In this contribution, I briefly discuss how our research program within the Culture & Education research group at Ghent University was—amongst others—inspired by the scholarly work of Andrew Stables and more specifically his turn toward literary and cultural theory as an essential and perhaps even foundational framework for educational studies. Starting from Stables’ seminal work Living and Learning as Semiotic Engagement: A new Theory of Education, I discuss how within our research we focus on rhetorical criticism as a primary model for knowledge and understanding. I briefly discuss the so-called rhetorical turn within the humanities and social sciences and then set out how we explore the pedagogical implications of an anthropological perspective on rhetoric, specifically in relation to and building on the work of Kenneth Burke. Although we do not in general work with theoretical conceptions of semiotics, and our work cannot be catalogued as EduSemiotics, I emphasize how Stables’ turn towards literary and cultural theory has also inspired us in our own turn towards rhetorical criticism as a framework for educational studies.