THMN41830: Preaching from the New Testament

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• to enable students to reflect critically on, and exercise the skill of, preaching in competent, imaginative and engaging ways that are faithful both to biblical scholarship and speak into the contemporary context. Special emphasis will be placed on selected passages from a limited number of New Testament texts, including those which present particular challenges for the preacher
• to provide students with an in-depth understanding of the theological purposes behind each of the New Testament texts studied, in order to enable students to preach in ways faithful to the plain sense of the text;
• to help students further develop their exegetical skills so that they can examine the selected passages in detail;
• to enable students to reflect critically upon contemporary homiletical theory and its relationship to praxis;
• to enable students to develop self-reflective awareness of their own preaching;
• to model good practise and encourage the development of skills related to preaching. .

• Lectures and seminars will offer an overview of the structure and theology of each of the texts studied, looking at the particular challenges each one presents to the preacher, with exploration of the tendency to conflate material, particularly seasonal texts. We will explore the challenges of reading each text in ways faithful to the original meaning, and how such reading might translate into sermon structure, content, and delivery. We will critically examine in detail a range of homiletic strategies in moving from text to sermon, earthing that discussion in specific passages, and in particular contemporary contexts. Students will have the opportunity to hear peers preach and preach themselves, and to offer and receive feedback.

Subject-specific Knowledge:

• detailed understanding of the distinctive theological concerns of each of the New Testament texts studied and how these impact on homiletic methodology;
• a critical awareness of the issues arising from preaching from each of these texts, with particular reference to the exegesis of particular set passages.

Subject-specific Skills:

• critically reflect on a key aspect of ministerial praxis;
• apply conceptual homiletic strategies to biblical texts in the movement from text to sermon;
• practise and plan for the appropriate, wise and imaginative place of preaching in the ongoing mission and ministry of the church;
• preach with careful scholarship, clarity and conviction to a non-specialist audience, expressing complex ideas with simplicity and depth, demonstrating sophisticated capacity to understand their audiences;
• construct a sermon which is biblically rooted, pastorally aware and deals appropriately with the interface between text and context, showing awareness of the apologetic importance of connecting with popular culture

Key Skills:

• demonstrate their ability as self-reflective, critically-aware practitioners;
• effectively communicate ideas orally to both specialist and non-specialist audiences in a clear, concise, and engaging manner;
• acquire and synthesise information through reading and research, and to present that information clearly and effectively in written format

• Teaching and learning methods will vary, incorporating: lectures, seminars, small group discussions, and preaching classes

Two components: A 2,500 word exegetical paper exploring the exegesis of a specific NT passage or passages A short in-class sermon, delivered live to a preaching class during the second block, which will then be discussed in class and with module staff. Staff will also be available for individual consultation regarding the in-class sermon.

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