Singapore 2004

Workshop 6: Preaching as a liberative power of Jesus

 

"Preaching as a liberative power of Jesus"

Preaching is to present the revelation of God to listeners in an appropriate way to them. The message to communicate must provoke a change of attitude in the heart and life of the listeners. This message is to be shared in a world of conflict caused not only by the 'devil', but also by the human beings themselves.

There are the biblical world and the modern world. As John Stott said, a good sermon is a bridge between the biblical and the modern worlds. The sermon must be rooted in the two worlds. However the modern world should not be understood as a global village. We live in different parts of the world and the realities depend on the context of each people. For instance, I've written this synopsis from exile in Aru within my country, the Democratic Republic of Congo. In Aru, there is no library, television and it is cut off from the central government in Kinshasa. This is the reality of many African countries. Africa has often been a continent where violence, anarchy, misery, corruption, shameful exploitation of the poor, the greed of the rich and the degradation of the respect due to each human being are remarkable.

Read more: Workshop 6: Preaching as a liberative power of Jesus

Workshop 5: How To Formulate, Initiate And Stimulate Research In Homiletics?

"How To Formulate, Initiate And Stimulate Research In Homiletics?"

In this workshop we will deal with the possibilities of doing research in the discipline of Homiletics. It is not so easy to formulate an adequate research question. On the one hand the question must be formulated in a homiletical framework and on the other hand it must be relevant for the practice of preaching. But what is a homiletical framework or theory? It has an intradisciplinary structure. It has for example a theological and a rhetorical dimension. After an introduction by Dr Immink, we will discuss a few PhD projects. Dr Immink will introduce a project and participants can bring in their own proposals. During the workshop we will discuss the research questions, the methods, the theological and rhetorical dimensions of the proposals. Also questions concerning the relation between the theory and the practice of preaching, empirical research, tutorial coaching and institutional support will receive attention.

 

Read more: Workshop 5: How To Formulate, Initiate And Stimulate Research In Homiletics?

Workshop 4: Homiletics as Theological Discipline

"Homiletics as Theological Discipline"

Theological criteria on transforming biblical texts, illustrated on the "Massacre of the Innocents" (Mt. 2: 1-18)

Sometimes biblical texts and their implications are a crying disgrace. They tend to be silenced, played down or spiritualized. Which theological options hinder such tendencies? A sermon always transforms the biblical text of reference by following, consciously or unconsciously, specific options. What are these basic decisions of the preacher? What is the basic story she/he takes her/his bearings on? Elementary theological questions are provoked by an alienated transformation of Mt 2: 1-18 (a sermon by Rev Susan Durber/GB). We ask for our own basic stories and their cognitive, emotional and pragmatic implications.

 

Read more: Workshop 4: Homiletics as Theological Discipline

Workshop 3: Divinely sanctioned (?) violence in the Old Testament

"Divinely sanctioned (?) violence in the Old Testament"

The workshop will consider, more from an exegetical perspective, Israel's claim that God ordered them to slaughter entire populations of indigenous peoples when Israel entered Canaan. The claim will be examined within the context of a Deuteronomic "conservative" tradition, and set alongside other views, such as that of the prophets and the author of Jonah, in which a picture of God's universal concern for other nations dominates.

 

Read more: Workshop 3: Divinely sanctioned (?) violence in the Old Testament