Yep! I know what you are already thinking…How judgmental of you to think you should “judge” Kayne West…isn’t that what Christians get a bad rep for? Yes, it is. However, I’m not taking about judging in the sense of disdaining or being judgmental. I’m talking about assessing Kayne West for his latest claims. And in order to do this I would like to borrow from Aristotle’s three “modes of persuasion,” which have become the standard evaluative tool for anyone engaging in rhetoric: ethos, logos, and pathos. These three rhetorical appeals are a good guide for anyone trying to evaluate a person on the basis of their character, claims, and passion. I believe this Aristotelian model can help us assess Mr. West’s recent buzz as it relates to his Christian profession of faith.

First, ethos has to do with a person’s character, integrity, reputation, and credibility. The question it evokes is, “Can this person be trusted in light of her public testimony or perception?” I believe this is where most Christians get hung up when it comes to assessing Mr. West. Why? Mainly because as a public figure his behavior and message in the past did not line up with Christian and biblical values. Some of his songs, like Drunk and Hot Girls, for instance, use very obscene lyrics (not worth mentioning here…just google it). When it comes to his behavior, he allegedly assaulted both his wife Kim (Kardashian) and a photographer in 2008 while partying at a night club. Therefore, there is some warrant to the skepticism regarding Mr. West’s new found Christian faith (keep in mind, there are countless testimonies of Christians who have done much worse things). But, don’t be fooled, the media and those who oppose the message of Christianity are also having a hard time taking sides. In an article from the New York Post, Hannah Frishberg, writes, “Hundreds of hellfire-haters are firing up the Twitterverse.” While labeling many as “hellfire-haters” on the one hand, she too seems not so convinced about his new methods, for what she labels “Kanye’s church.” She writes, “Kanye’s church also seems to be more of an ad campaign for his music and fashion brand.”

Second, we must evaluate Kanye’s logos. Logos refers to one’s content or message. Logos means “word” in Greek. This is where we must evaluate and analyze the content coming out of Mr. West’s mouth, in other words his personal testimony of salvation and gospel proclamation. Can we trust he is truly a Christian? First, we have to understand the parameters for what constitutes a “Christian.” The Bible is clear about the fact that a Christian is one who professes the gospel. The gospel is clearly spelled out by Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:1-11, basically: Jesus is God, he lived a perfect sinless life, he was crucified, died for our sins, was buried and raised from the dead. According to one of Mr. West’s recent interviews he declared, “Now that I’m in service to Christ, my job is to spread the gospel, to let people know what Jesus has done for me.” He further exclaimed, “I’m a son now. Son of God. I’m free through Christ.” This gives us indication that he truly has had an encounter with Jesus. And for that Christians should rejoice! But can we rejoice and at the same time have doubts concerning his profession since his ethos did not match his logos for most of his life, and for the fact that most of it is very public? Sure! Two things can be true at the same time. The assessment doesn’t stop here, as time passes we will be able to identify the genuineness of his faith.

Finally, is a person’s pathos. Pathos refers to the passion and excitement a person has, which is fueled by his convictions and values. For most of his life Mr. West has been an entertainer. He is a master entertainer. So recently, he decided to launch a “Sunday service,” with full entertainment entourages, production, and artistic elements. This so-called Sunday service has drawn massive crowds. I label it a “so-called” church service, because Sunday worship services are primarily meant for the context of a local established church or congregation. While his unorthodox approach of having Sunday worship services are cause for concern, they certainly have impacted many lives, and many have given their lives to Christ as a result. One pastor by the name of Curvine Brewington writes, “Tonight, worship was lifted, the name of Christ was exalted, the Word of God was preached, a multitude prayed together, the Gospel was clearly proclaimed, and an opportunity to respond was given. In a crowd of 6,000 people from all walks of life, all ages, and all races, I personally witnessed over 1,000 individuals accept Jesus as their Lord & Savior!”

Notice that according to him Christ was exalted, the Word of God was preached, and the gospel was clearly proclaimed. By whom? It’s hard to tell, but certainly Mr. West played a big role in the endeavor! While we may have to cautiously evaluate this new phenomenon, we must also fairly evaluate it, perhaps experience it firsthand, and wait for the fruits (or lack thereof) that will be yielded in the future as a result of Mr. West’s new quest to share Christ and the Gospel with others.

My conclusion? Christians should celebrate Mr. West’s conversion. Christians should use caution for a time to ensure his ethos, logos, and pathos are sound and align with true gospel witness. Christians should celebrate when Mr. West’s endeavors bring others into immediate contact with the message of the Gospel and Christ. and finally, remember…”judge not, lest ye be judged” (Matthew 7:1).

Written by Daniel Messina