Apophatic Preaching: Evoking the Nothing, Subverting the Idolatrous Mind

Milone III, Louis J.

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Apophatic Preaching: Evoking the Nothing, Subverting the Idolatrous Mind

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MLA citation style (9th ed.)

Milone III, Louis J. . Apophatic Preaching: Evoking the Nothing, Subverting the Idolatrous Mind. rim.ir.atla.com/concern/etds/f1b3e7bf-ec54-4cd5-a32d-fa28c8c6e55c?q=2023.

APA citation style (7th ed.)

M. I. L. J. Apophatic Preaching: Evoking the Nothing, Subverting the Idolatrous Mind. https://rim.ir.atla.com/concern/etds/f1b3e7bf-ec54-4cd5-a32d-fa28c8c6e55c?q=2023

Chicago citation style (CMOS 17, author-date)

Milone III, Louis J. . Apophatic Preaching: Evoking the Nothing, Subverting the Idolatrous Mind. https://rim.ir.atla.com/concern/etds/f1b3e7bf-ec54-4cd5-a32d-fa28c8c6e55c?q=2023.

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

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Milone III, Louis J.

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No Copyright - United States

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Public Domain Mark 1.0

Abstract

This thesis concerns the nature and experience of apophatic preaching, which can play a role in revitalizing the practice of contemporary preaching by making space for congregations to encounter the mystery of God. Apophatic preaching can subvert idolatrous concepts, which prevent this encounter. I describe apophatic preaching as preaching nothing (content) in nothing (prayer) with nothing (language). My thesis aims to test the effectiveness of apophatic preaching in evoking an experience of the mystery of God by negative language inspired by Christian apophatic mystics. To be more specific, I intend for apophatic preaching to help congregations become self-critical of their understanding of God, appreciate that God transcends reasoning, learn the practice of letting go of habits of selfishness and ways of seeing God, and see prayer in terms of interior silence. I tested apophatic preaching with an RCIA group at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in Washington, DC. I tested how this group experienced a series of eight sermons in March and April of 2022. I tested how the group experienced apophatic preaching with a survey the group answered after every sermon. The survey had both “yes or no” and open-ended questions. I then administered a three-question survey to a subset of the RCIA group after the initial preaching series concluded. Finally, I invited an observer to all the sermons and asked for this person’s observations in an informal interview and over email. This thesis contributes to the field of homiletics by describing apophatic preaching, employing it in preaching, and testing its effectiveness. As a result of this process, I discovered that apophatic preaching could make a congregation pay attention and engage with a message as it both subverts fossilized images of God and evokes the divine mystery present with the congregation.

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