Winter 2019/Pasadena
PR536
Lamb
PR536: PREACHING FAITH, HOPE, AND LOVE (4 Units: 160 hours). Lisa Lamb.
DESCRIPTION: PR536 is a 4-unit practicum in preaching that follows PR500 in the sequence of required preaching courses. The course provides students with an opportunity to work the “Developing” and “Mastery” levels of competence by preparing, preaching, listening to, responding to, and assessing sermons, with a particular emphasis on the skills of storytelling, metaphor, and personal witness to form vibrant communities of disciples marked by faith, hope, and love. Instructors lead students through the following steps: assessing one’s prior preaching experience; setting personal goals for the class; preparing and preaching sermons; receiving feedback on sermons and engaging in self - assessment; making specific plans for continued growth and improvement; reflecting on one’s experience during the class; setting goals for continued learning and growth in preaching after completion of the class.
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 in preaching as a formative activity in 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; (4) competence in preaching as a theologically reflective practice that serves the Church’s vocation of proclaiming the gospel in the whole of life, and (5) growing competence in crafting language well, in particular images and stories which enhance the effectiveness of their sermons.
COURSE FORMAT: The class meets twice weekly in a two hour session for a total of 40 instructional hours in the classroom. The course is focused primarily on practice, but also requires outside reading to assist in the process of assessing and reflecting on sermons. The practicum is led by the professor and requires participation by the whole class. Students preach three sermons for which they receive feedback, evaluative comments, and guidance to encourage continued reflection, learning, and growth. Students also engage in self-assessment and reflection after each sermon. In addition to class discussion following each sermon, students are able to consult individually with the professor
REQUIRED READING: 800 pages required
Hoezee, Scott. Actuality: Real Life Stories for Sermons that Matter. Abingdon Press, 2014. ISBN: 978-1426765933, Pub. Price $19.99. [100 pp.] Available as an e-book on Amazon.
King, Martin Luther. Strength to Love. Fortress Press, 2010. ISBN: 978-0800697402. (Any edition of this OR: A Gift of Love, Penguin/Random House, 2012, which is same collection of sermons. ISBN:978-0807000632) [100 pp.]. A Gift of Love is available as an e-book from the Fuller Library and also as a Kindle e-book.
McEntyre, Marilyn. Caring for Words in a Culture of Lies. William B. Eerdmans, 2009. ISBN: 978-0802848642, Pub. Price $19.99 [150 pp.] Kindle edition available.
Pieper, Josef. On Hope. Ignatius Press, 1986. ISBN: 978-1681493619. Kindle edition available, $9.95. [100 pp.]
Ryken, Leland. Dictionary of Biblical Imagery. InterVarsity Press, 1998. ISBN: 978-0830814510, Pub. Price $55.00. Kindle edition available, $34.99. [50 pp. assigned.] Available as an e-book from Fuller Library.
Willobee, Sondra. The Write Stuff: Crafting Sermons that Capture and Convince. Westminster John Knox, 2009. ISBN: 978-0664232818, Pub. Price: $18.00. Kindle edition available. [100 pp. assigned.]
Wilson-Kastner, Paula. Imagery for Preaching. Fortress Press, 1989. ISBN: 978-0800611507. Out of print but available in Pasadena Reserves, and used on Amazon and Alibris. [100 pp. assigned]
Three articles will be made available in E-reserves, and a selection of poems and sermons will be in a resource area of the Canvas page. [100 pp. total.]
(It is also assumed that students will read 30+ pages of scholarly reading in preparation for each sermon, which will be documented in the bibliography of their exegetical notes).
RECOMMENDED READING:
Austin, Michael, and Geivett, R. Douglas. Being Good: Christian Virtues for Everyday Life. William B. Eerdmans, 2011. ISBN: 978-0802865656, Pub. Price $26.00[200 pp.]
Bonhoeffer, Dietrich, ed. Isabel Best. Collected Sermons of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Fortress Press, 2012. E-book through Fuller Library: ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/fuller/detail.action?docID=1084792.
Buechner, Frederick. Telling the Truth: The Gospel as Tragedy, Comedy, and Fairy Tale. Harper and Row, 1977. ISBN: 978-0060611569, Pub. Price $17.99.
Donoghue, Denis. Metaphor. Harvard University Press, 2014. ISBN: 9780674430662. Available in Fuller Library as an e-book. [100 pages]
Lischer, Richard. The End of Words. Eerdmans, 2005. ISBN: 978-0802862808, Pub. Price $16.00.
Lowry, Eugene. The Homiletical Plot: The Sermon as Narrative Art Form. John Knox Press, 1975. ISBN: 978-0664222642, Pub. Price $22.00.
Taylor, Barbara Brown. The Seeds of Heaven: Sermons on the Gospel of Matthew. Westminster John Knox Press, 2004. ISBN: 978-0664228866, Pub. Price $16.00.
ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT:
PREREQUISITES: PR500. It is recommended that students take preaching courses towards the end of their program.
RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Option to meet the P1 requirement in the 120 MDiv Program. Meets the core requirement in Preaching and Communication (MIN2) in the 144 MDiv program.
FINAL EXAMINATION: None.