INTRODUCTION TO
HOMILETICS
Ecumenical Theological Seminary
Rev. Dola Vijaya Kumar, M.Sc., B.D., M.Th., (Ph.D., Philosophy of Religion)
OBJECTIVES
▪ To introduce students to the “Art of Preaching”.
▪ Also known as homiletics
▪ The skillful practice of preparing and delivering
God’s word
▪ More than sharing data, it is proclaiming
“SPIRITUAL TRUTHS”
▪ “SPIRITUAL TRUTHS” that encourages,
challenges, and transforms listeners.
OBJECTIVES
▪To reflect upon the purpose and theology of
preaching.
▪ The word of God is communicated to a
community.
▪ Nurture faith, Inspire transformation, Guide
believers in their spiritual journey.
▪ Transferring information…,Facilitating an
encounter with God
OBJECTIVES
▪To introduce students to the different types of
sermon and various tools for preparing
sermons.
▪ The various forms or styles of sermons (such as
expository, topical, narrative, etc.)
▪ The practical tools and methods that can help in
preparing effective sermons
INTRODUCTION
▪ What is preaching? Definition, Importance and
Purpose.
▪ What is Homiletics? Definition, Importance and
Purpose.
▪ What is Hermeneutics? Definition, Importance, and
purpose.
PREACHING DEFINITION.
▪ “Preaching is the proclamation of the Word of God
through human voice empowered by the Holy Spirit to
bring transformation.”
▪ Classic Definition: Augustine – “Preaching is the
communication of divine truth through human
personality.”
▪ Contemporary: Thomas G. Long – “Preaching is a
witness to the Gospel in a particular context.”
PREACHING DEFINITION.
▪ Philips Brooks: "Preaching is the communication of truth by man to men.
It has two essential elements, truth and personality ... Preaching is the
bringing of truth through personality."
▪ J. N. Pattison: "Preaching is a spoken communication of divine truth with
a view to persuasion."
▪ W. E. Sangster: "Preaching was, is, and ever will be God's chief way of
communicating his will to the world."
▪ W. E. Manning: "Preaching is the manifestation of the incarnate word
from the written word, by the spoken word."
▪ Charles R. Brown: "Preaching is the effective communication of divine
truth as contained in the Christian scriptures by a man called of God to
witness for him to a redemptive deed for the purpose of giving eternal
life through Jesus Christ."
PREACHING IMPORTANCE.
▪ Biblical: Romans 10:14 – “How shall they hear
without a preacher?”
▪ Ecclesial: It is the heartbeat of Christian worship
and discipleship.
▪ Spiritual: Connects divine truth to human life.
PREACHING PURPOSE.
▪ Proclamation – Making known the will of God.
▪ Interpretation – Explaining Scripture for today’s
world.
▪ Transformation – Leading listeners toward
conversion, growth, or action.
HOMILETICS DEFINITION.
▪ Homiletics is the theological and practical
discipline of preparing and delivering sermons.
▪ Etymology: Homilia (Greek) – “a conversation /
talk or discourse.” (Luke 24:14, Acts 20:11)
HOMILETICS IMPORTANCE.
▪ Equips preachers with tools and methods (structure,
rhetoric, delivery).
▪ Ensures faithfulness to Scripture and context.
▪ Aids in avoiding heresy or irrelevance.
HOMILETICS PURPOSE.
▪ To bridge exegesis and application.
▪ To form the preacher as both messenger and
message (1 Tim 4:16).
▪ To guide preachers-in-training in crafting sermons
that are biblically sound, contextually relevant, and
spiritually impactful.
▪ Karl Barth: “Preaching is the Word of God, in so far
as God lets it be His Word.”
HERMENEUTICS DEFINITION.
▪ Hermeneutics is the science and art of
interpretation, especially of biblical texts.
▪ It asks: What did the text mean then? What does it
mean now?
HERMENEUTICS IMPORTANCE.
▪ Prevents misinterpretation or proof-texting.
▪ Helps understand Scripture in its literary, historical,
and theological context.
▪ Supports the preacher in faithful exegesis.
HERMENEUTICS PURPOSE.
▪ To interpret the Bible rightly.
▪ To connect the world of the text to the world of the
listener.
▪ Provides the foundation upon which Homiletics
builds the sermon.
INTEGRATION
▪ Hermeneutics = Understanding the message
▪ Homiletics = Shaping and delivering the
message
▪ Preaching = Proclaiming that message to a real
audience
QUESTIONS & ASSIGNMENT
▪ What is the difference between preaching and
homiletics?
▪ Why is hermeneutics essential for preaching?
▪ “Why do I want to preach? What scares me or
excites me about it?” (300 words)
