Fall 2010/Pasadena
PR500
Labberton

PR500: HOMILETICS. Mark Labberton.


DESCRIPTION: This course will consider the theology, calling, and practice of preaching. It will provide the opportunity to study and to reflect on the vision and challenge of preaching in pastoral ministry, and to develop in the practice of preaching.

SIGNIFICANCE FOR LIFE AND MINISTRY: The gospel of Jesus Christ comes to us as kerygma, the proclamation of the good news of the Kingdom of God for our sake and for the sake of the world. This means that preaching holds a distinctive place in the spiritual life of the Church, a place that needs to be understood both for what it is and what it is not. Many in leadership in the Church are called upon to preach, and the calling, labor, and joy of preaching needs to be competently and humbly embraced and developed.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: Each student will have the chance to (1) read about and reflect on the ministry of preaching; (2) develop their own coherent vision of the role of preaching in the church and their own sense of call to such a ministry; (3) learn from other preaching models and examples;(4) develop their own skills in preaching by preparing and preaching two sermons.

COURSE FORMAT: Class will meet for the first several weeks twice each week; and thereafter, it will meet once per week as an entire class, and once per week in preaching practica, led by teaching assistants with peer feedback.

REQUIRED READING:

Buechner, Frederick. Telling the Truth: The Gospel as Comedy, Tragedy, and Fairy-Tale. HarperOne, 1977. ISBN: ISBN-13: 978-0060611569. $17.00.

Campbell, Charles L. The Word before the Powers. WJK, 2002. ISBN-13: 978-0664222338. $29.95.

Craddock, Fred. Preaching. Abingdon, 1984. ISBN-13: 978-0687659944. $22.00.

Long, Thomas. The Witness of Preaching. WJK, 2005. ISBN-13: 978-0664229436. $24.95.

Taylor, Barbara Brown. The Preaching Life. Cowley, 1993. SBN-13: 978-1561010745. $17.95.

Wells, Samuel. Speaking the Truth: Preaching in a Pluralistic Age. Abingdon, 2008. ISBN-13: 978-0687646890. $20.00.

ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT: Three 3-5 page reflection papers and two sermons (with exegetical notes) will be the primary assignments for the course. Attendance is mandatory and grades may be reduced for absences not excused.

PREREQUISITES: NE502

RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Meets MDiv core requirement in Preaching and Communication (MIN2) and the Communication (COMM) requirement in MA programs.

This ECD is a reliable guide to the course design but is subject to modification. (July 2010)