Previous Years' Course Catalogues

This course is designed to expose students to a wide range of preachers who have made a significant contribution to preaching. Developments in preaching over time will be explored particualrly with regard to changing ideas of "biblical text," hermeneutics, rhetoric, sermon forms, language theory, and homiletical "schools," and changes in emphasis on key doctrines, personal versus social, preachig for conversion versus preaching to the saved, the rise of social consciousness and its effects on preaching, and law and gospel. Presentations will include brief biographical material; homiletical setting; short sermon extracts that demonstrate some homiletical/hermeneutical principle, identification of homiletical learnings for today; and portions of sermons written for today that demonstrate a historical principle. The course will consist of lectures and presentations focusing on key homiletical features of the ages.

The New Homiletic refers to a revolution in homiletics that began in the 1950s. We will explore its emergence from the "old homiletic" and its emphases on a turn to the hearer, organic form, narrative plot, horizontal notions of authority, recovery of the Bible for the pulpit, inductive sermons, stories making their own points in their own ways, contextual understandings of truth, dynamic and tensive notions of language, and sermons as transformational experience. Key homileticians will be considered as we consider the relevance of the NH for today.

This course addresses critical issues in the area of Homiletics. with attention to postmodernism and postcolonialism by first identifying contributions and limits of The New Homiletic that began in the 1950s, then examining emerging issues, focusing on hybrid cultures, and multiplicity of ethnic, gender, linguistic and religious identities, as it charters current and future of preaching. It will explore how these emerging critical issues shape various aspects and elements of preaching from the development of sermon structure, scriptural exegesis, sermon content and delivery, the identity of preacher, to the nuanced understanding of proclaiming the Gospel, in terms. of language and embodiment in the religiously and culturally pluralistic postcolonial world. This course offers opportunities to examine various perspectives on preaching and communicating the Word in a fast-changing and complex world. Preaching will be discussed in its postcolonial and intercultural contexts, as students are required to engage postmodern, postcolonial and intercultural approaches to homiletics. Such engagement aims to equip students to broaden their knowledge as they critically study preaching theories and practices and to go into depth in areas of their own doctoral research interest.

This course addresses critical issues in the area of Homiletics. with attention to postmodernism and postcolonialism by first identifying contributions and limits of The New Homiletic that began in the 1950s, then examining emerging issues, focusing on hybrid cultures, and multiplicity of ethnic, gender, linguistic and religious identities, as it charters current and future of preaching. It will explore how these emerging critical issues shape various aspects and elements of preaching from the development of sermon structure, scriptural exegesis, sermon content and delivery, the identity of preacher, to the nuanced understanding of proclaiming the Gospel, in terms. of language and embodiment in the religiously and culturally pluralistic postcolonial world. This course offers opportunities to examine various perspectives on preaching and communicating the Word in a fast-changing and complex world. Preaching will be discussed in its postcolonial and intercultural contexts, as students are required to engage postmodern, postcolonial and intercultural approaches to homiletics. Such engagement aims to equip students to broaden their knowledge as they critically study preaching theories and practices and to go into depth in areas of their own doctoral research interest.

This course addresses critical issues in the area of Homiletics. with attention to postmodernism and postcolonialism by first identifying contributions and limits of The New Homiletic that began in the 1950s, then examining emerging issues, focusing on hybrid cultures, and multiplicity of ethnic, gender, linguistic and religious identities, as it charters current and future of preaching. It will explore how these emerging critical issues shape various aspects and elements of preaching from the development of sermon structure, scriptural exegesis, sermon content and delivery, the identity of preacher, to the nuanced understanding of proclaiming the Gospel, in terms. of language and embodiment in the religiously and culturally pluralistic postcolonial world. This course offers opportunities to examine various perspectives on preaching and communicating the Word in a fast-changing and complex world. Preaching will be discussed in its postcolonial and intercultural contexts, as students are required to engage postmodern, postcolonial and intercultural approaches to homiletics. Such engagement aims to equip students to broaden their knowledge as they critically study preaching theories and practices and to go into depth in areas of their own doctoral research interest.

In the past fifty years significant developments have taken place within biblical studies. A renewed focus on method and the task of interpretation has implications for the preacher in her/his weekly task of expounding the scriptures. This course will examine these more recent methods, inlcuding post holocaust, feminist, social science, postcolonial and empire studies and discuss their implications for preaching the biblical text. The course will focus on the intersection of these newer methods and the parallel developments within the "New Homiletic" since the 1960's.

In the past fifty years significant developments have taken place within biblical studies. A renewed focus on method and the task of interpretation has implications for the preacher in her/his weekly task of expounding the scriptures. This course will examine these more recent methods, inlcuding post holocaust, feminist, social science, postcolonial and empire studies and discuss their implications for preaching the biblical text. The course will focus on the intersection of these newer methods and the parallel developments within the "New Homiletic" since the 1960's.

A seminar on the language and literature of Ugarit. Knowledge of biblical Hebrew or some other Semitic language is presupposed. The texts are prepared in advance and presented by the students, with attention to grammar and syntax, and with consideration of literary and religious questions, from an historical and comparative point of view, and with reference to all the relevant scholarly literature.

A seminar on the language and literature of Ugarit. Knowledge of biblical Hebrew or some other Semitic language is presupposed. The texts are prepared in advance and presented by the students, with attention to grammar and syntax, and with consideration of literary and religious questions, from an historical and comparative point of view, and with reference to all the relevant scholarly literature.

A seminar on the language and literature of Ugarit. Knowledge of biblical Hebrew or some other Semitic language is presupposed. The texts are prepared in advance and presented by the students, with attention to grammar and syntax, and with consideration of literary and religious questions, from an historical and comparative point of view, and with reference to all the relevant scholarly literature.

This course will focus on the crucial developments of the 18th century in pneumatology as a way of examining the radical innovations in pneumatology of the modern era in contrast to early- and pre-modern understandings of the Holy Spirit. In particular, the shift of interest in 18th-century to "pneumatic" religion, both among Christian and anti-Christian apologists, will be studied in the context of the Church's own specific historical challenges in this era. Readings will be drawn mainly from English and German writers in an effort to understand better the constraints of comtemporary pneumatology in contrast to the less systematic and particularistic construals of the Holy Spirit and his work in the pre-modern periods.

This course will focus on the crucial developments of the 18th century in pneumatology as a way of examining the radical innovations in pneumatology of the modern era in contrast to early- and pre-modern understandings of the Holy Spirit. In particular, the shift of interest in 18th-century to "pneumatic" religion, both among Christian and anti-Christian apologists, will be studied in the context of the Church's own specific historical challenges in this era. Readings will be drawn mainly from English and German writers in an effort to understand better the constraints of contemporary pneumatology in contrast to the less systematic and particularistic construals of the Holy Spirit and his work in the pre-modern periods.