Advanced Preaching builds the student’s capacity to preach effectively in the context of Anglican worship, refine her or his voice, and expand the student’s homiletical repertoire. Along with extensive opportunity for practice and critique, the course introduces students to classic and contemporary rhetorical and homiletical theories and models. Particular attention is paid to homiletical form, style, and delivery, and to the various special occasions outside the Sunday Eucharist at which homilies are delivered.

Fundamentals of Preaching introduces students to the basic theory and practice of homiletics in the Anglican Tradition. The course assists the student in the discovery of her or his preaching voice, and provides the student with significant occasions for exploration of varied expressions of excellent preaching, while also affording multiple opportunities to recite, speak, and preach before fellow students and the professor. Particular attention is given to homiletical exegesis, homiletical form, preaching style, and sermon delivery, with concentration primarily on preaching for the principal Sunday service.

Preaching Paul offers advanced study of the writings of the Apostle Paul with focus on preaching from the Pauline epistles, equipping students to teach and preach his writings effectively. The historical and rhetorical backgrounds and theological emphases of the Apostle Paul will be considered in lecture and discussion, and students will offer critical and homiletical exegeses, and two sermons, on Pauline texts. Readings by Braxton, Betz, Kennedy, Mitchell, Witherington, and others. Limit 10. Prerequisites: Introduction to Homiletics and NT Foundations I & II, or permission of the instructors.

Parables and Preaching explores the parables of Jesus, the rabbis, the desert fathers and mothers, and world literature (Kafka, Borges, Kierkegaard, and others) as texts to be interpreted and texts to be proclaimed. Particular attention is given to preaching the parables of Jesus, and examining the implications of Jesus’ parables for preaching in general. Texts include works by Dodd, Scott or Hultgren, Brosend, and Lowry.

Beginning with excerpts from the lectures of Henry Ward Beecher and Phillips Brooks, this seminar uses the Beecher Lectures of Yale Divinity School as a basis for examining the history and practice of preaching in the United States, with emphasis on the post-war period, to expose students to the richness and diversity of homiletical theory and equip them to incorporate this wisdom into their practice. The lectures of Fosdick, Craddock, Buechner, Trible, Brueggemann, Proctor, the Buttricks, and Taylor will be read and discussed, and sermons by most of the lecturers reviewed and examined. Limit 8.

Preaching the Old Testament focuses on homiletical exegesis of Old Testament texts, and the faithful proclamation of the Word of God from a foundation of texts from the Torah, the Prophets, and the Writings. The work of Davis, Brueggemann, Harrelson, and others will be examined from a theoretical and practical perspective, and students will offer a set of sermons exploring critical themes, characters, and issues from the Old Testament.