Summer 2017/Pasadena

PR500

Pasquarello

PR500: HOMILETICS (4 Units: 160 hours). Dr. Mike Pasquarello.

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 in a hybrid+ format that includes nine weeks of online instruction and one week of classroom instruction on a Fuller campus. The course comprises 40 hours of classroom instruction and 120 hours of additional assignments for a total of 160 hours. The week of classroom instruction includes 4 hours of daily activity as well as lunch meetings and evening sessions. Taken as a whole, the course combines online posts, written and video presentations by the professor, in class discussions, individual and collaborative learning activities, required reading and written reflections, and hearing and responding to sermons preached by members of the class. One sermon will be preached during the week of residential instruction for which students receive feedback, evaluative comments, and guidance for future learning and development from class members and the professor. Two additional sermons will be preached to a listening group comprising at least 5 members. The sermons are videoed and posted online, and receives feedback, evaluative comments, and guidance for future learning and development from members of the listening group, class members, and the professor. Students engage in self-assessment and reflection after preaching each sermon. In addition to conversations following each sermon, students are able to consult individually with the professor through a variety of venues.

REQUIRED READING: 822 pp. of required reading.

Barth, Karl. Homiletics. Translated by Geoffrey W. Bromiley and Donald E. Daniels. Westminster John Knox, 1991. ISBN: 978-0664251581, Pub. Price $30.00 [136 pp.].

Lischer, Richard. The Preacher King: Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Word that Moved America. Oxford University Press, 1997. ISBN: 978-0195111323, Pub. Price $19.95 [270 pp.].

Long, Thomas G. The Witness of Preaching, 3rd Ed. Westminster/John Knox Press, 2016. ISBN: 978-0664261429, Pub. Price $30.00 [240 pp.].

Tisdale, Lenora Tubbs. Preaching as Local Theology and Folk Art. Fortress, 1997. ISBN: 978-0800627737, Pub. Price $24.00 [176 pp.].

ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT:

  1. Between 822 pages of required reading with brief written reflections and/or class discussions (19%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #1, 2, 3, 4]. [42 hours].

  2. Attend and participate in class, including the practicum component (10%). [This assignment is related to outcomes #1, 2, 3, 4] [20 hours].

  3. Regularly and actively participate in various course activities via Moodle (15%). [This assignment is related to outcomes # 1, 2, 3, 4]. [28 hours].

  4. Prepare and preach sermon #1 and 2 with exegetical notes and 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].

  5. 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 (20%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #4] [26 hours].

  6. 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 (3%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #4] [4 hours].

  7. Write a 600 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 (3%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #2, 4] [4 hours].

PREREQUISITES: BI500 or NE502. It is recommended that students take preaching courses towards the end of their program. Students must be able to gather a listening group of at least 5 people for each sermon that will be delivered.

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.


NOTE: This ECD is a reliable guide to the course design but is subject to modification. Textbook prices are set by publishers and are subject to change.

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