Welcome to the Supplementum issue of the International Journal of Homiletics. The articles in this volume are edited, peer-reviewed versions of keynote lectures and papers presented at the Societas Homiletica Conference on August 3rd – 8th 2018, at The Divinity School of Duke University, North Carolina, USA. The theme of the conference was “Fearing God in a Fear-Filled World? Homiletical Explorations” – a topic that resonated with homileticians from all over the world and engendered rich reflections and discussions during the conference. In what follows are four keynote lectures, a keynote response and six papers discussing the theme of fear from theological perspectives of South Africa, Brazil, Australia, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the United States.

The primary aim of this study is to attempt to provide a means of restoring evangelical preaching in Xhosa churches. I will attempt to answer the question, How can the evangelical preaching be restored in Xhosa churches in the Western Cape? From personal observation, it is clear that in contemporary Xhosa evangelicalism, preaching is totally misunderstood. To put more bluntly, there are no clear criteria from biblical theology for preaching in Xhosa churches. Indeed so much is happening in the name of preaching that offers no substance whatsoever. In the first two chapter’s of this study, the focus is on the problem that the Xhosa church is experiencing and how preaching is understood and practiced in this community. Chapter three examines the causes of the problem and how to deal with those causes. On a practical note, it is shown that sermon analyses are inevitable for further consideration of the problem. Moreover, the chapter examines various attempts that have been made in response to the problem. In Chapter four, an investigation of the views of biblical theology on the subject of preaching is carried out. The chapter dwells into what the Bible offers on the subject of preaching and this is meant to serve as a foundation for the restoration of evangelical preaching in Xhosa churches. In the light of Chapter four, Chapter five argues for expository preaching as a possible means of responding to the crisis which the Xhosa church is experiencing. At the same time chapter five seek to state the case for expository preaching. Finally, Chapter Six provides the most effective material for Xhosa preachers in the process of exploring and constructing expository sermons. / Dissertation (MA(Theol))--University of Pretoria, 2009. / Practical Theology / unrestricted

This qualitative research compared the practice of an expert preacher to core concepts in homiletic theory (the art and craft of preaching), searching for discrepancies between what theory suggested and what the preacher practiced. It also sought to validate that the preacher practiced what homiletic theorists prescribed and to inform homiletic theory by describing strategies he employed unlike those espoused in homiletic theory. To discover whether the participant's practice was congruent with theory, I first identified seminal theories. They were classified into the following modified version of Broadus's categories of ideal preaching: (a) content, (b) arrangement, (c) introduction,transition, and conclusion, (d) style, (e) illustrations, and (f) the delivery. I created a rubric from the literature review as a standard from which I compared the participant's audio and video sermons. The rubric had six categories, 39 subcategories, and 58 characteristics of ideal preaching to which the preacher was compared. The analysis included frequency counts of certain words, phrases, illustrations, and the results of the Flesch's Reading Ease score. To find strategies employed by the participant but not represented in the literature, I also used an inductive method to analyze the integral parts and patterns of the sermons. The analysis revealed that the preacher's practice was congruent with theory yet the preacher had never read homiletic theory. Because the preacher was able to sidestep the need to study homiletics, it was concluded that for him preaching was an intuitive art/craft. The research also revealed that the preacher had a personal homiletic philosophy wherein everything in his preparation, message design, and delivery centered on relevancy. The preacher felt strongly that the message had to apply to his listeners in meaningful ways. The preacher's strength centered not so much on how he presented, but what he presented. His sermons were filled with what homiletic theorist Sunukjian called "timeless truths." They made the preacher's sermons insightful, hopeful, and most of all, relevant to his listeners.

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The study on the role of preaching within the United Church of Zambia in Kitwe, with a purpose of finding out and documenting the role of preaching in three case study congregations of the United Church of Zambia in the city of Kitwe, and to underscore the point that the study has focused on how members of the three case study congregations described and justified the superiority of preaching. It includes the analysis of data from the three case study congregations of the United Church of Zambia and applying the methodology of Richard Osmer’s (2008) practical theological interpretation. The literature was from books, and data was collected from the participants by using their experiences in a research perspective. The researcher used unstructured interviews from thirty-one participants drawn from the three congregations of the United Church of Zambia within the city of Kitwe, employing qualitative methods in the collection and analysis of data. / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / M. Th. (Practical Theology)

Three ancient Church Slavonic Homilies (Tomáš Mikulka) Abstract The aim of this thesis is to offer an in-depth analysis of three ancient Old Church Slavonic (further only OCS) homilies which have not been appropriately recognised yet. These are three anonymous homilies on the Nativity of the Lord (25th December), on the Baptism of the Lord (6th January) and on the Annunciation (25th March). The first two aforementioned homilies were studied by A. N. Popov in 1880, whereas the homily on the Annunciation is in this study presented to the public for the very first time. The thesis objective is to characterize these texts by their linguistic features, then to offer their approximate dating and geographic localisation, as well as to address the question of their genuineness, mutual affinity and the relation to other OCS texts, in particular to the oldest OCS homilies. Each homily is analysed separately using the identical method so that the results can be finally compared. The conclusion is that these three homilies might have been written by the same author who cannot be simply identified with any already-known person. Before the linguistic analysis was carried out, all surviving manuscripts of each homily had been gathered. On the basis of this material, critical editions including indexes of biblical and...

Summary in German and English / Text in German / Diese Arbeit ist eine detaillierte Analyse von Gottesdiensten und Predigten, die im Rahmen öffentlicher Gedenkveranstaltungen nach katastrophalen Krisenereignissen gehalten wurden. Untersucht wurde die Frage, wie angesichts einer heterogenen Ge-sellschaft und einer breiten Öffentlichkeit, in öffentlichen Trauergottesdiensten Trost gegeben und von Hoffnung geredet wurde. In Thesen werden mögliche Kriterien ge-geben, wie in ähnlichen Situationen angemessen von der christlichen Hoffnung gere-det werden kann. Die Schlussfolgerung ist, die Predigt als Teil des Gesamtgeschehens wahrzunehmen und den Gottesdienst, mit der Musik, den Liedern, Lesungen und Ri-tualen, als eine Art Gesamtkunstwerk und auch als kontextualisiertes Antwortgesche-hen an die Teilnehmenden unterschiedlichen Hintergrunds zu verstehen. Die Predigt, profiliert in der christlichen Botschaft, soll respektvoll die Unterschiede in Gesell-schaft, Glaube und Person achten. Der reiche Schatz des biblischen Kanons kann in der Predigt, im Gebet, Gesang und in den Ritualen reflektiert werden, insbesondere durch die Psalmen mit ihrer formulierten Klage, und mit der christlichen Hoffnung ins Gespräch gebracht werden. / This work is a detailed analysis of worship services and sermons delivered during pub-lic commemoration events after catastrophic events of crisis. The question is explored how, in the face of a heterogeneous society and a broad public presence, comfort was given in public commemoration services and how hope was reflected. In closing the-ses, possible criteria are given for adequately speaking of Christian hope in similar sit-uations. The conclusion is that the sermon should be perceived as part of the whole process and that worship, with its music, songs, readings and rituals, should be under-stood as a kind of Gesamtkunstwerk and also as a contextualized response to the par-ticipants of different backgrounds. The sermon, profiled in the Christian message, should respect the differences in society, faith and person. The rich treasure of the biblical canon can be reflected in preaching, prayer, song and ritual, in particular through the psalms, with their formed lament, and brought into conversation with the Christian hope. / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / D. Phil. (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. / Practical Theology / D. Th. (Pratical Theology)

This thesis studies current preaching praxis in Australia through a practical theology perspective. It is argued that Evangelical churches in Australia operate predominantly with a narrow applicational hermeneutical model in regard to preaching and hence communicate the gospel ineffectually to ordinary Australians. A need for contextualised and dialogical preaching is presented. Using Zerfass's model a situational analysis of the Australian context and the effects of modernism and postmodernism are explored. Theological tradition in regard to preaching is then analyzed with a focus on incarnational, Trinitarian and covenantal theology, scripture as public text and dialogue as scriptural pattern. Preaching is then analyzed using the communication theories of Gadamer, Searle, Ricoeur, and Habermas. The need for contextualised preaching is critiqued in light of the concerns of Barth regarding preaching and the concerns of Strom in regards to the nature of church in Australia. A new evangelical practical theological/ preaching model is then offered. Zerfass's model emphasises dialectic tension as the basis for moving from praxis to praxis. While movement from praxis to praxis does occur via dialectic tension there are also elements of change that are based on processes of continuity and evolution. A model that reflects this dynamic is forwarded. Finally an ideal praxis for dialogical preaching is presented with possibilities for further research. Throughout the thesis five interviews are used to illustrate the research, concepts and recommendations presented. / Practical Theology / D.Th.

Text in Afrikaans / Een van die grootste probleme waarmee die prediker in 'n industriele konteks te doen het, is om die evangelie op 'n sinvolle wyse aan die hoarders oor te dra. Die radikale verandering in die samelewing deur die moderniseringsproses, het die homiletiek gedwing om teoreties her te besin. Hierdie moderne homiletiese teorie soos deur H.J.C. Pieterse, T.G. Long en G.D.J. Dingemans verteenwoordig het die volgende belangrike teoretiese aanpassings gemaak: Eerstens, in plaas van die tradisionele beweging van die teks na die hoarders, is die homiletiese proses omgekeer. Die beweging is nou vanaf die hoarder na die teks deur middel van die prediker en weer terug van die teks na die hoorder. Tweedens, hierdie benadering het noodwendig hermeneutiese implikasies gehad. Daarom het die homiletiek die bree aanpak van die moderne kritiese hermeneutiek in diens geneem. Derdens moes 'n nuwe kommunikasieteorie ondersoek word naamlik, die dialogiese kommunikasieteorie van H.J.C. Pieterse en C.J.A. Vos. / One of the greatest problems, with which a preacher in an industrial context have to deal with, is to convey the gospel in a sensible manner to the listeners. The radical change in society caused by the modernisation process, forced homiletics to review its theoretical base. Modern homiletics as represented by H.J.C. Pieterse, T.G. Long and G.D.J. Dingemans, has made the following theoretic adjustments: Firstly, in stead of the traditional movement of the text to the listeners, the homiletical process is revearsed. The movement is from the listener to the text by means of the preacher and back from the text to the listener. Secondly, this approach inevitably has hermeneutic implications. Therefore homiletics has employed the broad approach of modern critical hermeneutics. Thirdly, a new communication theory has to be developed namely, the dialogical communication theory of H.J.C. Pieterse and C.J.A. Vos. The most important theoretical foundation for preaching in an industrial context is the approach of taking the listeners as starting point without neglecting the text. In practice, it brings about that the following topics ask for particular attention: For the understanding and formulating of the message of the Scriptures, the modern critical hermeneutics and the use of metaphors is of the greatest importance. The new understanding of rhetorics which is about conveying the message, must be taken into consideration. The formulating of the message in the language of the listeners has a theoretical influence on the formulating and use of the theological concepts during preaching. The dialogical communication theory is also of great importance, and has dialogue before, during and after the preaching in mind. For it to be fulfilled, preaching work groups is an important component to improve dialogical communication in the congregation. / Practical Theology / D.Th. (Practical theology)