Delivering the Word
Preaching and Exegesis in the Western Christian Tradition
Book
Paperback/Softback
224 pages
978-1-84553-893-4 (ISBN)
Description
One of the most consistent features of Christian life has been the extensive use of the biblical texts in sermons; to evangelise, to educate, to edify, to exhort, and even to terrify those who heard them. Yet, surprisingly little scholarly attention has been focused on the dynamics at work as these texts were taken by preachers and transformed into the largely aural experience encountered by their audience. Pre-formed and performed thus, scripture was communicated and made relevant through the use of the sermonic form to audiences inhabiting a broad range of socio-historical settings, including those whose social status or illiteracy might otherwise have completely precluded any access to biblical texts. In this volume, instances of biblical reception within and through preaching have been taken from two millennia of homilies, with each being examined to see how the text-preacher-audience dynamic has influenced the interpretation, understanding and impact of the Bible. Examples include Paul, Origen, Chrysostom, Augustine, Hildegard of Bingen, Jonathan Edwards, Samuel Taylor Colerdge, Aimee Semple McPherson, and Chris Brain.
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Sheffield
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Target group
College/higher education
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 156 mm
ISBN-13
978-1-84553-893-4 (9781845538934)
Copyright in bibliographic data is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or its licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
William John Lyons is Senior Lecturer in Biblical Interpretation in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies at the University of Bristol. His main interest is Biblical Interpretation, especially in the areas of Biblical Theology and the History of Interpretation. His publications include Canon and Praxis: The Canonical Approach and the Sodom Narrative (Sheffield Academic Press, 2002) and, as co-editor and contributor, New Directions in Qumran Studies (Continuum, 2005) and The Way the World Ends? The Apocalypse of John in Ideology and Culture (Sheffield Phoenix Press, forthcoming). Isabella Sandwell is Lecturer in Ancient History in the Department of Classics and Ancient History at the University of Bristol. Her research interests include religious interaction in late antiquity and the preaching of John Chrysostom. Her publications include Religious Identity in Late Antiquity: Greeks, Jews and Christians in Antioch (CUP, 2007), (edited with Janet Huskinson) Culture and Society in Late Roman Antioch, (Oxbow Books, 2004) and 'Outlawing 'Magic' or Outlawing 'Religion'?: Libanius and the Theodosian Code as Evidence for Legislation against Pagan Practices in the Fourth Century AD', in V. W. Harris (ed.) Understanding the Spread of Christianity in the First Four Centuries (Brill, 2005).
Content
Introduction (Isabella Sandwell) 1. 'A Daring Synagogue Sermon?' Paul's Preaching in 2 Corinthians 3.7-18 (Sean F. Winter, Uniting Church Theological College) 2. Origen as preacher and teacher: A comparison of exegetical methods in his writings on Genesis and the Song of Songs (Morwenna Ludlow, University of Exeter) 3. The Typology of Listening: The transformation of Scripture in early Christian preaching (Carol Harrison, University of Durham) 4. A milky text suitable for children: The significance of John Chrysostom's preaching on Genesis 1.1 for fourth-century audiences (Isabella Sandwell, University of Bristol) 5. Hildegard of Bingen's Exegesis of Jesus' Miracle and the Twelfth-Century Study of Science (Beverly Kienzle, Harvard University) 6. Johannes Brenz and His Written Sermons in the Spirit of Luther (Mark W. Elliott, University of St Andrews) 7. Stoned in the Pulpit: The Provocative Preaching of Hanserd Knollys (Simon Woodman, South Wales Baptist College) 8. 'The Excellency of Jesus Christ': Affective Doctrine in the Sermons of Jonathan Edwards (Oliver D. Crisp, University of Bristol) 9. Samuel Taylor Coleridge: Preaching and Reflection (Ralph Pite, University of Bristol) 10. 'Patriotism and Sacrifice': The Preaching of Geoffrey Studdert Kennedy ( Woodbine WillieA"), 1914-1918 (Stuart Bell, University of Birmingham) 11. 'Give the Winds a Mighty Voice!' Aimee Semple McPherson and Her Radio Audience (Michelle Krejci, University of Sheffield) 12. Preaching at the Nine O'clock Service: A Study of Shifting Meaning in a Published Sermon (William John Lyons, University of Bristol)