Every two years homileticians, teachers and scholars of preaching, from all over the globe gather to share and learn from one another. For a short time the miles that separate them disappear and they become a community that is dedicated to improving the scholarship about and the teaching of preaching. And, for a brief while, they experience their presence together as the oneness in Christ.
In the summer of 2010, August 1st through 5th , the members of Societas Homilietica will convene in the United States of America for their biennial meeting. As the co-presidents of Societas Homiletica we would like to invite you to begin to make your plans to join us as we gather at Yale University to explore and discuss an important theme:
"Picturing God in a Fragmented World"
Portraits from our recent meetings in Copenhagen, Pretoria, and Singapore would bear witness to the diversity of those created in God’s image. We are women, men, with skin colors, hair colors, and eye colors as different as the colors in a rainbow.
Likewise, so too are the cultures in which we teach and preach. We all experience the fragmentation of our world, preaching to the prosperous and those who struggle for their daily bread. We live and teach where there is peace and the rage of war and civil unrest. Many of us experience oppression and risk death because they declare that Jesus Christ is Lord.
This year we will explore that diversity and difference in our theme “Picturing God in a Fragmented World.” We have invited speakers and worship leaders who will challenge us to reflect upon our incarnated, enculturated God and how we speak about that God in our preaching. We will be offering a rich variety of speakers and workshops.
We look forward to seeing you in New Haven.
Grace and Peace,
Thomas H. Troeger Lantz Professor of Christian Communication Yale Divinity School and Institute of Sacred Music New Haven, Connecticut USA
Lucy Lind Hogan Hugh Latimer Elderdice Professor of Preaching Wesley Theological Seminary Washington, D.C. USA
If you are eager to see what the Divinity School campus looks like you can go to the following website: http://www.yale.edu/divinity/ For an introduction to the larger campus and multiple educational programs at Yale University see: http://www.yale.edu/
The Yale Institute of Sacred Music is located on the Divinity School campus. It is an interdisciplinary institute that brings together theology, music and the arts. Although most students and faculty are away during the summer, we will be able to hear some of their outstanding musicians in worship services and concert.
There will be a special display at Yale’s Beineke Library that will help us to trace many of the important events and personalities in the religious history of this region of the United States. The Beineke library is one of the most significant collections of historic manuscripts and books in the world, and we believe many of you will enjoy not only the display but being introduced to the library as a possible resource for your own research. http://www.library.yale.edu/beinecke/
Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758), the famous philosophical theologian and preacher whose preaching gave birth to the first Great Awakening, lived and ministered in this region of the country. The Jonathan Edwards Center, which is publishing his complete collected works in scholarly editions, is located here at Yale. With the aid of the center, we will be traveling to the church Edwards served in Connecticut. There we will hear some of his sermons as preached by a minister who takes on the attire and role of Edwards, bringing the famous preacher to life. If you want to get a feeling for the work of the Jonathan Edwards Center you can go to http://edwards.yale.edu/
accomodation
Located in the heart of New Haven’s shopping and restaurant district, the four-star Omni is a short walk from the Yale University campus. The Divinity School is a little over a kilometer away. A University shuttle bus runs regularly from the main campus to that of the Divinity School. Our conference rate at the hotel is a low US $80/night. We would ask you to make your own reservations at the hotel directly here or call 1.888.444.OMNI (6664). The cut-off date for reservations at the reduced group rate of $80 plus tax is July 9, 2010. Please plan to make your hotel reservations by that date or the rate will double in price.
All conference attendees are encouraged to stay at the four-diamond Omni New Haven Hotel, at a very special rate of $80 per night. The cut-off date for reservations at the reduced group rate of $80 plus tax is July 9, 2010. Please plan to make your hotel reservations by that date or the rate will double in price. Reservations at the Omni Hotel can be made via phone or through a special webpage set up by the Omni for the Societas conference: http://www.omnihotels.com/FindAHotel/NewHavenYale/MeetingFacilities/SocietasHomletica8.aspx Please make your own reservation by calling 1-888-444-OMNI (6664) and remember to note that you are attending the Societas Homiletica conference. Click here to access the webpage and make your reservation.
The Omni rate does not include breakfast; a heavy continental breakfast will be available at Yale Divinity School, before the first session each day.
programme
We will be offering a rich variety of speakers and workshops.
Speakers: Key note, Respondent August 2nd: Sally Promey, Thomas Erne August 3rd: Emilie Townes, Ulrike Wagner-Rau August 4th: David Kelsey, Eunjoo Kim
Sally Promey, Professor of Religion and Visual Culture at Yale University will speak on how we picture God in our visual culture. Emilie Townes, Academic Dean and Andrew W. Mellon Professor of African American Studies in Religion and Theology at Yale University will speak on images of God in our multicultural world. And Professor Emeritus of Theology at Yale Divinity School, David Kelsey, will speak on the theological dimensions of how we picture God.
Workshops Pedagogy: Albrecht Grözinger and Nora Tubbs Tisdale Bibliologue: Uta Pohl Patalong Aesthetics and Preaching: Thomas Troeger Cross-cultural Sermon Analysis: Johann Cilliers and Alfred Stephen Psychological/Therapeutic Context: Elizabeth Grözinger and Jan Hermelink
