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What is the New Homiletic?
Eslinger (1987:14) used the term ‘the New Homiletic’ because he wanted to contrast the form of the new sermons with the old orthodox topical preaching. Eslinger (1987:11-15) presented five types of New Homiletic preaching as story, narrative in the black tradition, narrative and the sermonic plot, the inductive method in preaching, and a phenomenological method of preaching. Lowry (1997:12) emphasised that ‘the New Homiletic has evoked new images and new definitions.’ First a survey of the traditional homiletics will be conducted to exhibit the distinguishing features of the New Homiletic. Thereafter the social and theological background of the emergence of the New Homiletic will be researched.
Features and limitations are the traditional sermon
Generally, traditional sermons can be divided into three types, namely deductive, propositional and one-way sermons.
The deductive sermon, starting with the main theme, explains the general truth and applies it to particular situations (Allen, OW 2010:3). Rose (1997:20) says: ‘The deductive sermon begins with a statement of truth and then seeks to convince the congregation of its validity, using illustrations and facts as proof. The movement is from the general to the particulars’. The deductive sermon is normally called the three-point sermon because it normally uses three sub-themes in the description of the main topic.
The second type is the propositional sermon. In the traditional sermon, rational logic and analytical thought in the sermon are considered to be important, because the goal of traditional preaching is to teach the lessons of the text and ‘transmit the sermon’s truth or message to the congregation’ (Jensen 1980:28; Rose 1997:15). Revealed divine truth is understood to come basically in propositional form; therefore, in the traditional sermon, faith is to be created in the congregation when the ideas proposed are true and logical (Jensen 1980:27). To do this, logical thinking and a rational approach are essential. Jensen (1980:27) said ‘the sermon (the traditional sermon) is developed in a logical, sequential and linear manner’. Meyers (2008:133) said the goal of the traditional sermon was transmission of the idea. In this way, the traditional homiletics is related to the cognitive-propositional approach to doctrine as classified by Lindbeck44.
Another feature of the traditional sermon can be found in Cox’s claims. ‘Preaching is one-way communication. We have received a message, and we have to pass it on’ (Cox I985:51). The preacher, who receives the message or truth, is the sender, and the congregation is the receiver (Rose 1997:15). This relationship is like a baseball game, with the preacher as the pitcher and the congregation as the catcher (Cleland 1965:104; Freeman 1987:11).
As seen from the above descriptions, the preacher’s role is more important than anything else in the traditional homiletics. The preacher is the channel of God’s word, which has authority and is higher than the congregation. Sometimes the preacher is portrayed as ‘the conduit between the word of God, the Bible, the ecclesiastical tradition, or the Spirit, on the one hand, and the congregation, on the other’ (Rose 1997:15). According to Thomas Long’s classification (1989a:24, 26) of images of the preacher in the traditional homiletics, the preacher is the model of the herald, who proclaims the message of the Bible.
The listener was excluded from the process of sermon-making and was simply a passive receiver. The listener easily lost interest in the sermon, and the preacher’s attempt to persuade the audience failed. Van Hart (1992:14) says that the preacher’s concern was « what is said » rather than « what is heard. »
A traditional sermon, which does not have its chief focus on the listener, is unsuccessful in making the listener part of the sermon process.
Background of the New Homiletic
The New Homiletic did not occur in a vacuum. Its development was mainly influenced by two factors: first, the change in the social and ecclesiastical situation that took place during the 1960s and the 1970s; second, great changes occurred in theology and hermeneutics. Consequently, prior to the discussion of the New Homiletic, these two crucial factors are discussed in order to facilitate understanding of the New Homiletic.
Chapter 1: Introduction
1 Problem statement
2 Purpose of the study
3 Research question
4 Working hypothesis
5 Methodology and plan of the study
6 Delimitation of the study
7 Abbreviations
Chapter 2: An investigation of the context and preaching in the Korean Church
1 Voices inside and outside the Korean Church
2 Investigation on the Korean churches preaching
3 Conclusion
Chapter 3: Empirical research on the Korean church’s peaching
1 Introduction
2 Standards for selecting participants in the research
3 Selection of participants in research
4 Participants
5 Survey questions
6 Data analysis
7 Conclusion
Chapter 4: The New Homiletic
1 What is the new homiletic
2 Analysis of the new homiletic
3 Critical evaluation of the new homiletic
4 Conclusion
Chapter 5 Postliberal Homiletics
1 Preliminary research of Postliberal Homiletics: Postliberal theology
2 The features of Campbell’s Homiletic based on Postliberal theology
3 Critical evaluation of Campbell’s Homiletic
4 Conclusion
Chapter 6: Vanhoozer’s theological dramatic theory as a normative task
1 Understanding theology as drama
2 Vanhoozer’s theological drama
3 Application of Vanhoozer’s theory to Homiletic
4 Conclusion
Chapter 7: Conclusion
Work Consulted
