In Rhetoric of the Protestant Sermon in America: The Pulpit at the Turn of the Millennium, ten scholars analyze notable sermons from the fifty-year span between 1965 and 2015, during which the Protestant sermon has undergone significant change in the United States. Contributors examine how this turbulent time period witnessed a variety of important shifts in the arguments, evidences, and rhetorical strategies employed by contemporary preachers. Because religious practice is inextricably tangled in the culture, politics, and economy of its historical situation, the public expression of a faith is certain to move with the times. In their treatment of race, sex, gender, class, and citizenship, sermons apply ancient texts to current events and controversies, often to revealing effect. This collection, thoughtfully edited by Eric C. Miller and Jonathan J. Edwards, demonstrates how the genre of the Protestant sermon has evolved-or resisted evolution-across the years. Scholars of religion, rhetoric, communication, sociology, and cultural studies will find this book particularly useful.

This ethics of preaching text identifies vices of irresponsible preaching practices. Preachers who fail to develop deep respect for their listeners or drift into a lack faithfulness to the Gospel can end up becoming: . The Pretender (The Problem of In-authenticity) . The Egoist (The Problem of Self-absorption) . The Manipulator (The Problem of Greediness) . The Panderer (The Problem of Trendiness) . The Crusader (The Problem of Exploitation) . The Demagogue (The Problem of Self-righteousness) Just as the church historically derived its Seven Holy Virtues (chastity, temperance, charity, diligence, patience, kindness, & humility) by naming Seven Deadly Sins (lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy, & pride), Reid and Hogan call preachers to turn away from pulpit vices and strive to realize the homiletic virtues of becoming: . Authentic (The Call to Be Genuine) . Altruistic (The Call to Be Selfless) . Careful (The Call to Exercise Self-Control) . Passionate (The Call to Be Honest to God) . Courteous (The Call to Woo a Reasoned Reception) . A Namer of God (The Call to Reveal an Ineffable God) The Six Deadly Sins of Preaching explores the difference between the irresponsible practices, unfortunate missteps, and mere unthinking mistakes in preaching. A chapter is devoted to Preaching Missteps (problems that do not rise to the level of being irresponsible) that includes: . Short Changing the Process . Waving a Red Flag . Thou Shall Not Bore the Congregation . Through the Looking Glass Darkly . The Mumbler . TMI Too Much Information . Your Cup Do Runneth Over . Where s This Sermon Going, Anyway?"

Description: Historically, people who have risen to the occasion to speak of faith for their generation have been keenly aware of their own limitations-whether Moses, who was ""slow of speech,"" or Isaiah, who was concerned that he spoke with ""unclean lips."" The question both Moses and Isaiah seem to be asking is, who am I to speak for God? And we wonder in turn, was it they who spoke, or God who spoke through them? These biblical images carry the weight of the question raised by the essays in this volume. How is preaching both the work of God and yet also a function of the individual's own person and identity? How is the preacher to conceive the identity he or she assumes when proclaiming the Word of God? Some of the leading educators in homiletics today propose a variety of possible preaching identities in this volume: preacher as messenger of hope, as lover, as God's mystery steward, as ridiculous person, as fisher, as host and guest, as one ""out of one's mind,"" and as one entrusted. The result is an open-ended invitation for readers to identify their own preaching identity either in concert with one of the images presented here or of their own making, appropriately contextualized to their own ministry and theology Endorsements: ""Take a turn with all eight of the homileticians in this volume and they will inspire and invigorate your preaching. Whether it is 'messenger of hope, ' 'lover, ' 'fisher, ' 'ridiculous person, ' or any of the other marvelous tropes and images they offer, these essays will challenge you to explore anew the holy necessity and human absurdity of preaching."" --Dawn Ottoni Wilhelm Bethany Theological Seminary ""The language we use shapes our perception of God, the world, and how we live. The language that preachers use to describe themselves organizes what they try to do in the pulpit. This provocative book offers the preacher eight vibrant images for the preacher from a major voice in contemporary scholarship in preaching . . . Each image prompts the preacher to envision the sermon in a different yet faithful way. Preachers who are ready for a jump start into fresh ways of thinking about their vocation will want this beautifully edited book."" --Ronald J. Allen Christian Theological Seminary, Indianapolis ""Apart from all the technical questions raised today about hermeneutics and homiletics and their relationship to rhetoric and post-modern interpretation, these essays raise the most important question of all: Where is God in all our verbiage? Serious students of preaching, both beginners and practitioners with decades of experience, can benefit by reading and reflecting on the perspectives of these authors."" --Judith M. McDaniel Virginia Theological Seminary ""Reading the fine essays here is like opening a summerhouse after a long winter: light rushes in, memories are stirred, old things are loved anew, new celebrations are imagined. This book addresses a key question: In preaching, what is the human role and what is God's role? The answers here are marvelous in their range, challenging in their diversity, and rich in their depth. They open windows for fresh winds to blow."" --Paul Scott Wilson Emmanuel College, University of Toronto About the Contributor(s): Robert Stephen Reid is Professor of Communication and Director of the Master's Degree Program in Communication at the University of Dubuque, Iowa. He is the author of The Four Voices of Preaching.

Description: Deep faith meets high tech here in The Renewal of Preaching in the Twenty-first Century. A communications revolution is sweeping through the churches leaving some on fire and others burned out. This work shows what makes the difference for church leaders and communities who are using new media to advance Christian preaching. Join them by recovering the great tradition and expanding it through creative use encouraged by artists and filmmakers as well as preachers and professors. This work explores ways to maximize the promise of preaching and confront the perils leading to the renewal of church and society. Beginning with review of the situation today, we proceed step by step through the preparation and presentation of the sermon leading to transformation. The sermon in the local parish is seen as the microcosm of the macrocosm that is the communication of God's good news. Endorsements: ""Rooted in a knowledge of and respect for traditional worship, David Randolph accurately assesses the difficulty facing mainline traditions in speaking to today's visual culture. But he doesn't stop there. He eloquently outlines a course of action that gives emphasis to the visual and, in particular, to the use of what he terms 'new media.' Renewal of Preaching is a must read, not only as a text for those preparing for ministry, but also for long-time pastors seeking new ways of speaking to today's generation."" --Joan Brix Carter, Dean of College of Art and Design, Olivet University About the Contributor(s): David James Randolph is President and Professor of Theology at Olivet University in San Francisco, California, and Professor in Residence of Communications at the Center for the Arts, Religion and Education at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley. He was Senior Minister of Christ Church United Methodist in New York City and other churches. He is the author of On the Way after 9/11: New Worship and Art. He has been featured on the NBC-TV Today Show, NBC National Radio Pulpit, in the New York Times, and is internationally known for his contributions to church and society.