The purpose of this dissertation is to understand the complexity of the preaching event as communication from a theological point of view in order to increase the awareness of this complexity. I see theology of preaching as a way of reducing the complexity, to making the complexity visible. I study the contemporary preaching theologies that Eberhard Jüngel, Mary Catherine Hilkert, W. Paul Jones and Rebecca S. Chopp construct. They reduce the complexity of the preaching event to understand it better, and by doing so they make the complexity visible. In the introduction I discuss some factors that make the preaching event complex:- the complexity of human interactive communication in general; that preaching is thought to be an event in which God communicates and the ambigous use of signs for the purpose of communication. I give a brief background to this homiletical situation, by describing some patterns in the linguistic and postmodern turns. The method of this study is a reduction of the complexity of the preaching theologies that I present. To do this I use the words situation (the human situation in the preaching situation), event (the salvatory event that the preaching event is thought to be a part of) and function ( the function of the sermon) and their interrelationship. The sermon is thought to get it´s function in the situation as a part of the event. I also discuss some consequenses of the specific theology of preaching and the view of the preacher; the church and liturgy; the Biblical texts; and the language, form and content of the sermon. The main part of the study consists of the anlysis of the four reductions of complexity, and their different prespectives on preaching, where Jüngel uses the doctrine of justification by faith to give structure to thought, Hilkert uses sacramental and dialectic imagination, Jones uses a typology of five theological worlds and Chopp use the metaphor text/margin to give structure to thought. I present the four theologies of preaching as a polyphonic voice, that makes us aware of the complexity of the preaching event. They constribute to the important theological conversation about preaching in our complex reality.

For the last two decades Haddon Robinson's homiletic text Biblical Preaching has been a significant influence in evangelical homiletics. In an endeavor to evaluate the homiletic method within it, this study asked the following questions: What is Robinson's theological methodology and how does it affect his homiletical method? What is his hermeneutical methodology and how does it affect his homiletical method? These two questions lead into the main issue of this study expressed in two other questions: Is Robinson consistent with his theological and hermeneutical methodology in his homiletical method? What are the strengths and weaknesses of his ten-stage method? Based on these issues, the purpose of this study was to investigate Robinson's theological and hermeneutical methodology, evaluate his ten-stage method in light of this investigation, and based on any problematic areas, suggest pointers toward new theory and procedure for the enhancement of expository pedagogy. To provide a framework for this study, four homiletical paradigms in contemporary American homiletics were identified and explained. Robinson's method was found to be in one of these paradigms. With this framework in mind, Robinson's theological and hermeneutical methodology was investigated. Following this, his definition of expository preaching with its five components was set forth and investigated. It was found that Robinson's expository methodology as expressed in his view of Scripture, hermeneutics, and definition of expository preaching, is a consistent foundation for his ten-stage method. Nevertheless, several problematic issues were noted. Having investigated Robinson's expository methodology, this study formally evaluated his ten-stage method and found its center of gravity to be on the two center stages dealing with the homiletical idea and purpose statement. Furthermore, this evaluation found the ten stages to be consistent with Robinson's definition of expository preaching in its movement from interpretation to application. In seven of the stages, however, this study found deficiencies due to procedural weaknesses and a lack of theoretical focus. The study concluded with ten pointers based on the problem areas addressed throughout the investigation and evaluation. These pointers suggested a new theory and procedure to enhance expository pedagogy and practice. / Practical Theology / D. Th. (Pratical Theology)

For the last two decades Haddon Robinson's homiletic text Biblical Preaching has been a significant influence in evangelical homiletics. In an endeavor to evaluate the homiletic method within it, this study asked the following questions: What is Robinson's theological methodology and how does it affect his homiletical method? What is his hermeneutical methodology and how does it affect his homiletical method? These two questions lead into the main issue of this study expressed in two other questions: Is Robinson consistent with his theological and hermeneutical methodology in his homiletical method? What are the strengths and weaknesses of his ten-stage method? Based on these issues, the purpose of this study was to investigate Robinson's theological and hermeneutical methodology, evaluate his ten-stage method in light of this investigation, and based on any problematic areas, suggest pointers toward new theory and procedure for the enhancement of expository pedagogy. To provide a framework for this study, four homiletical paradigms in contemporary American homiletics were identified and explained. Robinson's method was found to be in one of these paradigms. With this framework in mind, Robinson's theological and hermeneutical methodology was investigated. Following this, his definition of expository preaching with its five components was set forth and investigated. It was found that Robinson's expository methodology as expressed in his view of Scripture, hermeneutics, and definition of expository preaching, is a consistent foundation for his ten-stage method. Nevertheless, several problematic issues were noted. Having investigated Robinson's expository methodology, this study formally evaluated his ten-stage method and found its center of gravity to be on the two center stages dealing with the homiletical idea and purpose statement. Furthermore, this evaluation found the ten stages to be consistent with Robinson's definition of expository preaching in its movement from interpretation to application. In seven of the stages, however, this study found deficiencies due to procedural weaknesses and a lack of theoretical focus. The study concluded with ten pointers based on the problem areas addressed throughout the investigation and evaluation. These pointers suggested a new theory and procedure to enhance expository pedagogy and practice. / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / D. Th. (Pratical Theology)

This thesis seeks to demonstrate that, in failing to take the sacramentality of the Word seriously, the preaching of the Church has suffered negative consequences. In short, preaching has often become, at best, a form of instruction or, at worst, an incantation of sorts, rather than an integral part of deepening our relationship with Christ by functioning sacramentally to bring about divine participation with Jesus' corporeal humanity in his living Word. Moreover, this trouble has had a profoundly negative effect on my own Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod due, in part, to our Reformation heritage as Christians who believe, teach, and confess the sole authority and divine inspiration of Holy Scripture. Yet, what has been lost over the past 500 years since the Reformation began is the reality of Christ's ongoing corporeal presence in and for the Church, particularly as he is present in the viva vox of preaching. In order to recover that reality, I propose that one should consider the annunciation to Mary where, with a sermon of sorts, the corporeal Christ took up residence in the flesh of his hearer. In addition to granting Mary a son, however, this tangible presence of Jesus also delivered to her precisely what was contained within his own flesh: the fullness of the Godhead (Col 2:9). When understood as a biblical paradigm for the Church, it becomes clear that what happened to Mary can, indeed, happen to Christians of the present day. To that end, I propose that preaching today, when understood sacramentally, can deliver the fullness of the person of Christ, who continues to come in corporeality, with humanity and divinity, in the viva vox of preaching.

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