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To The Glory Of God Evaluating Origen’S Exposition Of The Scripture In His Leviticus Homilies, Andrew Johnson

Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation

Johnson, Andrew M. “To the Glory of God: Evaluating Origen’s Exposition of the Scripture in His Leviticus Homilies”. Ph.D. diss., Concordia Seminary, 2022. 237 pp.

Origen has been called “Adamantine,” an impossibly hard metal. Many have found his work to be strong and powerful and equal in its density. Origen’s preaching is almost impenetrable to the Evangelical preacher. This dissertation seeks to offer an entry for modern evangelical preachers to engage with the historic practice of figural exposition in Origen’s Leviticus homilies. The dissertation investigates the interpretative, homiletical and rhetorical histories which intersect in Origen’s homilies. It unpacks Origen’s use …

Humor In Preaching: Its Effects And Guidelines For Its Beneficial Use, Antonin Troup

Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project

This project examined the effects that humor in sermons has on hearers, particularly how humor affects their understanding and retention of Biblical truths. After exploring humor's effects on listeners and which types of humor are more beneficial in the task of preaching through theoretical research, the data was investigated through the use of questionnaires, personal interviews with church members, and a focus group. After analyzing the participants' responses, the researcher developed a list of guidelines for the beneficial use of humor in his preaching. These guidelines offer suggestions that other preachers may find helpful in using humor in their sermons.

Contemporary Preaching To A Non-Contemporary Society: Nineteenth-Century Reformed Theology Comes To Non-Nineteenth-Century Brazil, Jorge Luiz Patrocinio

Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation

Patrocinio, Jorge Luiz. “Contemporary Preaching to a Non-Contemporary Society: Nineteenth-Century Reformed Theology Comes to Non-Nineteenth-Century Brazil.” Ph.D. diss., Concordia Seminary, 2009. 241 pp.

When Presbyterian missionaries came from America to nineteenth-century Brazil, they encountered a society strongly marked by a Roman Catholicism that was both tugged in several directions and also marked by a spirit more attuned to the later Middle Ages. In planting and then cultivating the Presbyterian Church, first the missionaries and then indigenous Brazilian pastors responded by spreading a message strongly rooted in Reformation theology, approaching their task almost as if the Reformation were unfolding again in …

The Effectiveness Of Illustrations In Preaching: Understanding And Retaining Biblical Truths, Ronald Rall

Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project

This project explored how illustrations function in sermons to facilitate the understanding and retention of Biblical truths. Personal interviews with members of the congregation and focus groups that evaluated sermons provided feedback and insights related to the effectiveness of illustrations in preaching. The researcher compiled responses from the interviews and the focus groups to draw some conclusions about how illustrations function most effectively in aiding comprehension and facilitating an effective hearing of the message. On the basis of this study the researcher offers recommendations that preachers may find helpful in using illustrations in their preaching.

The Heart Of Lutheran Pentecost Preaching: A Comparison Of Luther, Walther, And Spener, John Lukomski

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

This thesis was prompted by the desire to aid Lutheran Pentecost preaching. It was hoped to do that both in a positive way, determining what are the good things to be said in a Lutheran Pentecost sermon, and in a negative way, determining what are the errors to be avoided.

The Preaching Of Clovis G Chappell- A Study Of The Published Sermons In Light Of The Proper Distinction Between Law And Gospel As Articulated By C. F. W. Walther, William Carpenter

Doctor of Theology Dissertation

Walther persistently asserted that the understanding and proper distinction between Law and Gospel is vital to correct or orthodox preaching even to the point of holding this understanding up as the "supreme art among Christians." If a person is to be a serious practitioner of the Word of God, he must aspire to this skill or ability.

The value of this study then is twofold: our hypothesis was that C. F. W. Walther's classic work could be distilled into a pithy corpus and from this digest a set of criteria could be drawn from which objective judgments could be made …

Two Early Church Homilies Compared, Russell Sommerfeld

Master of Divinity Thesis

Thus, it becomes the purpose of this paper to examine the two earliest extant homilies of the Early Church in order to glean from them an import of assistance in doing the homiletical task today. The two early sermons to be examined, compared and used as homiletical tools are the, so-called, second Epistle of Clement and Passion Homily of Melito . Bishop of Sardis.

Evangelistic Preaching In The Missouri Synod, Donald Ehlers

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

I decided, therefore, to look further into this matter of evangelistic preaching. What is evangelistic preaching? After arriving at my own definition of evangelistic preaching, I want to determine if evangelistic preaching, so defined, has Biblical precedent. I also want to determine how my definition squares with Lutheran theology on conversion. Based on my definition, I want to develop criteria for evaluating Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod preaching as to its evangelistic nature. Using these criteria, I propose to study sermons written and preached by Missouri Synod pastors.

A Comparison Measurement Of Law And Gospel In Selected Sermons Of Saint Augustine, Bernard Of Clairvaux, Jonathan Edwards, Phillips Brooks, And Walter A. Maier, David Gunderlach

Master of Divinity Thesis

Our study has borne out the fact that Law and Gospel are indeed inherent in Scripture and not just a product of the Reformation, in that we have seen them both actively at work in the sermons we have studied. To a man, all five of our preachers, over a time span of some sixteen hundred years, have preached both Law and Gospel in their sermons.

The Plight Of Man: A Study In Contemporary Preaching, Lary Misner

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

This study comprises an examination of sermonic material for clues to the plight of man. Initially the research involves an assessment of the signs of man's plight and places these signs into significant categories of man's existence. After locating and classifying the plight of man, the analysis shifts to the meaning of the plight of man in all of the plight's dimensions. After summarizing various aspects of man's plight and its meaning, the analysis moves to detect the implications of plight and meaning for man and for the preaching task. Finally, several areas for further study are suggested on the …

A Study Of Applications Used In The Sermons Of The Concordia Pulpit Of The Years 1955-1964, Erwin Kolb

Doctor of Theology Dissertation

The reason for the interest in undertaking a study in homiletics has two sources, which are, however, intimately related. The first source of interest grows out of a concern for the church and the second out of practical work as a pastor in that church. The first grows out of charges that the church is irrelevant, that its message and program are suited only to the stained glass shelter of its buildings, and the second from a desire to preach and teach a Gospel message which is relevant, timely, and effective. A further explanation of these two sources of interest, …

Preaching The Law And Persuasion, Paul Boecler

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

The second chapter of this thesis describes in full the problem which has stimulated this investigation. Stated briefly here, it involves man's natural rejection and refusal of the .fact to confront and confess his guilt. Man most generally defends himself from the truth of God's Law in order to protect his own ego. This, of course, makes it difficult, for- the Gospel to have its .full effect and application. This problem also emphasizes the importance of this study in that it tries to discover techniques whereby the Law may be preached so that it is not defended against by the …

A Comparison Of The Frequency And Effectiveness Of Contemporary Preaching In The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod And Protestantism On Selected Social Issues As Represented In The Concordia Pulpit And The Pulpit Digest, Paul Philip Krueger

Bachelor of Divinity

It is not the purpose of this paper to establish the ideal frequency for directly dealing with social issues from the pulpit. The purpose is rather to compare objectively the instances of preaching on social themes found in the Concordia Pulpit and the Pulpit Digest and to allow the reader to determine the ideal frequency for himself. It may be helpful, nevertheless, to present another's opinion on the matter. One man may say it is never necessary to preach on social themes because, if the Gospel is preached, the Kingdom of God is established and the problems of society are …

An Investigation Of The Factors Of Persuasion In The Sermons Of Dr Walter A Maier, Lester Zeitler

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

The scope of this investigation, however, is confined only to the preaching on the program; more exactly, the preaching of Dr. Walter A. Maier. The specific purpose is to search out those factors of persuasion in the radio sermons of Dr. Maier which may so largely help to account for his success in preaching the Gospel. The object is to figure out the secret of his effectiveness as Andrew Blackwood suggests: "Study the methods of the radio preacher whom your thoughtful laymen enjoy, and figure out the secrets of his effectiveness. You will find that he depends mainly on being …

Luther’S Preaching Of Good Works, Robert Heckmann

Bachelor of Divinity

The purpose of this thesis is to examine Luther's preaching of good works and evaluate his work somewhat on the basis of the standard layed down in the next section. It will include a short study of his preaching style and habits in general, an examination of his definition of good works and his description and use of the power of the Gospel to enable the people to live the life in Christ.

The Use Of The Old Testament In The Sermons Of Acts, Robert C. Schultz

Bachelor of Divinity

The Church’s attitude toward Scripture is reflected in its use of Scripture. This thesis is an attempt to discover the principles which controlled the early church’s use of Scripture. The investigation centers on three points: 1) the text of the Old Testament used by the early church; 2) the early church’s purpose in quoting Scripture; 3) generea1 principles of interpretation followed by the early church. The investigation is restricted to the use of the Old Testament in five sermons recorded in the book of Acts. Since the scope of the investigation is limited, only tentative conclusions can be obtained.

A Survey Of Representative Lutheran Preachers Concerning Technical Language In The Exposition Of Selected Doctrines, Theodore W. Schubkegel

Bachelor of Divinity

The purpose of this paper is to show that simple language is basic to all the excellencies of effective speech. Particular reference is made to the work of the preacher in the pulpit. The preacher must use language commonly understood, if he is to make himself understood, if he is to persuade, and if he is to move to action.

The Weakness Of The Modern Pulpit, A Brief Examination Of The Trend And Principles Followed In The Preaching Of To-Day, B P. Hahn

Bachelor of Divinity

In other words, then, it is in the pulpit of today, occupied by the preachers whose office corresponds very closely to that of the prophets and priests in the Old Testament, where we shall find the chief reason why the church is apparently failing in its world mission to-day. Viewing the pulpit in this light men have produced much literature in the attempt to better and advance the pulpit; ma~ and varied are the weaknesses that have been pointed out by them.