Winter 2018/Houston
PR500
Mercer
PR500: HOMILETICS (4 Units: 160 hours). Danny W. Mercer.
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 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 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: The class meets once per week in a 3.5 hour session for a total of 35 instructional hours in the classroom, plus 5 hours of Directed Learning Activities 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 three sermons in class for which they receive feedback, evaluative comments, and guidance for continued reflection, learning, and development. 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: 805 pp. of required reading.
Eslinger, Richard. The Web of Preaching. Abingdon Press, 2002. ISBN: 978-0687012978, Pub. Price $28.99 [287 pp.]. An analysis of “narrative” as the center of the new homiletical developments of the past 50 years.
Long, Thomas G. The Witness of Preaching, 3rd Ed. Westminster/John Knox Press, 2016. ISBN: 978-0664261429, Pub. Price $30.00 [240 pp.]. Long's text on the mechanics of sermon building. He gives a solid overview of the exegetical method necessary behind each sermon. He concentrates on form, focus, and function. He allows the theological concern of the text to speak clearly. He deals with introductions, transitions, length, children's sermons, titles, conclusions, illustrations, and a host of practical concerns. This text offers a fresh perspective that will affirm and challenge some time honored methods. He believes the gospel is too rich to be proclaimed with a single sermon form. Long develops a theology of proclamation by exploring common metaphors for preaching: the herald, the pastor, and the storyteller. Long himself favors the metaphor of witness as best suited to describe our task today. The witness has seen or experienced truth in such a way that testimony is given. Long advocates using a "focus statement" and a "function statement" to help the preacher sharpen the sermon. He also carries the critique of illustrations to new height by offering excellent alternatives: simile, synecdoche, and metaphor.
Wilson, Paul Scott. The Four Pages of the Sermon: a Guide to Biblical Preaching. Abingdon, 1999. ISBN: 978-0687023950, Pub. Price $27.99 [278 pp.]. Wilson organizes both the preparation and the content of the sermon around its "four pages." Each "page" addresses a different theological and creative component of what happens in any sermon.
RECOMMENDED READING:
Burce, Jerome. Proclaiming the Scandal. Trinity Press International, 2000. ISBN: 978-1563383328, Pub. Price $12.00. A great analysis of preaching and post-modern culture; which asserts our postmodern cultural is rightly positioned for an unashamed proclamation of the Gospel’s cross.
Campbell, Charles L. Preaching Jesus. Eerdmans, 1997. ISBN: 978-1597528849, Pub. Price $31.00. An introduction to a post-liberal homiletic.
Childers, Jana, ed. Birthing the Sermon: Women Preachers on the Creative Process. Chalice, 2001. ISBN: 978-0827202306, Pub. Price $28.99 [220 pp.].
Graves, Mike. The Sermon as Symphony: Preaching the Literary Forms of the New Testament. Judson, 1997. ISBN: 978-0817012571, Pub. Price $18.00. A thorough discussion on preaching that is informed by the particular literary form of the text.
Long, Thomas G. Preaching and the Literary Forms of the Bible. Fortress, 1989. ISBN: 978-0800623135, Pub. Price: $23.00. Read along with Sermon as Symphony, this work examines the exegetical process that enables the preacher to move from text (in its unique literary form) to focus and function of the sermon.
Lose, David J. Confessing Jesus Christ: Preaching in a Postmodern World. Eerdmans, 2003. ISBN: 978-0802849830, Pub. Price $29.00. A necessary conversation partner with Charles Campbell (above). Lose offers the theology of testimony as a counter to the post-liberal homiletic.
Webb, Stephen. The Divine Voice: Christian Proclamation and the Theology of Sound. Brazos, 2004. ISBN: 978-1610977579, Pub. Price $29.00. A discussion of the theology of proclamation.
ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT:
805 pages of required reading. [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 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. (15% each, 30% total). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #1, 2, 3, 4] [36 hours].
Preach sermon #3 (2 parts): Prepare and preach a sermon and write a reflective essay—(a) Submit 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 (30%). [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 (5%). [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 3.) Describes a specific theological/social/economic/cultural issue in the student’s particular context that is illuminated and addressed by the gospel (5%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #2, 4] [6 hours].
DLA: Attend a worship service (outside of your own) and write a 5-page critical review of the sermon and the sermon’s relationship to the specific cultural context; paying special attention to the dominant posture the preacher takes (Herald, Pastor, Storyteller, Witness, Docent, etc). Note the sermon’s attention to the concepts we have discussed in class (focus, form, function, use of text, etc.). Give special attention to 1. Logos (How was the Word used and what did the sermon say?) 2. Pathos (How was the sermon the creation of an experience and affective?) 3. Ethos (What role did the person of the preacher play in preaching. These will be discussed in class near the end of the course (20%) [5 hours].
PREREQUISITES: BI500 or NE502. It is recommended that students take preaching courses towards the end of their program.
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.