Preaching--Theory

Denis J. Rivera D.Min.

El propósito de esta investigación es explorar cuatro factores principales que habiliten a los estudiantes del Seminario Teológico Latino Americano de La Puente, CA. Para una predicación expositiva con legitimidad bíblica y exegética. Esta investigación obedece al reto que los estudiantes prediquen el texto bíblico tomando en cuenta el análisis lingüístico debido. La influencia de una tradición oral improvisada, la confianza en el “sentido común”, o el empirismo aleja a los estudiantes del análisis literario del texto bíblico.
Para dar respuesta a esta problemática se hace necesario un proyecto de investigación de desarrollo de un curso de estudio y la apropiada evaluación de su efectividad. Estará basado en la exploración de cuatro factores principales que los capacite para una predicación expositiva exegética, teológica y homilética en la predicación de la Palabra de Dios. Estos factores son: Establecer el género literario, la idea exegética y la estructura del texto bíblico, identificar la verdad atemporal o la idea teológica del texto bíblico, descubrir la idea homilética central del texto bíblico y desarrollar habilidades de relevancia comunicativa para aplicaciones persuasivas del texto bíblico a problemas de la vida real.

Jonathan Moreno D.Min.

This applied research project centers on the subject of preaching Christ from
the Old Testament. While this topic has received significant attention throughout church
history, one perspective from the literature that is underrepresented—and often
misrepresented—is that of dispensationalism. Therefore, the intention of this project has
been to contribute to the subject by providing a practical resource for preaching Christ
from the Old Testament from within the dual framework of a dispensational hermeneutic
and an expository homiletic.
The model adopted by the project is a resource development and evaluation.
The developmental phase of the project involved the creation of the Interactive Guide to
Preaching Christ from the Old Testament (IGPCOT). The intention of the IGPCOT was
to provide a simple tool to direct dispensational preachers who are committed to an
expository homiletic towards legitimate means of preaching Christ from their given Old
Testament passage.
The data was collected qualitatively by means
of a series of personal interviews with six qualified participants who had received and
reviewed the resource.
An evaluation of the data provided by the sample group surfaced a wealth of
information concerning the IGPCOT. These insights included strengths, weakness, and
recommendations for future development. While the data identified a number of
problems with the resource, the overall impression from the analysis generally supports
the project’s three hypotheses, confirming that the IGPCOT (1) conforms to a
dispensational hermeneutic, (2) operates within an expository homiletic, and (3)
effectively identifies and explains viable roads to preaching Christ from any given Old
Testament text.

Ian Gerard Bordenave O.P. D.Min.

This thesis project investigates whether reading a short story a week can help preachers to preach captivating homilies. Research from several United States Catholic dioceses has shown that parishioners desire to hear engaging homilies when they go to Mass. This author holds that reading a short story a week inspires preachers to adopt short-story traits for their preaching, like unity, brevity, and open-endedness, all of which captivate listeners.

This project’s intervention involved qualitative research with five preachers from the Dominican Province of St. Martin de Porres in the southern United States. These preachers were asked to read short stories for twenty-six weeks and to allow their preaching to be evaluated approximately once a month for six months to see if their homilies would become more captivating. In this blind study, the preachers were not cued on what to look for in short stories, and the evaluators were not informed that the preachers were reading short stories. The goal was to see if reading short stories alone was enough to make homilies more captivating.

The results from the twenty-six-week intervention showed no clear evidence that reading short stories helped preachers preach captivating homilies, except maybe in the case of one preacher who was already preaching narratively before the intervention began. What is clear from the intervention, however, is that narrative preaching is exceptionally good at captivating people. Further testing is warranted, with such corrections as taking a longer time frame to measure the effects of reading short stories and as preachers being informed about the nature of the intervention and the genre of short stories. The benefit of preaching captivating homilies is that people are more likely to receive the preached message, retain it, and put it into practice.

Cameron Lee Williams D.Min.

The Adrianic Application Charting System: Navigating the Applicational Methods of Adrian Rogers as a Tool Set (Toolset) for Expository Preaching.

This project demonstrates the presence of a discernible applicational method in Adrian Rogers’ sermons and proposes axiomatic principles that may be extracted from the pattern of techniques he employs to achieve such a method. Further, axioms derived of the research are organized to establish a system of tools that may be employed to equip an expositor to increase the quantity and quality of applicational content, improving communication of application in weekly sermons. The system, envisioned to encompass the techniques Rogers employs to navigate application, relies on analogous tools germane to early Adriatic sailing practices.

Chapters 1-2 establish the premises on which the writer based his project. Chapters 3-8 research Rogers’ four techniques and develop his principles into Adrianic axioms for tooling. Chapters 9-10 express motivating insights, both practical and theological, behind the goals of the project. Chapters 11-14 test the expectations of the project in light of successes, examining the Adrianic tool set for weaknesses that might be bolstered for continued improvement of the system.

Appendices 1-2 graph the research and parameters of datasets. Appendix 3 depicts iconographic materials representing the tool set (toolset) to better illustrate the Adrianic system. Appendices 4-5 outline focus-group survey findings and relate metrics for gauging successful implementation of research.

Cameron Lee Williams, D.Min.
School of Theology
Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2022
Supervisor: Matthew McKellar, Ph.D.

Frantsner Samedi D.Min.

This research sought to evaluate how a homiletics training program developed
by John Jauchen for pastors in Africa could be adapted and applied within the Haitian
Church in America (for Haitian pastors/preachers). The desired outcome of this program
was to help Haitian pastors better appreciate the art of preaching, be more passionate
about sermon preparation, and be able to identify a process for sermon preparation. In
addition, on a broader level, the project evaluated whether this program improved their
attitude toward expository sermon preparation and increased their confidence by using a
standardized process.
A well-balanced sermon is clear, true, relevant, and biblical. These are
necessities for a sermon to accomplish its purpose of changing lives to the glory of God.
A link exists between satisfactory sermon preparation and its delivery. Preparation prior
to delivery was considered in this project. The value of preparation was highlighted
because all good preachers should take this characteristic seriously. Preparation is the
action or process of making ready or being made ready for use or consideration.
Clarity and effective communication are two important characteristics of
developing a well-balanced and clear sermon. The flow of a sermon depends on both
clarity and effective communication skills. Therefore, these skills were addressed during
the evaluation of this homiletics training seminar manual.
Commitment is necessary for producing well-balanced sermons. Otherwise,
congregants will become undernourished because preachers lack the skill to prepare and
deliver expository and well-balanced sermons.
A questionnaire and two focus groups were part of the evaluation process for
this project. The pre-survey evaluated those who participated in the training seminar. It
provided a foundational understanding of their ability to develop expository preaching
skills. The post-survey measured their progress after being exposed to the training.

Miles Anson Hanbury D.Min.

This project seeks to address the problem of a lack of experiencing the presence of God in church services by exploring the history and theology of God’s presence in worship and constructing a four-week sermon series at Christ Church, Lake Forest, IL aimed at helping people invite, expect, and experience the presence of God in worship. Drawing on data from eighteen research participants, several key lessons were learned about ways church leaders can modify worship services to engage congregants more deeply. Among them are creating quiet space for reflection, giving explicit permission to engage God, and giving various opportunities to engage God.

Brian Olson D.Min.

This project set out to examine and evaluate the use of first-person narrative as a possible alternative option to be included in a regular rotation for preaching in a public worship service. It also set out to examine the process of developing the sermon. It also set out to determine if it can be used to effectively communicate the biblical message to a post-Christian, entertainment-oriented culture without compromising its faithfulness to the message of Scripture?

The research was done on the Biblical and theological foundations of preaching to accomplish these goals. An evaluation of current literature on the subject was conducted. A system of evaluating existing sermons was developed and implemented. A sermon was produced and presented in the first-person narrative mode. Survey feedback was received from individuals who were present for the sermon. The surveys from the sermon produced for the project and the earlier evaluated sermons were processed to reach the goals and determine the proper steps for moving forward.

A key understanding derived from the study was that first-person narrative preaching is often mistakenly viewed as lightweight storytelling. The reality is that it is more work than a traditional sermon. It requires that same work for those sermons, but it also requires a heightened understanding of the Biblical story's cultural, sociological, and personal attributes.

Also learned was the importance of story as a means to communicate truth. We teach theology to children through stories, and these same stories can teach the truth to adults. In the west, we have become convinced that science and facts are the most important things and that these are the way to communicate truth. But in much of the world and history, story was the primary means of communicating truth.

Daniel N Miller

This project is designed as a resource in biblical preaching for pastors who have had limited academic training. The paper is composed of three chapters, a bibliography, and two extended appendixes which are annotated bibliographies of research aids for use in biblical preaching from the Old Testament and the New Testament.

Chapter One is an analysis of those factors in the author's background that motivated a search for a deeper level of scholarship in the use of Scripture. The emphasis of the chapter is on the influences and results of anti-intellectualism in the theological milieu of a holiness/fundamental radition.

Chapter Two focuses on selected hermeneutical concepts that should be addressed if one is to have an enlarging view of Scripture and its use in preaching. The inter-relationships of the terms hermeneutics, exegesis and biblical preaching are discussed. A clearer understanding of the inspiration of Scripture is examined from a cultural-historical point of view. And, the Bible's statement of its own inspiration is approached through a presentation of II Timothy 3:16.

Chapter Three is concerned with the selection and use of research aids for biblical preaching. Guidelines are offered for selecting commentaries. Principles to follow in using commentaries and other research aids are also included. The goal of the chapter is to articulate a practical perspective and a strategy for the life-long use of research aids in biblical preaching.

Curtis Allan Zoerb D.Min.

The purpose of this research portfolio was to identify if God was calling lay people to preach in their local church and begin to equip them for that calling.
Sitting in the pews were people whom God called and gifted to serve the church in many different ministries; some were called to share his word through preaching. Through this field project, these individuals were identified, equipped, and presented with opportunities to preach God’s word in their own setting. The two foci of calling and preaching were essential to answer the research question. Members of Massey Place Community Church interested in learning to preach were invited to participate in the study. Seven people responded. A six-week introductory course was conducted to teach about calling and how to prepare and preach a biblically-based sermon. We found that people were being called to preach, and four of the seven actively engaged as lay preachers. The question at the heart of this research project, “could lay people preach effectively in the Sunday morning service?”, was answered in the affirmative; there were laypeople that God called into the role of occasionally speaking from the pulpit. Further to that, this significantly benefited the life and growth of the church and positively impacted the individuals who preached.

Eric David Zegeer D.Min.

This thesis proposes an acronym consisting of seven essential characteristics for the exercise of preaching in the Sunday Eucharistic liturgy that considers the statistical data of the decline of Catholic Sunday participation in the United States while being informed by the theology of missionary discipleship in Catholic teaching.
Chapter 1 provides an introduction that contrasts the actual decline of American Catholics in the participation of the Sunday liturgy with the Church’s teaching on missionary discipleship.
Chapter 2 provides a comprehensive explanation of the Catholic Church’s teachings on the vocation to a life of missionary discipleship of every baptized Catholic in the context of stages or steps of spiritual growth that lead to a fully lived baptismal calling.
Chapter 3 looks at the statistical data of Catholic participation available since the scandals of child sex abuse came to light around 2002. It considers the impact it has had on the Catholic Church in the United States as a whole as well as some specific generations.
Chapter 4 offers an in-depth explanation of the acronym “BREATHE” and how each characteristic of that acronym should inform our preaching. It also loosely corresponds each letter to the seven different stages of growth toward missionary discipleship.
Chapter 5 and its subsequent appendices provide the statistical data of one Catholic parish where the acronym was implemented in a five-week preaching exercise to reach the most Catholics possible in that one setting. It then considers the response and how that aligns with the statistical data found in chapter three.
Chapter 6 offers conclusions to the thesis overall and a recommendation of how to move forward while acknowledging the limitations of this one exercise and the importance of an overall plan to form and send the average parishioner into the world to bring more souls to Christ.