Proclaiming the Glory of God. A Homiletical approach

Abstract

The intention of this research is to develop a homiletical approach that will better equip the preacher in proclaiming the Glory of God. The study comes in a context where there has been a legitimate shift in emphasis in the direction of the listener, but it is the contention of this study that the pendulum has swung away from the pre-eminence of God that should permeate sermons being preached. Having established the need for a renewed apprehension of God in preaching the writer examines the general preaching landscape leading up to and including the 21st century. This part of the study includes some of the influences on the present day understanding on the role of knowledge and the questioning of God’s ability to communicate truth to man. The study also shows how these influences have led to a focus in preaching on human feeling and experience. The weight of Gods glory is then examined with the consequent implication of God’s passion for His own glory and the need for all preaching therefore to be Theo-centric. This is reinforced by an examination of the transcendence of God, unfolding the dangers of domesticating God by eliminating a sense of mystery as to the infinite nature of God. An overview of more recent developments in homiletical theory is examined demonstrating the conspicuous absence of the pre-eminence of God in preaching. A summary of the following three preaching models is presented; expository, narrative and topical, to provide a basis for later comparison. Key theological convictions and practices necessary to proclaim the Glory of God are then identified from the literature study. These are then used in a questionnaire compiled to be used in churches where the listeners are exposed to the three identified preaching models. The results from the empirical study is then analysed in the light of the theory presented in the literature studies. On the basis of these outcomes the following guidelines were recommended: -- Guidelines on determining the content of the sermon. -- Guidelines on the focus of the sermon. -- Guidelines on the content of the sermon. -- Guidelines on believing that God is primarily concerned about Himself leading to greater confidence in God’s grace to sinful people. And then finally, concluding that if the desired goal of proclaiming the Glory of God is to be consistently accomplished, then the expository model of preaching is best suited to the task.