A homiletical strategy for preaching on suffering : redemptive-historical narrative preaching

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to reveal the problems of the Korean church's sermons on suffering, and to present biblical interpretation and effective sermonic form for preaching on suffering. For this purpose, I will analyse preaching on suffering in Korean churches and identified the problems. In particular, I will adopt the Heidelberg method for sermon analysis. I will modify two questions of the Heidelberg method as appropriate for this study: the linguistic, and the homiletical questions. Through this analysis, I will identify the problems of preaching on suffering in Korean churches. After sermon analysis, I will discuss the need for an effective sermon form. The research of sermon form will give justification to consider the effective sermon form for preaching. Also, I will discuss redemptive-historical preaching and narrative preaching that are the foundation of redemptive-historical narrative preaching. Narrative preaching demonstrates that plot in conjunction with movement and continuity is very effective in delivery. The reversal, and recognition of narrative, and the plot of narrative preaching, can be beneficial elements for preaching on suffering. Redemptive-historical preaching concentrates on redemption, which is the purpose of the Bible itself. Redemptive-historical preaching can help to escape from anthropocentric preaching, and exemplary preaching, because it focuses on God's redemptive purpose. Finally, I will propose redemptive-historical narrative preaching as an alternative to preaching on suffering. Redemptive-historical narrative preaching that this study proposes is to interpret the text from the redemptive-historical perspective, and convey the God-centred big idea of the text through the special plot. Redemptive-historical narrative preaching supports the theological position of “Textus Rex” which means the text is king. Redemptive-historical narrative preaching is based on the text, and extracts the big idea from the text. Redemptive-historical narrative preaching is also an effort to take advantage of narrative preaching which focuses on movement and continuity. The plot of narrative preaching is effective because it gives the audience the experience of discovering God in preaching, and it encourages audience participation. For these reasons, redemptive-historical narrative preaching can be evaluated as “theology-based and audience-directed” preaching.