This qualitative research compared the practice of an expert preacher to co re 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. The research also revealed that the preacher had a personal homiletic philosophy where in everything in his preparation, message design, and deli very centered on relevancy. The preacher felt strongly tha t the message had to apply to his listeners in meaning li.rl ways. The preacher's strength centered not so much on how he prese nted, but what he prese nted. Hi s sermons were fill ed with what homilet ic theori st Sunu kjian call ed " time less truths." They made the preacher's sermons insightful, hopeful, and most of all, relevant to his listeners To discover whether the participant's practice was congruent with theory, I first identified seminal theories. They were class ified into the following modifi ed version or Broadus's ca tegories of ideal preaching: (a) co ntent. (b) arra ngement, (c) introduction, trans ition, and conclusion, (d) style, (e) illustra tions, and (f) the del ivery. I crea ted a rubric from the literature review as a standard from whi ch I compared the part icipant '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 anal ys is 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.

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 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.

The purpose of this thesis is to ascertain to what extent D.T. Niles’ theory of preaching is Reformed and Biblical and can help in the dialogue between Western and Non-Western Christianity. The study achieves this aim by employing the qualitative case-study research to meet four objectives. First, it describes Niles’ theory of preaching as found in his trilogy of lectures on preaching, explicating especially the double calling of the preacher, the double content and the pneumatological character and nature of preaching, the three-fold purpose and double consequences of preaching. Second, it interprets Niles’ theory of preaching in the light of his own cultural background and in dialogue with the works of key Reformation figures including Erasmus, Zwingli, Luther, Calvin and Bullinger’s Second Helvetic Confession. Based on this examination, the study determines that Niles’ homiletical theory is in concert with the theology of preaching of the Magisterial Reformers as summarised in Bullinger’s classic statement: ‘The preaching of the word of God is the word of God’ . Third, this study evaluates critically Niles’ theory of preaching within the normative context of the preaching of Jesus in the Synagogue in Nazareth and the wider New Testament teaching on preaching and finds that Niles’ homiletical theory is in agreement with Scriptural norm. Fourth, having found Niles’ theory of preaching to be broadly in concert with the understanding of the Reformers and the Biblical teaching on the nature of preaching, this study undertakes the pragmatic task of developing a global theology of preaching that would promote dialogue between Western and Non-Western Christianity. This study was undertaken because of the dearth of theologies of preaching written from a Non-Western perspective and the lack of dialogue between Western and Non-Western homiletical theories. The result of the investigation is the conclusion that the preaching of the word of God is the word of God since preaching is a pneumatological event where God is present in the act of human preaching so long as the preacher himself is lawfully called and the content of his preaching is Christological and soteriological. / PhD, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

The purpose of this thesis is to ascertain to what extent D.T. Niles’ theory of preaching is Reformed and Biblical and can help in the dialogue between Western and Non-Western Christianity. The study achieves this aim by employing the qualitative case-study research to meet four objectives. First, it describes Niles’ theory of preaching as found in his trilogy of lectures on preaching, explicating especially the double calling of the preacher, the double content and the pneumatological character and nature of preaching, the three-fold purpose and double consequences of preaching. Second, it interprets Niles’ theory of preaching in the light of his own cultural background and in dialogue with the works of key Reformation figures including Erasmus, Zwingli, Luther, Calvin and Bullinger’s Second Helvetic Confession. Based on this examination, the study determines that Niles’ homiletical theory is in concert with the theology of preaching of the Magisterial Reformers as summarised in Bullinger’s classic statement: ‘The preaching of the word of God is the word of God’ . Third, this study evaluates critically Niles’ theory of preaching within the normative context of the preaching of Jesus in the Synagogue in Nazareth and the wider New Testament teaching on preaching and finds that Niles’ homiletical theory is in agreement with Scriptural norm. Fourth, having found Niles’ theory of preaching to be broadly in concert with the understanding of the Reformers and the Biblical teaching on the nature of preaching, this study undertakes the pragmatic task of developing a global theology of preaching that would promote dialogue between Western and Non-Western Christianity. This study was undertaken because of the dearth of theologies of preaching written from a Non-Western perspective and the lack of dialogue between Western and Non-Western homiletical theories. The result of the investigation is the conclusion that the preaching of the word of God is the word of God since preaching is a pneumatological event where God is present in the act of human preaching so long as the preacher himself is lawfully called and the content of his preaching is Christological and soteriological. / PhD, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015