Content

This unit introduces students to the practise of preaching in the Christian tradition. It examines the various models of preaching in recent homiletical literature and gives special attention to the responsibility of preaching from the Revised Common Lectionary in a regular liturgy of word and table. Participants in the course will have opportunity to ‘workshop’ their own preaching in the light of what they are learning

Unit code: DL9200T

Unit status: Archived (New unit)

Points: 24.0

Unit level: Postgraduate Elective

Unit discipline: Liturgy

Delivery Mode: Face to Face

Proposing College: Trinity College Theological School

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Learning outcomes

1.

Articulate a what a sermon is, and what it is for, in a genuinely theological manner

2.

Learn to construct and preach a sermon that is theologically and rhetorically alive

3.

Critique their own sermons, and those of others, in the light of the homiletical literature

4.

Understand and articulate how a sermon is related to the Bible, Christian liturgy, and to keystone Christian doctrines such as the incarnation, the paschal mystery and the Trinity.

5.

Understand and articulate something of the relatedness of preaching to the personhood and vocation of the ordained Christian minister

6.

Appraise how a sermon relates to the pastoral horizon of local ecclesial culture

7.

Evaluate how a sermon is related to the broader horizons of contemporary history, culture and politics.

Unit sequence

30 points in Biblical Studies and 30 points in Systematic Theology and/or Liturgy

Pedagogy

Lectures, seminars and workshops

Indicative Bibliography

  • Jana Childers (ed.), Birthing the Sermon: Women Preachers on the Creative Process, Chalice Press, 2001 (recommended for purchase)
  • Jana Childers, Performing the Word: Preaching as theatre, Abingdon Press, 2008
  • David Day, Jeff Astley & Leslie J Francis, A Reader on Preaching: Making Connections, Taylor & Francis, 2005
  • Anna Carter Florence,* Preaching as Testimony*, Westminster/John Knox, 2007
  • Mike Graves & David J Schlafer (eds), What’s the Shape of Narrative Preaching? Chalice Press, 2008 (recommended for purchase)
  • Lucy Lind Hogan, Graceful Speech: an invitation to preaching, Westminster/John Knox, 2006
  • Michael P Knowles (ed), The Folly of Preaching: models & methods, Eerdmans, 2007 (recommended for purchase)
  • Thomas G Long & Edward Farley (eds), Preaching as a Theological Task: World, Gospel, Scripture, Westminster/John Knox, 1996
  • David L Lose, Confessing Jesus Christ: preaching in a postmodern world, Eerdmans, 2003
  • Leonara Tubbs Tisdale, Preaching as Local Theology and Folk Art, Fortress Press, 1997

Assessment

Type Description Word count Weight (%)
Essay

Research Essay of 3000 words

3000 50.0
Skill Demonstration

Skill demonstration: Sermon preached to class, submitted in writing (equivalent of 1500 words)

1500 25.0
Seminar or Tutorial

Tutorial presentation of 1500 words

1500 25.0
Approvals

Unit approved for the University of Divinity by John Capper on 19 Oct, 2017

Unit record last updated: 2022-09-07 11:44:32 +1000