Courses

Karl Barth speaks of the Word of God in its “threefold form”: the living Word (Christ), the written Word (Scripture), and “the Word of God Preached” (Church Dogmatics 1.1.4). Guided by a conviction that the written word determines the shape of the preached word in its testimony to the Living Word, this course introduces the theory and practice of Christian proclamation in a congregational setting, giving particular attention to a postmodern setting.

Knowing

• To introduce basic hermeneutical issues that apply to the process of moving from biblical and social exegesis to proclamation.
• To examine and evaluate the component elements of preaching and their respective contributions to effective communication.
• To explore contemporary contexts for preaching, with particular attention to the impact of postmodern thought.

Being

• To reflect on spiritual and ministerial identity as they apply to Christian proclamation.
• To help students identify their preferred style or styles of preaching, and gain confidence in public presentation.

Doing

• To evaluate representative forms and models of preaching in relation to students’ own ministries of preaching.
• To provide students with practice in the composition and delivery of sermons, together with opportunities for comprehensive peer evaluation.