Preaching Words

144 Key Terms in Homiletics

John S. McClure

• Publisher: Westminster John Knox Press
• Year: 2007
• Print ISBN: 9780664230135
• eBook ISBN: 9781611643992
• Topic: Theologie & Religion
• Subtopic: Christlicher Dienst

John McClure's Preaching Words highlights the most important ideas in homiletics and preaching, offering short explanations of these ideas, what scholars of preaching are saying about them, and how they can help in today's preaching. Topics range from elements of the sermon (introduction, body, and conclusion) to aspects of delivery, types of preaching in different Christian traditions, and theories of preaching.

Preaching Words

anti-Judaism The ways in which sermons can communicate intentional or unintentional anti-Jewish messages.

Typically, there are three ways that preachers interpret Christianity’s relationship to Judaism. Although all interpretations contain potential problems, the first, supersessionism, has been deemed very problematic, and yet endures (1) in subtle ways by force of habit, and (2) in intentional ways that can become openly harmful. For the supersessionist, Christianity essentially and effectively replaces the religion of Israel, and the church replaces Israel as God’s elect people. A hard form of supersessionism absolutely rejects Israel and focuses on converting Jews. In a softer view Judaism represents a religious stage within a hierarchy. Judaism, like other religions, is said to have a partial understanding of God but lack fullness of revelation. Supersessionism has a long history and has been shown to be deeply complicit with anti-Semitism and the supporting arguments leading to the Holocaust. Fortunately there are many new resources warning preachers about this and providing alternative ways of interpreting biblical texts and the relationship between Judaism and Christianity.

A second model is eschatological mysticism. In this model, preachers strongly assert that the Jewish faith and people remain within God’s plan of salvation, and Israel remains an elect people alongside the church. The church grants Judaism full respect and believes that Israel’s refusal of Christ as Messiah is due not to sin, but to God’s providential will. These differences will be resolved at the eschaton, when the two faiths will come together in unexpected ways.

A third approach is forked parallelism. In this model, Christianity and Judaism are different branches off the same trunk, each valid and authentic in its own right. Both emerged in the first century from the trunk of the same tree: the religion of ancient Israel. For some who hold this view, the two religions stress and develop different elements of Israel’s faith. One way of understanding this has been to assert that Christianity draws out the universalism already present in Israel’s monotheistic faith. The idea that Christ died for all people gives Christianity a sense of mission that moves ancient Israel’s faith outward across cultures and ethnic boundaries. Judaism, on the other hand, preserves and stresses more the particularistic elements in Israel’s faith. At the center of this rests Judaism’s witness to the Law and the Prophets as the essential grounds for justice and shalom in the world. What Judaism loses by way of universalism and expansionism, it gains by intensity of practice and clarity of message.

These stereotypical characteristics are often considered too broad and sweeping. More recently, taking their cue from radical *pluralism, scholars insist that both Judaism and Christianity can be defined only from within. It is important, therefore, to assess the differences between these two branches by investigating closely the spiritual lives and practices of believers themselves. Only then can their full complementary relationships and distinctions be recognized.

Ronald J. Allen and Clark Williamson, representing this last perspective, recommend several general homiletic practices. First, preachers should carefully study the first-century historical situation. In particular they should study how, throughout the Gospels, negative images reflect later controversies between Christians and Jews. These historical dynamics can be referenced and framed in sermons. Second, they advise preachers to call attention, whenever possible, to Jewish “themes, resonances, and echoes” within the text, drawing forth the dependence of Christianity on Judaism in positive ways. Third, they advise accentuating the Roman imperial context within which Christians and Jews shared a common plight. Fourth, they advise preachers to accentuate the relationships Jesus and Paul maintained with Jewish groups at the time, highlighting ways in which both were, in fact, practicing Jews, sharing common ideas, commitments, and memory. Finally, they advise preachers to avoid denigrating the Torah as a legalistic system of law, leveled to a form of works righteousness. This leads congregations to misunderstand the richness, complexity, and depth of Torah as “Way” or “way of life.”

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Burton Z Cooper and John S. McClure, Claiming Theology in the Pulpit (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2003); Ronald J. Allen and Clark M. Williamson, Preaching the Gospels without Blaming the Jews: A Lectionary Commentary (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2004); Howard Clark Kee and Irwin J. Borowsky, eds., Removing Anti-Judaism from the Pulpit (New York: Continuum International Publishing, 1996); Paula Fredriksen and Adele Reinhartz, eds., Jesus, Judaism, and Christian Anti-Judaism: Reading the New Testament after the Holocaust (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2002); Reimund Bieringer, Didier Pollefeyt, and Frederique Vandecasteele, eds., Anti-Judaism and the Fourth Gospel (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2001); William H. Willimon, “Anti-Jewish Preaching,” in William H. Willimon and Richard Lischer, eds., Concise Encyclopedia of Preaching, 11–13 (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 1995); Sidney Greidanus, Preaching Christ from the Old Testament: A Contemporary Hermeneutical Method (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1999); Marilyn J. Salmon, Preaching without Contempt: Overcoming Unintended Anti-Judaism (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2006).

application Language indicating how a sermon or illustration is to be interpreted or applied to daily life.

In sermon *conclusions, applications are constituted by some form of mandate, encouragement, or *illustration indicating what the listener is supposed to think or do in response to the sermon. Paul Scott Wilson calls this the “mission” implied or stated by a sermon, some form of action or service that listeners are invited to consider. The word “application” is also used to designate the ways that a sermon illustration should be applied. For instance, following an illustration, the preacher might say something like: “This way of thinking will not do …” or “isn’t this exactly the way it works …,” indicating the particular way in which the illustration is to be applied. Both forms of application are considered by *inductive homileticans to be too directive and denotative, removing the listener’s freedom and stifling participation in the preaching process.

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H. Grady Davis, Design for Preaching (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1958); Ilion T. Jones, Principles and Practice of Preaching: A Comprehensive Study of the Art of Sermon Construction (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1956); Paul Scott Wilson, The Four Pages of the Sermon: A Guide to Biblical Preaching (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1999).

articulation The movement of the preacher’s lips, jaw, soft palate, and tongue to form various sounds.

Articulation is sometimes called diction. When articulation is done well, the physiological movements of jaw, soft palate, and tongue become recognizable, clear, and distinct speech. One of the goals of good preaching is to be articulate, to enunciate words clearly, without overarticulating in a way that appears affected or overdone. Articulation problems are usually the result of either omitting sounds or syllables (“wanna” instead of “want to”), substituting an inappropriate sound for the correct one (“nucular” for “nuclear”), or adding sounds that should not be there (“athalete” instead of “athlete”).

Preaching requires clear enunciation. Enunciation is the physiological and grammatical ways sounds and words are produced so that they make sense. Enunciation includes both *pronunciation and articulation. To enunciate is to understand correctly the pronunciation of a word and physically to create precise sounds so that the word can be heard and understood.

Attaining proper articulation is possible only after warming up the voice. Vocalizing refers to the act of preparing the voice and the body as instruments of *communication. Vocalizing usually includes breathing exercises in which the preacher practices filling the diaphragm slowly and completely before exhaling. Since articulation requires the production of accurate vowels and consonants, the preacher can practice vocalizing vowel sounds and consonants. It is helpful to sing up and down scales (as able), changing consonants and vowels. Special attention should be paid to the proper formation of consonants “m” and “n.” Finally, preachers can do exercises that will involve facial muscles and lips. One good exercise is slowly to form very large vowels, feeling the facial muscles stretch in the process. It is also helpful to fill the cheeks with air and, with closed lips, push outward.

Preachers cannot assume that they can make clear and articulate sounds unless they have vocalized before reaching the pulpit. Vocalizing clears the sinuses and relaxes the throat, paving the way so that the entire range of the voice can be used to make the necessary physical sounds required for public speaking. This makes the preacher aware of his or her vocal instrument and ready to use it effectively.

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Joseph A. DeVito, Human Communication: The Basic Course, 10th ed. (Boston: Allyn & Bacon, 2005); G. Robert Jacks, Getting the Word Across: Speech Communication for Pastors and Lay Leaders (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1987); Lilyan Wilder, Seven Steps to Fearless Speaking (New York: Wiley, 1999); Roger Love and Donna Frazier, Set Your Voice Free: How to Get the Singing or Speaking Voice You Want, book and CD edition (London: Little, Brown & Co., 2003).

audible Able to be heard.

For all listeners, but especially for the elderly and hearing impaired, this is an absolutely crucial aspect of preaching. It is a tremendous challenge to overcome hearing problems created by architecture, street sounds, HVAC noise, and the regular audio interference created by coughing, children crying or fussing, and such. In sanctuaries with inadequate acoustics or public address systems, preachers must provide enough breath support for the *projection of the voice so that it can be heard by all. In most situations, preaching can be assisted by public address systems, audio enhancement equipment, and enough hearing assistive devices for all the hearing impaired. Where possible, public address systems should be of FM quality (making use of speakers with both a woofer and tweeter). Microphones should be of the “condenser” rather than “dynamic” type, in order to cover the broadest possible spectrum (high, mid-range, and low frequencies) of sound.

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Jennie Weiss Block, Copious Hosting: A Theology of Access for People with Disabilities (New York: Continuum Publishing Group, 2002); G. Robert Jacks, Getting the Word Across: Speech Communication for Pastors and Lay Leaders (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1987).

aural Having to do with hearing the sermon.

In homiletics, “aural” is often used to refer to all aspects of preaching that pertain to the actual event or process of hearing. This includes all elements of sound (*articulation, whether it is *audible, etc.). The word “aural” can be distinguished from the broader category of listening (see *listener), which includes other aspects of preaching than those occurring directly through the ear (for instance: elements of attention, *memory, and meaning making).

This word is often juxtaposed with the word *oral (oral-aural) to indicate speaking and hearing. The doctrine of the *Word of God in preaching is strongly influenced by this oral-aural dimension. Richard Lischer, for instance, argues that the Word of God, as it comes to us in preaching, is acoustical in nature. It comes not by reading, as does the Word of God in Scripture, but by hearing. Reflecting on theologian Paul Tillich’s idea that symbols help us to participate in the mysteries to which they point, Thomas Troeger argues that the preacher’s voice is “an aural symbol” that uses the “physical properties of sound to draw people beyond the message that is being articulated into the presence of God.” Every preacher, therefore, needs to become aware of the power and possibility of all of the aural aspects of preaching, including intonation, *pitch, the color of sound or *tone, *inflection, and so on, as ways to move listeners beyond the words themselves toward an encounter with God.

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Walter Ong, The Presence of the Word: Some Prolegomena for Cultural and Religious History (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1967); Richard Lischer, A Theology of Preaching: The Dynamics of the Gospel (Durham, NC: The Labyrinth Press, 1992); Thomas H. Troeger, Imagining a Sermon (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1990).

authenticity The modern ideal among preachers of being true to oneself.

The concept of authenticity exists at the core of Enlightenment ideas of individual freedom and self-fulfillment. As Ted Smith points out, the idea of authenticity is also rooted in the distinctive modern assumption that the private self is more real than the public self, and that a union between the public and private self is a moral ideal. Authenticity can be contrasted with an older ideal, sincerity. The idea of sincerity assumed a solid self that could be represented in public. The idea of authenticity, on the other hand, has emerged in late modernity, in which the assumption of a stable, fixed self has receded in favor of a more private, fluid, elusive, and hidden self. Authenticity, therefore, refers to the ways that preaching shows forth the preacher’s ongoing search for, or awareness of, a fluid and hidden (real) self.

This word is often used to describe preachers who seem to be openly human, searching, and accessible in the pulpit. Authentic preachers do not represent themselves as removed, perfect, or on a pedestal, but through various forms of *self-disclosure and *identification, attempt to communicate a genuine desire for self-awareness and self-knowledge. The goal is to achieve the relational *authority of one who with listeners is on a search for their real humanity.

At the same time, the authentic preacher does not imitate the style of great preachers but works hard to discover his or her own *voice and *style of presentation. Speaking the same way in and out of the pulpit is one of the signs of homiletical authenticity. The authentic preacher is neither false to self nor imitative of others.

According to Robert G. Duffett, this characteristic is absolutely essential for communicating with today’s seekers. He observes that many today are upset with what they perceive to be the hypocritical and phony aspects of the church, especially the church presented in the mass media. The first thing they are looking for, therefore, when they do finally come to church, is leadership by someone who is, above all else, honest, consistent, congruent, and real. Duffett and Richard Ward also argue that it is important for preachers to develop an “emotional memory” through which they are able to true up their experience, emotions, and passion with the biblical text and message they preach. Authenticity, therefore, is also a matter of ensuring that words and emotions match in such a way that the preacher is actually living inside the words that he or she is speaking.

According to Mary Lin Hudson and Mary Donovan Turner, for women preachers authenticity is a key component of voice in preaching. Authenticity is possible only when preachers garner sufficient self-esteem and confidence to claim a consistent pulpit voice that will be recognized as belonging uniquely to them.

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Ted Smith, The New Measures (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, forthcoming); Mitties McDonald de Champlain, “What to Do While Preaching,” in John McClure, ed., Best Advice for Preaching (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1998), 99–115; Richard L. Thulin, The “I” of the Sermon: Autobiography in the Pulpit (Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2004); Lionel Trilling, Sincerity and Authenticity (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1982); Robert G. Duffett, A Relevant Word: Communicating the Gospel to Seekers (Valley Forge, PA: Judson Press, 1995); Richard F. Ward, Speaking from the Heart: Preaching with Passion (Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2001); Mary Donovan Turner and Mary Lin Hudson, Saved from Silence: Finding Women’s Voice in Preaching (St. Louis: Chalice Press, 1999).

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Table of contents

• Cover
• Half-title Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication Page
• Contents
• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• Introduction
• Preaching Words
• Bibliography