Winter 2019/Menlo Park

PR500

Murphy

PR500: HOMILETICS (4 Units: 160 hours). R. Kevin Murphy

DESCRIPTION: This course PR500 introduces students to the theology and practice of preaching as an integrating focus that draws from and informs the whole Master of Divinity curriculum. Preaching is taught and learned within an extended conversation between students and the professor which is shaped by the calling of the church to proclaim the Word of God in service of God’s mission. Preaching is addressed as an act of congregational worship, and as a means by which the diverse gifts and ministries of God’s people bear witness to God’s reign in and for the world.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: Upon successful completion of this course, students willhave demonstrated (1) competence in biblical interpretation through faithful use of the whole canon of Scripture in proclaiming the gospel;(2) capacities for engaging listeners through preaching as a formative activity within the context of worship;(3) an understanding of how the theology of the Church and its historical developments, including the practice of preaching, inform the proclamation of the gospel in the present; and (4) competence in preaching as a theologically reflective practice that serves the Church’s calling to proclaim the gospel in the whole of life.

COURSE FORMAT: This class meets once per week for three-and-a-half-hour sessions for a total of 35 hours of classroom instruction for lecture and discussion plus 5 hours of directed learning activities (which includes preaching in a setting outside the class) for a total of 40 instructional hours. The course combines instruction, reading and critical reflection, discussion, practicum, and directed learning activities. The practicum component is led by the professor and requires participation by the whole class. Students preach a minimum of two sermons in class for which they receive feedback, evaluative comments, and guidance for continued reflection, learning, and development. A third sermon will be preached in another setting and submitted for course credit. Students also engage in self-assessment and reflection after preaching each sermon. In addition to class discussions following sermons, students are able to consult individually with the professor.

REQUIRED READING: 848 pp. of required reading.

Buechner, Frederick. Telling the Truth: The Gospel as Tragedy, Comedy, and Fairy Tale. Harper and Row, 1977. ISBN: 978-0060611569, Pub. Price $17.99 [112 pp.].

Lischer, Richard. The Company of Preachers. Eerdmans, 2002. ISBN: 978-0802846099, Pub. Price $38.00 [496 pp.].

Long, Thomas G. The Witness of Preaching, 3rd Ed. Westminster/John Knox Press, 2016. ISBN: 978-0664261429, Pub. Price $30.00. Available as an e-book from Fuller Library [240 pp. assigned].

RECOMMENDED READING: Please see course syllabus.

ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT:

848 pages of required reading (19%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #1, 2, 3, 4]. [42 hours].
Attend and participate in class, including the practicum component (10%). [This assignment is related to outcomes #1, 2, 3, 4] [35 hours].
Prepare and preach sermon #1 and 2 with self-assessment (2 parts): (a) Submit typed notes on biblical interpretation that support the sermon, including an assessment of the preaching context (s) [liturgical, ecclesial, social, cultural, economic, etc.]. Preaching will include sermons from both the Old and New Testaments. Exegetical work should emphasize interpreting texts within the whole biblical canon for proclaiming the gospel. Preach the sermon as assigned. (b) Complete a homiletic self assessment that sets specific goals for continuing improvement and growth in preparing and preaching sermons (20% each, 40% total). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #1, 2, 3, 4] [41 hours].
Preach sermon #3 (2 parts): Prepare and preach a sermon and write a reflective essay—(a) Submit typed notes on biblical interpretation that support the sermon, including an assessment of the preaching context (s) [liturgical, ecclesial, social, cultural, economic, etc.] Exegetical work should emphasize interpreting texts within the whole biblical canon for proclaiming the gospel [This assignment is related to learning outcome #1]. Preach the sermon as assigned. (b) Write a 500-word assessment that reflects theologically on the sermon in light of the course objectives, the student’s vocational plans for serving the ministry of the Word, and the church’s calling to proclaim the gospel in all of life (24%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #4] [32 hours].
Write a 900 word “preaching autobiography” at the beginning of the course describing: 1) the student’s experience and perceptions of preaching - as a preacher, listener, and participant in communities of faith; 2) the student’s hopes and goals for the class; 3) the student’s sense of calling to the ministry of the Word in service of God’s mission (3%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #4] [4 hours].
Write a 900 word reflective essay based on the student’s reading, class work, and personal experience that: 1) Describes what is distinct about the student’s particular voice and perspective 2) Identifies moral, social, and cultural injustices within the student’s particular community that are addressed by the proclamation of the gospel, and 3) Describes a specific theological/social/economic/cultural issue in the student’s particular context that is illuminated and addressed by the gospel (4%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #2, 4] [6 hours].

PREREQUISITES: BI500 or NE502. It is recommended that students take preaching courses towards the end of their program. Students must be able to gather a listening group of at least 5 people for each sermon that will be delivered outside the classroom.

RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Meets Homiletics requirement in the 120 MDiv Program. Meets the Worship, Preaching, and Communication requirement in the 80 MATM Program (Fall 2015). Meets the core requirement in Preaching and Communication (MIN2) in the 144 MDiv Program and the Communication (COMM) requirement in MA Programs.

FINAL EXAMINATION: None.