A Comparative Study of Deductive and Homiletical Plot Sermons and their Effectiveness in Proclaiming the Gospel

Fenske, Aric A.

Etd

A Comparative Study of Deductive and Homiletical Plot Sermons and their Effectiveness in Proclaiming the Gospel

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MLA citation style (9th ed.)

Fenske, Aric A. A Comparative Study of Deductive and Homiletical Plot Sermons and Their Effectiveness In Proclaiming the Gospel. rim.ir.atla.com/concern/etds/6d0a0714-8eb1-4d40-b128-c8f33f4f184e.

APA citation style (7th ed.)

F. A. A. A Comparative Study of Deductive and Homiletical Plot Sermons and their Effectiveness in Proclaiming the Gospel. https://rim.ir.atla.com/concern/etds/6d0a0714-8eb1-4d40-b128-c8f33f4f184e

Chicago citation style (CMOS 17, author-date)

Fenske, Aric A. A Comparative Study of Deductive and Homiletical Plot Sermons and Their Effectiveness In Proclaiming the Gospel. https://rim.ir.atla.com/concern/etds/6d0a0714-8eb1-4d40-b128-c8f33f4f184e.

Note: These citations are programmatically generated and may be incomplete.

Creator

Fenske, Aric A.

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Abstract

It is the task of any Christian preacher to preach both the Law and Gospel of God in truth and purity to the glory of God’s name and for the edification of His people. From the very beginning of the Christian Church, it has been understood that such preaching would include selecting a form of communication that both suits the message to be preached and is accessible to those who are to hear it. A variety of sermon forms have been used throughout the history of the Church with great faithfulness and effectiveness. However, in the 18th and 19th centuries, the deductive sermon became the most widely used sermon form in Christian pulpits throughout Europe and the United States and continued to be the dominant sermon form into the 20th century. To this day, the deductive sermon form remains popular in the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. Not only have most active pastors in the LC-MS learned to preach using the deductive form, many continue to use it regularly in their parishes. However, over the past 50 years many homileticians across Christendom have argued for a move away from the deductive sermon toward a greater variety of forms, especially narrative forms. One particular form, the Homiletical Plot of Eugene Lowry, has especially grown in popularity over the last several decades. Lowry has argued that the Homiletical Plot is a more natural way to preach and hear the Gospel message. This form is currently being used regularly by several well-respected preachers within the LC-MS, and I also make use of this form in my own preaching. Several recent studies on the negative effects of technology on the human brain seem to support the theories that narrative sermon forms like the Homiletical Plot are more effective at communicating the Gospel message to modern audiences. My research project and dissertation test the theory that the Homiletical Plot sermon form is more effective in preaching the Law and Gospel to today’s Christians than deductive sermons. The primary purpose of this work is to ensure that I, as a preacher of the Gospel, and all other preachers who use one or both of these sermon forms, are communicating God’s Word in an effective way to our hearers.

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