AFRIKAANS: In ‘n veranderende wêreld van relatiwiteit blyk dit dat die preek al hoe meer in die spervuur is. Op elke gebied van die menslike onderneming beleef ons veranderinge. Dit maak dat prediking in die konteks van ‘n veranderende wêreld en kultuur al hoe meer kompleks word. Wat vyftig jaar gelede as homiletiese wysheid gesien is, geld nie meer nie. Die kritiese vraag is: Het die prediking nog ‘n toekoms? Het ons enige idee oor die effek en ontvangs van ‘n preek. In die huidige kritieke situasie waarin die kerk wêreldwyd verkeer, word veral ook die prediker aangespoor tot selfondersoek en herwaardering van sy prediking. In die ondersoek van die probleem en die soeke na moontlike oplossing word daar in hierdie studie aangesluit by die ‘prakties-teologiese metodologie’ waarvolgens die bestaande praktyk wetenskaplik ondersoek word. Dit geskied deur aandag te skenk aan die dinamiese wisselwerking tussen teorie en praktyk. Hierdie proses vind gestalte deur ‘n hermeneutiese interaksie tussen ‘n literatuurstudie en ‘n empiriese ondersoek wat uitmond in ‘n verstelde praktykteorie. In Hoofstuk 1 word die navorsings leemte, probleemstelling, vraagstelling en doelstelling van die studie vasgelê. Die navorsings leemte behels dat die meeste predikers ‘n persepsie het dat hulle in noue kontak met die hoorders is, en dat predikers dink dat direkte terugvoer vanaf die hoorders nie nodig is nie. Die leefwêreld en tydgees waarbinne die prediking plaasvind en die hoorder se behoeftes rondom die prediking is nog nie in die Paarl op ‘n grondige empiriese wyse ondersoek is nie. Prediking in die konteks van die Paarl is ‘n monologiese gebeurtenis, waar die hoorder passief is. Die kern van die probleemstelling is die gebrek aan deelname van gemeentelede aan die preek in die erediens. Die vraagstelling is of prediking nog relevant is en of prediking steeds moet gestalte vind op dieselfde wyse binne ons veranderende wêreld van relatiwiteit? Die doel van hierdie ondersoek was om vas te stel wat die hoorders beskou as relevante prediking en of die preek nog steeds ‘n bestaansreg het. In Hoofstuk 2 word daar gekyk na die leefwêreld, kultuur en tydgees waarbinne die hoorders lewe. In Hoofstuk 3 word verskillende hermeneutiese benaderings uiteengesit om sodoende ‘n basis teorie vir relevante prediking te kan ontwikkel. Dit dien as ‘n konseptuele raamwerk vir die empiriese deel van die studie. In Hoofstuk 4 word die empiriese ondersoek onderneem. Dit geskied deur kwalitatiewe onderhoude wat fokus op individue uit verskillende gemeentes in die Paarl. Inligting is versamel deur middel van in-diepte onderhoude wat deur gestruktureerde onderhoudskedules voorafgegaan word. Daar is byvoorbeeld gevind dat die oorgrote meerderheid gelowiges die prediking sien as ‘n onvervangbare element. In Hoofstuk 5 is daar ‘n hermeneutiese interaksie tussen die resultate van die empiriese ondersoek en die voorafgaande teoretiese vertrekpunte. Hierdie gegewens wat op mekaar inspeel lei tot nuwe of verstelde konsepte vir ‘n relevante praktykteorie om die praktyk te rig en te stuur. Dit is ‘n regulatiewe aktiwiteit wat die bestaande praktyk wil bevestig en bewus maak van sekere aanpassings. In hierdie verstelde praktykteorie is daar gepleit vir nuwe klem op die kultuur en konteks waarbinne die prediking plaasvind. Daar sal meer gereeld na die hoorder se stem geluister moet word sodat meer inter aktiwiteit tussen prediker en hoorder kan plaasvind. Ook nuwe kommunikasietegniek sal aangeleer moet word vir die prediking wat in ‘n ontluikende digitalekultuur moet plaasvind. ENGLISH: In a changing world of relativism there are many critical voices against the preaching of a sermon. These critical voices put the sermon under attack. In all facets of human life we experience change. That makes the preaching of a sermon more complex in the context of a changing world. What looked like homiletic wisdom fifty years ago, doesn’t count today. The critical question is: Does preaching have a future? Do we have any idea of the effect and reception of a sermon? Because of the present critical situation of peoples’ perception about the church in general, the preacher is encouraged to introspection and revaluation of his sermons. In the research of the problem and the seeking for some possible solutions this study connects with the ‘practical theological methodology’ whereby the standing scientific praxis is researched. This is done by giving attention to the dynamic interaction between theory and praxis. This process is structured by a hermeneutical interaction between a literature study and a empirical research which results in an adjusted practical theory. In Chapter 1 the research problem is stated, followed by an explanation and formulation of the question under research as well as the purpose thereof. The deficiency in the research entails that most preachers think they are in close contact with the hearers to sermons and that direct feedback from the hearers is unnecessary. The world in which the spirit, the time the sermon is delivered and the hearers needs towards the sermon, haven’t been researched on a empirical basis in Paarl. Preaching within listeners in the context of the churches in Paarl is in the form of a monologue where the listener sits passively. The centre of the problem statement of this research is the shortage of involvement of congregation members towards the sermon during the worship service. The question under research is whether preaching is still relevant and whether preaching still must take place in the same way that we are familiar with. The purpose of this research is to find out what the hearer considers as relevant preaching and if preaching must still be that prominent in the worship service. In Chapter 2 we look at the world in which we live and the timeline wherein the hearer lives. In Chapter 3 we will look at different hermeneutical approaches to get to a base theory for relevant preaching. This will serve as a conceptual framework for the empirical part of the study. In Chapter 4 we undertake the empirical research. It takes place in the form qualitative interviews which focus on individuals from different churches in Paarl. Information was obtained by means of in-depth interviews preceded by structured interview schedules. As an example, the research found that the majority of believers regard the preaching of a sermon as an irreplaceable element of the church and of one’s Christians life. Chapter 5 reveals the results of a hermeneutical interaction between the imperical research and the preliminary theoretical assumptions. The results that play in towards each other will lead to new or adjusted concepts for a relevant practical theory to guide the praxis in a new direction. This is a regulative activity which confirms the existing praxis and makes us aware of certain adaptations. In this adjusted practical theory there is pleaded for a new emphasis towards the culture and context where preaching takes place. Therefore more often preachers must listen to the hearers voices to create interactivity between preacher and hearer. New communication techniques also need to be taught regarding preaching in a new digital culture. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Practical Theology / unrestricted