Homiletics

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Under homiletics (Greek ὁμιλητική τέχνη homiletikḗ téchnē = the art of dealing, namely:. ... with people) is in the theology of the sermon understood doctrine.

Homiletics as a theological discipline

Homiletics is a sub-area of practical theology (Protestant) or pastoral theology (Catholic). Using rhetoric and communication science, it clarifies the theological meaning and methods of the communication process represented by the sermon. The homileticist is a teacher in this field.

The task of homiletics is to describe the sermon as a communication process on its own terms:

“One of the elementary conditions of the sermon as a speech from person to person is first of all the conditions of understanding and communication. If this is a religious speech in the tradition of Christianity as well as in the context of church and congregation, it must also be asked how these conditions can be thought theologically and what consequences they have for preaching as a form of religious practice in Christianity to have."

structure

According to the classic distinction made by Alexander Schweizer (1808–1888), homiletics deals with the question of

  • the nature of the sermon (principal homiletics: among other things, about authority and purpose of the sermon),
  • their content (material homiletics: originally primarily about the biblical text and its interpretation)
  • and their design (formal homiletics: e.g. via language, comparisons ...).
  • Then there is pastoral homiletics: about the pastoral ministry of the preacher. In the more recent homiletics the so-called "homiletic triangle" (the speaker, the listener and the Bible text as the basis of the sermon) is given special attention.

Content of the sermon

overview

The content of a sermon is shaped by different elements. Typically, the following ratios are considered:

  • Sermon and its subject: The I in the pulpit
  • Sermon and tradition: the text
  • Sermon and situation
  • Preaching and communication
  • Sermon and reference to liturgy: positioning in worship

Sermon and its subject: The I in the pulpit.

Here the person of the preacher comes into focus. It's about personal and communicative skills. Ideally, a personal sermon testifies to the inner congruence of the person, individual originality and experience-based authenticity.

Sermon and tradition: the text

In the case of churches with a fixed liturgy, the underlying Bible text is often given, for example in a 3-year cycle. Elsewhere, the individual preacher can decide freely - within the framework of what is customary in his community. There is the basic question of whether the sermon is based on a Bible text or on a factual topic ( i.e. text sermon or theme sermon ).

Sermon and situation

The content of a sermon should be new, but also correct - and important. These requirements can be in tension with one another. A good sermon takes the reality of the listener's life seriously. The situation-relatedness of a sermon is characterized by various aspects - e.g. B. political, pastoral, diaconal.

Preaching and communication

The preaching as a process of understanding and communication can be divided into four phases. Something is interpreted and produced in every phase. The sermon begins when the sermon text and the preacher meet. Therefore, the communication process between texts and preachers must first be looked at

Phase I: Tradition

The Bible text is the production of an author who has perceived an event and processed oral or other sources. The text therefore initially belongs to the author's situation. As soon as the preacher deals with the text, he also belongs in the preacher's situation, which leads us to the second phase.

Phase II: preparation

The preacher interprets the text, which leads to the production of a new text. This phase extends from the Bible text to the sermon manuscript. As authors, the preachers develop a message that is recorded in the manuscript. Manuscript originally meant that which was “handwritten”. In a broader sense, the manuscript can also denote the trains of thought that are established in advance of the sermon.

Phase III: Verbalization

This phase is the second phase of the preacher's situation. This is where the “performance” of the sermon takes place. The preachers interpret their manuscript and produce a linguistic and non-verbal message. This sermon lecture serves as a source for interpretation by the listener.

Phase IV: Realization

This phase concerns the situation of the hearing. They produce a message for themselves, of what they have “heard with the ear” (from manuscript to auredit - ablative of auris “ear” and passive participle of audire “hear”). This phase includes the changes that the sermon set in motion in the hearing.

Sermon and reference to liturgy: positioning in worship

The sermon is not an isolated event, but is embedded in an overall context. This worship framework also contains other liturgical elements (e.g. Eucharist, reading) that are related to the sermon.

Form of sermon

Basics

There are several areas to consider when designing the sermon - here in key words, sometimes formulated as an alternative:

  • Didactics: short sentences, informative (promotes attention) - but not unnecessarily detailed, emphasize the core sentence, specially prepare the introduction and the end, repetitions (possibly also before / after the sermon).
  • Rhetoric: dialect or written language, speaking freely or reading aloud, gestures, facial expressions, articulation.
  • Technical aids: import a microphone, projector, short film or music recording.

Preparation of a sermon

Homiletics also deals with the facienda, i.e. with the question of how a sermon is to be given. Three phases can be identified: the preparatory phase, the analytical phase and the design phase.

Preparatory phase

A homiletic diary can be helpful . It is about the observation of everyday scenes, because the smallest sequences can "shed light on human existence". It is less productive to invent events to illustrate a Bible text. Because it is about seeing actually experienced reality in the light of the Gospel .

It is then important to read the text. Preferably in German to avoid exegetical deliberations. It is about the perception of the text in terms of content.

In a further step, the relationship aspects are to be perceived: sensations, feelings, emotions , ...

Analytical phase

This is about illuminating the historical context in which a text is located. The experiences, problems and life contexts, motives, basic ideas etc. should be emphasized. The historical situation is then compared with the present one. One looks for analogies and similarities. For the analysis of the present, milieus , time issues, politics , social, intercultural , interreligious situations, etc. should be taken into account.

When you have found your own preliminary position, it makes sense to compare it with others. Homiletic literature can be used for this purpose: sermons by others, sermon studies and meditations, and completed series on pericope order .

Design phase

First of all, it is about finding a working hypothesis that can take shape in the form of a motto or a preliminary sermon heading. This core idea of ​​the sermon should be formulated from the point of view of the potential hearing. Then a connection should be created between the experiences of the text and the experiences of the present. The first draft of the manuscript is a well-founded construction plan. You look for a structure and an entry point. So at the beginning there can be a scene, a picture or something similar, which makes the importance of the topic clear.

Sermon draft

In summary, a draft sermon can contain the following elements:

  • Introduction / preliminary remarks

Here you can get information about methodical decisions if there are deviations from the normal structure of a sermon draft.

  • Exegetical commentary

The text should be examined for theological points. What is important is what is to be recorded specifically for the sermon from the exegetical work. Your own translation into German is also part of this step.

  • Systematic-theological commentary

The train of thought of the sermon should be examined for its larger systematic-theological connections: What relevance does the sermon have for faith today? Which basic anthropological topics are addressed? What theological issues are being discussed?

  • Homiletic-liturgical commentary and situation analysis

The living environment of the hearing should be reflected: Which problems, experiences, dilemmas play a role? In addition, a classification should be made in the church year: Which topics are suggested due to the special Sunday and the season? In what overall worship context is the sermon found? What is the connection to other liturgical elements?

  • sermon

The formulated sermon is the result of the homiletic preparatory work.

Purpose: good sermons

Homiletics reflects the process of preaching with the aim of improving. So it deals with deficiencies, it problematizes. Homiletic literature does not simply describe, but criticizes and advises; it is often normative. Because she strives for an ideal. However, this can look different, depending on the denomination, epoch and individual. The question: what is “good preaching”? is therefore answered differently, depending on the respective ideal: Is it primarily about general comprehensibility, practical applicability, tension, artistic-literary design or richness of content? This last-mentioned aspect can itself be understood in different ways: Is it about new insights, about spiritually moving impulses, about a wealth of information?

Different homiletic focuses

Homiletic square

Most preaching approaches have in common that they move in the field of tension of the homiletic square, even if there are different weightings depending on the theory formation. Some book titles prefix “homiletics” with an adjective, e.g. B. didactic homiletics, rhetorical sermon theory, practical homiletics or dramaturgical homiletics . In this way, the respective homiletician shows which subject he attaches particular importance to homiletics, perhaps because of his own special competence. An adjective can also be placed before “preach”; B. preach pastoral care or preach ecumenically . Sometimes a particular discipline is linked to homiletics using “and”, e.g. B. Homiletics and Psychology, or by more extensive book titles, e.g. B .: Humor and its potential for Christian preaching. The book titles mentioned refer to the multitude of directions and approaches that are made fruitful for the preaching activity.

See also

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Wilfried Engemann: Introduction to Homiletics . 2nd Edition. A. Francke (UTB), Tübingen 2011, p. XVI .
  2. ↑ This four-part division already in the classic by Wolfgang Trillhaas: Evangelische Predigtlehre , 3rd edition, undated [1947].
  3. ↑ U. a. by Peter Bukowski , Wilfried Engemann , Michael Thiele .
  4. ↑ Wilfried Engemann: Introduction to Homiletics . 2nd Edition. A. Francke (UTB), Tübingen 2011, p. 3-14 .
  5. ^ Compiled based on Graf-Stuhlhofer : Basis preach. … Didactic homiletics for advanced learners, pp. 175–219.
  6. ↑ Wilfried Engemann: Introduction to Homiletics . 2nd Edition. A. Francke (UTB), Tübingen 2011, p. 489-506 .
  7. ↑ This question is answered primarily from a Baptist point of view in Dietmar Lütz (Ed.): GUTES PREDIGEN. 21 sermons for the 21st century. A sermon workshop. WDL, Berlin 2004.
  8. ↑ Jan Hermelink and others: Practical Theology. A textbook. - homiletics . S. 153-154 .
  9. ^ According to Graf-Stuhlhofer: Basis preach. Basics of the Christian faith in sermons, plus a didactic homiletics for advanced learners, p. 220f.