Spring 2019/Irvine

PR512

Winslow

PR512: PREACHING PRACTICUM (4 Units: 160 hours). Kirk Winslow.

DESCRIPTION: PR512 is designed as a 4-unit practicum in preaching that follows PR500 in the sequence of required preaching courses. The course provides students with an opportunity to work the “Developing” and “Mastery” levels of competence by preparing, preaching, listening to, responding to, and assessing sermons in a classroom setting. Instructors lead students through the following steps: assessing one’s prior preaching experience; setting personal goals for the class; preparing and preaching sermons; receiving feedback on sermons and engaging in self - assessment; making specific plans for continued growth and improvement; reflecting on one’s experience during the class; setting goals for continued learning and growth in preaching after completion of the class.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: Upon successful completion of this course students will have demonstrated (1) competence in biblical interpretation through faithful use of the whole canon of Scripture in proclaiming the gospel; (2) capacities for engaging listeners in preaching as a formative activity in 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 vocation of proclaiming the gospel in the whole of life.

COURSE FORMAT: The class meets once weekly for three hours for a total of 30 hours of classroom work. The remaining 10 hours are completed in Directed Learning Activities. The course is primarily focused on practice with a moderate amount of outside reading to assist in the process of assessing and reflecting on sermon. The practicum is led by the professor and requires participation of the whole class. Students preach a minimum of three (3) sermons for which they receive feedback, evaluative comments, and guidance to encourage continued reflection, learning, and growth. Students also engage in self-assessment and reflection after each sermon. In addition to class discussions following each sermon, students are able to consult individually with the professor.

REQUIRED READING: 821 pages required.

Cicero, Marcus Tillius. How to Win an Argument: An Ancient Guide to the Art of Persuasion. Edited and translated by James M. May. Princeton University Press, 2016. ISBN: 978-0691164335, Pub Price $16.95. Available as an e-book from the Fuller Library [143 pp. assigned].

Taylor, Barbara Brown. The Preaching Life. Cowley, 1993. ISBN: 978-1561010745, Pub Price $17.95. Available as an e-book from the Fuller Library [174 pp. assigned].

Thornton, Martin. Christian Proficiency. Wipf & Stock, 2010 (Reprint). ISBN: 978-1608996636, Pub. Price $26.00 [216 pp. assigned].

Troeger, Thomas and Leonora Tubbs Tisdale. A Sermon Workbook: Exercises in the Art and Craft of Preaching. Abingdon Press, 2013. ISBN: 978-1426757785, Pub. Price: $25.99 [165 pp. assigned].

Select Reading: Students will choose ONE of the texts below:

Childers, Jana, ed. Birthing the Sermon: Women Preachers on the Creative Process. Chalice, 2001. ISBN: 978-0827202306, Pub. Price $28.99 [224 pp.].

Gonzalez, J. L., and P.A. Jimenez. Pulpito: An Introduction to Hispanic Preaching. Abingdon, 2005. ISBN: 978-0687088508, Pub. Price $22.99 [152 pp.].

Kim, Eunjoo Mary. Preaching the Presence of God: A Homiletic from an Asian American Perspective. Judson Press, 1999. ISBN: 978-0817013035, Pub. Price $14.99 [160 pp.].

LaRue, Cleophus J. I Believe I’ll Testify: The Art of African American Preaching. Westminster/John Knox, 2011. ISBN: 978-0664236779, Pub. Price $20.00 [144 pp.].