DESCRIPTION:

This course is designed to give a general introduction to the theology of preaching and to the art and craft of sermon design and delivery. The person of the preacher, the nature of preaching, and principles of sermon construction will be discussed.

The spoken witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ has always been a primary means of communicating the faith. It continues to be a powerful tool for planting, teaching, and nurturing faith in Christ. Biblical preaching is the principal public form of this witness and skill in biblical interpretation, sermon preparation, and proclamation is expected of those who are called to serve as ministers of the Gospel.

The course has both lecture and practicum components. The practica are small groups of students led by teaching assistants under the direction of the professor. In these groups students will preach two sermons (both videotaped), on which they will receive feedback from group members and the teaching assistant. Each student will receive personal feedback by the professor on one of the two preached sermons. Special Note: Given the strong practical component of this course, it will be scheduled to meet for two-hour sessions on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at the appointed hours. Students will individually not attend classes for more than the usual forty hours during the quarter, but Fridays will be included in the schedule as class or practica meeting times.

Allen, Ronald, ed. Patterns of Preaching. Chalice, 1998. (selected portions.)

Barth, Karl. Homiletic. Westminster/John Knox, 1991. OR

Lischer, Richard. A Theology of Preaching. Parthenon/Labyrinth, 1992.

Long, Thomas G. The Witness of Preaching. Westminster/John Knox, 1989.

Taylor, Barbara Brown. Bread of Angels. Cowley, 1997. (Selected portions.)

Course Reader: Multicultural Preaching.

Black, Kathy. A Healing Homiletic. Abingdon, 1996.

Buttrick, David. Homiletic. Fortress, 1987.

Craddock, Fred B. Preaching. Abingdon, 1985.

LaRue, Cleophas J., ed. Power in the Pulpit: How America's Most Effective Black Preachers Prepare Their Sermons. Westminster/John Knox, 2003.

Long, Thomas and Cornelius Plantinga. A Chorus of Witnesses. Eerdmans, 1994. (Selected portions.)

Norén, Carol. The Woman in the Pulpit. Abingdon, 1992.

Spurgeon, Charles. Lectures to My Students. 2nd ed. Zondervan, 1979.

Preparation and preaching of two sermons, including submission of exegetical notes and manuscript for each. Reading of all assigned text material. Several brief written exercises, including evaluations of written and live sermons. Grade will be based on written assignments, and exegetical notes. Because the sermons in this class are presumed to be among the student's first sermons, they will simply be graded as pass/fail. Though not graded as to form, content, or presentation, they will be carefully evaluated and discussed in class and with the professor. Attendance at the practicum groups is mandatory, and grade may be reduced for absences not excused.

Meets MDiv core requirement in Preaching and Communication (MIN2).