Summer 2011/Pasadena
Five-week Intensive: June 20-July 22
PR500
L. Lamb
PR500: HOMILETICS. Lisa Lamb.
DESCRIPTION: The course builds a biblical and theological foundation for
preaching, through lectures, readings, and written assignments. Through
preparing two sermons, hearing and offering constructive feedback, and
self-evaluation, students will develop their skills as preachers.
SIGNIFICANCE FOR LIFE AND MINISTRY: The preaching of the Word of God is central
to how God calls people into God's kingdom, forms them as disciples, nurtures
the church, and sends it out in mission. Pastoral leaders who are called to
preach strive to proclaim the gospel with joyful boldness, genuine love for
their listeners, creativity, and faithfulness to the witness of Scripture.
LEARNING OUTCOMES: Students who successfully complete the course will have
shown that they (1) have developed a theology of preaching and have grown in
their conviction that the biblical text is the proper foundation for a sermon;
(2) have developed skills in exegesis, sermon-writing, and delivery that will
enable them to bring biblical messages in compelling, faithful, and creative
ways to diverse listeners; (3) have grown in evaluative skills, through
analysis of the written and heard sermons of experienced preachers and the
heard sermons of their peers.
COURSE FORMAT: This course meets two evenings a week for five weeks. The first
two weeks will focus on lectures, class discussions, and analysis of sermons we
watch, listen to, or read together. The latter weeks will focus on your
preaching, with some lectures. The course will also require you to attend at
least one church service based in a denominational tradition and/or ethnic
composition different from your own, during the five weeks (arrangements can be
made for those whose church work makes this difficult).
REQUIRED READING:
- Long, Thomas. The Witness of Preaching. 2nd ed. Louisville:
Westminster John Knox, 2005. 200 pages. ISBN: 0-8042-1571-5. List Price:
$16.06.
- Pitt-Watson, Ian. A Primer for Preachers. Grand Rapids: Baker Books,
1986. 100 pages. ISBN: 0-8010-7096-1 (out of print but published through Fuller
Bookstore and available used online).
- Taylor, Barbara Brown. Pick ONE of these three collections of sermons:
- Seeds of Heaven. Louisville: Westminster John
Knox Press, 1993. ISBN: 0-664-22886-0. List Price 13.60.
- Bread of Angels. Cambridge: Cowley Publications, 1997. ISBN:
10:1-56101-142-8. List Price: $10.08.
- Gospel Medicine. Cambridge: Cowley Publications, 1995. ISBN:
10:1-56101-110-X. List Price: $10.95.
- One of these two:
- Either Nieman, James, and Thomas Rogers.
Preaching to Every Pew. Minneapolis: Fortress, 2001. ISBN:
0-8006-3243-5. List Price: $18.00.
- Or LaRue, Cleophus. The Heart of Black Preaching.
Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 1999. ISBN: 0-664-25847-6. List Price:
$21.00.
- In Addition:
- Roughly 25 pages of classical theological reflection on
preaching: Calvin, Luther, Barth, Bonhoeffer, etc. These readings will be
available on reserve.
- Commentaries and other resources as needed to produce two exegetical papers
on chosen biblical texts. 40 pages.
- Forest of Rhetoric website:
http://humanities.byu.edu/rhetoric/Silva.htm (This site will be studied
to learn principles of rhetoric as a means of persuasion.) One hour.
- A few sermons will be assigned to read or listen to during the course. 12
pages.
ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT:
- Theology of Preaching: You will begin to articulate a theology of
preaching, in conversation with the theology expressed in Pitt-Watson, Long,
and selections from a classic text.
- Analysis of Written Sermons: This paper will report reading 8
sermons, and will reflect on your reading of 4 of them (4 pages). At least two
by Taylor.
- Analysis of Spoken Sermons: In this paper you will report on hearing
6 sermons and will reflect on 3 of them. At least two must be heard live, with
one in a setting not familiar to you (see above). Two of the six must be from
the African-American tradition (3 pages).
- Two Sermons will be preached. Manuscripts will be submitted for
both. Exegetical notes of roughly four pages will be submitted with each
sermon. (Self-evaluations of one page will be due one week after the
sermon is preached (11 pages - 40 hours).
- Attendance and participation are crucial due to the nature of this
course, and will figure significantly in the grade.
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. (April 2011)