak the truth in love" (Ephesians 4:15). Character matters. Credibility matters. We hold ourselves accountable to a standard that goes beyond accuracy — it demands integrity of motive and transparency of method.
Pathos reflects the God who wept at Lazarus's tomb (John 11:35) and was "moved with compassion" when he saw the crowds (Matthew 9:36). Faith is more than something to understand: it is lived and experienced, engaging both mind and heart.
The Three Pillars
Logos
Truth Matters
In the beginning was the Word — and truth matters. We welcome questions, investigate Christian claims carefully, and aim to engage fairly with the strongest arguments. Scripture deserves to be read in context.
Theologically, Logos points to Christ himself (John 1:1). Writing with Logos is therefore not merely academic discipline; it is an act of worship — bringing our best thinking before the one who is Truth itself.
Ethos
Character Matters
Knowledge alone does not produce maturity. Ethos means we seek integrity, wisdom, humility, compassion, courage and faithfulness — acknowledging uncertainty, correcting errors, and treating those we disagree with fairly.
For a Christian writer this is inseparable from character: we are called to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). Ethos is not a rhetorical trick; it is a way of life that earns the right to be heard.
Pathos
Transformation Matters
Christianity is more than something to understand; it is something to experience. Wonder, beauty, hope and worship matter. Pathos engages both mind and heart, inviting the whole person into a life increasingly shaped by Christ.
Jesus wept (John 11:35). He was moved with compassion (Matthew 9:36). Pathos in our writing is an imitation of that tenderness — an insistence that theology is never merely abstract, but always touches real lives.
Before We Publish: Our Editorial Commitment
Nothing appears on Cross Shaped without being held against all three lenses. The process is intentionally slow and deliberate, because we believe publishing carelessly dishonours both the reader and the God we are writing about.
- Research intensively. Every article, commentary passage, or book excerpt is researched from primary sources — Scripture, early church fathers, credible scholars — before a single word of our own is written. We do not rely on second-hand summaries.
- Apply the Logos test. Is the argument logically valid? Are all factual claims verified? Have we engaged honestly with the strongest form of the opposing view? Does the use of Scripture respect its original context?
- Apply the Ethos test. Would a thoughtful critic see this as honest? Have we disclosed our assumptions? Are we prepared to be publicly corrected if we are wrong? Does this piece represent the people we are discussing fairly?
- Apply the Pathos test. Will a grieving parent, a doubting student, or a sceptical friend feel respected by this writing? Does it communicate warmth as well as conviction? Have we stripped out language that wounds without building?
- Sit with it. We do not publish the day we finish writing. We return to each piece after a pause — sometimes days, sometimes weeks — and ask all three questions again with fresh eyes.
- Publish, and remain accountable. Once published, we remain open to correction. Errors are corrected visibly, not silently. Readers who challenge our reasoning with substance will receive a substantive response.
This is not perfectionism for its own sake. It is the natural outworking of believing that every word we write about the living God carries weight.
Across Every Section of the Site
Articles
Each article is framed around a question worth asking and a case worth making — tested against Logos, Ethos, and Pathos before publication.
Commentaries
Bible commentary requires the highest Logos standard. Every interpretive claim is grounded in the text, historically informed, and held with appropriate humility.
Books & Long-form
Longer works carry more responsibility. The Ethos and Pathos tests become even more important when the reader is investing hours rather than minutes.
"Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person."
Colossians 4:6