This article suggests that topical preaching can be revisited with integrity in postmodernity. The topical sermon in postmodernity should seek to place texts in conversation with one another in such a way that each text is valued and respected. Instead of allowing only one text to be heard at the exclusion of all others, appropriate topical preaching should model the embrace of otherness and conversation.

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Toward the end of 2015, 65.3 million people were seeking refuge or were otherwise forcibly displaced globally. This is the largest number since the recordings began around World War II. In Europe more than 1 million people arrived by sea in 2015 – more than four times as many as the previous year.1 The crisis situation stirred public debate as well as church-based initiatives trying to deal with the situation. In order to understand the interaction between public discourse and local preaching a group of homileticians from seven European countries collaborated on an empirical study of how the refugee crisis impacted preaching. In what follows we present the initial results from the Scandinavian countries.

In October 2016 homileticians from seven European countries met in Leipzig in order to reflect on political preaching in the context of the so called European ‘refugee crisis’. This article shows the background of this conference, gives a very brief overview of the perspectives from different countries, and suggests ways to continue European homiletical research on this theme.

Preaching is in transition, so is homiletics as the theory of preaching. In this article the development of homiletics in the Low Countries is explored as a case-study within the dynamics of international homiletical thought. The material for this case-study consists of the doctoral theses that have been published since the turn of the century. The amount of doctoral work in homiletics, the variety of methodological approaches and theological perspectives, provide a viable entrance to homiletics as academic discipline. It will be concluded that homiletics has developed into an international, empirically oriented, culturally sensitive, and theological diverse field. Preaching is in transition, so is homiletics. The transition, as seen through the lens of recent Dutch contributions to scholarly discourse in preaching, has three focal points: pneumatology, language, and empirical research.

[pt] A presente pesquisa tem como objetivo principal estudar a homilia como parte integrante das celebrações litúrgico-sacramentais, tendo como paradigma a celebração eucarística. Desse modo, as Sagradas Escrituras são determinantes no contexto da sagrada liturgia, pois delas são retirados os textos bíblicos para serem proclamados e comentados na homilia. Esta, por sua vez, na potência do Espírito, atualiza os prodígios operados por Deus na história da salvação tornando-os presentes no hoje da Igreja projetando-a para as realidades futuras. Ao homileta, cabe haurir da Palavra de Deus a mensagem salvífica para a pregação e interpretá-la com a finalidade de conduzir a assembleia litúrgica nos sagrados mistérios. Da mesma maneira, como foi fundamental a redescoberta da Palavra de Deus na celebração litúrgica realizada pelo Concílio Vaticano II, necessário se faz resgatar o caráter pascal da homilia. Por esse motivo, a Igreja apresenta a lectio divina como legítimo método de oração a fim de preparar e prolongar as Escrituras na existência humana. A esse respeito, a Exortação Apostólica Evangelii Gaudium tem o mérito de recuperar a homilia como um autêntico diálogo entre Deus e seu povo com palavras que iluminem e abrasem os corações. / [en] The aim of this research is to study the homily as an integral part of liturgical-sacramental celebrations, whose paradigm is the Eucharistic celebration. Thus, the Sacred Scriptures are decisive in the context of the sacred liturgy because the biblical texts are obtained from them to be proclaimed and commented on in the homily. It, in turn, renews the wonders wrought by God in the history of salvation through the power of the Spirit, making them present in the today of the Church, projecting it to future realities. It is up to the homilet to draw from the Word of God the saving message for preaching and to interpret it to lead the liturgical assembly into the sacred mysteries. In the same way, as the rediscovery of the Word of God was fundamental in the liturgical celebration held by the Second Vatican Council, the Paschal character of the homily must be recovered. For this reason, the Church presents lectio divina as a genuine method of prayer in order to prepare and extend the Scriptures in human existence. In this regard, the Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium has the merit of recovering the homily as an authentic dialogue between God and his people with words that enlighten and inflame their hearts.

This dissertation discusses the potential of the snare drum as a solo concert instrument. Four pieces from a collection entitled The Noble Snare are used for demonstration ("Homily" by Milton Babbitt, "Composed Improvisation for Snare Drum" by John Cage, "Peeping Tom" by Dan Senn, and "The Noble Snare" by Stuart Saunders Smith). In the absence of many traditional musical devices (i.e. melody and harmony), alternative means of expression are used by the composer. Each piece is discussed with regard to its distinctive compositional approach and inherent performance issues. Information is also given pertaining to the background of the Noble Snare series. This includes: the inspiration for the project, editorial issues, and its influence on snare drum performance. Much of this research was completed through interviews by with author with Sylvia Smith, publisher of The Noble Snare and owner of Smith Publications.