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Asermon is a religious discourse[1] ororation by apreacher, usually a member ofclergy. Sermons address ascriptural,theological, or moral topic, usually expounding on a type of belief, law, or behavior within both past and present contexts.[2] Elements of the sermon often includeexposition,exhortation, and practical application. The act of delivering a sermon is calledpreaching. Insecular usage, the wordsermon may refer, often disparagingly, to a lecture onmorals.
InChristian practice, a sermon is usually preached to acongregation in a place of worship, either from an elevated architectural feature, known as apulpit or anambo, or from behind alectern. The wordsermon comes from aMiddle English word which was derived fromOld French, which in turn originates from the Latin wordsermō meaning 'discourse.' Asermonette is a short sermon (usually associated with television broadcasting, as stations would present a sermonette beforesigning off for the night). TheChristian Bible contains many speeches without interlocution, which some take to be sermons: Jesus'Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5–7[3] (though the gospel writers do not specifically call it a sermon; the popular descriptor for Jesus' speech there came much later); andPeter afterPentecost in Acts 2:14–40[4] (though this speech was delivered to non-Christians and as such is not quite parallel to the popular definition of a sermon).
InIslam, sermons are known askhutbah.
In Christianity, a sermon is typically identified as an address or discourse delivered to acongregation of Christians, typically containing theological or moral instruction. The sermon by Christian orators was partly based on the tradition of public lectures by classical orators.[5] Although it is often called ahomily, the original distinction between a sermon and a homily was that a sermon was delivered by a clergyman (licensed preacher) while a homily was read from a printed copy by alayman.[6] In the 20th century the distinction has become one of the sermon being likely to be longer, have more structure, and contain more theological content. Homilies are usually considered to be a type of sermon, usuallynarrative orbiographical[7][8] (see§ Types below).
The wordsermon is used contemporarily to describe many famous moments in Christian (and Jewish) history. The most famous example is theSermon on the Mount byJesus of Nazareth. This address was given around 30 AD,[9] and is recounted in theGospel of Matthew (5:1–7:29, including introductory and concluding material) as being delivered on a mount on the north end of theSea of Galilee, nearCapernaum. It is also contained in some of the other gospel narratives.
During the laterhistory of Christianity, several figures became known for their addresses that later became regarded as sermons. Examples in the early church includePeter (see especiallyActs2:14b–36),Stephen (seeActs 7:1b–53),Tertullian andJohn Chrysostom. These addresses were used to spread Christianity across Europe andAsia Minor, and as such are not sermons in the modern sense, but evangelistic messages.[citation needed]
The sermon has been an important part of Christian services sinceearly Christianity, and remains prominent in bothRoman Catholicism andProtestantism.Lay preachers sometimes figure in these traditions of worship, for example theMethodist local preachers, but in general preaching has usually been a function of theclergy.[10] TheDominican Order is officially known as theOrder of Preachers (Ordo Praedicatorum inLatin);friars of this order were trained to publicly preach invernacular languages, and the order was created bySaint Dominic to preach to theCathars of southern France in the early 13th century. TheFranciscans are another important preaching order; Travelling preachers, usually friars, were an important feature of late medieval Catholicism. In 1448 the church authorities seated atAngers prohibitedopen-air preaching in France.[11] If a sermon is delivered during the Mass it comes after the Gospel is sung or read. If it is delivered by the priest or bishop that offers the Mass then he removes hismaniple, and in some cases hischasuble, because the sermon is not part of the Mass. A bishop preaches his sermon wearing hismitre while seated whereas a priest, or on rare occasions a deacon, preaches standing and wearing hisbiretta.
In most denominations, modern preaching is kept below forty minutes, but historic preachers of all denominations could at times speak for several hours,[12] and use techniques ofrhetoric and theatre that are today somewhat out of fashion in mainline churches.
During the Middle Ages, sermons inspired the beginnings of newreligious institutes (e.g.,Saint Dominic andFrancis of Assisi).Pope Urban II began theFirst Crusade in November 1095 at theCouncil of Clermont, France, when he exhorted French knights to retake theHoly Land.
The academic study of sermons, the analysis and classification of their preparation, composition and delivery, is calledhomiletics.
A controversial issue that aroused strong feelings inearly modern Britain was whether sermons should be read from a fully prepared text, or extemporized, perhaps from some notes.[13] Many sermons have been written down, collected and published; published sermons were a major and profitable literary form, and category of books in the book trade, from at least the Late Antique Church to about the late 19th century.[14] Many clergymen openly recycled large chunks of published sermons in their own preaching.[15] Such sermons includeJohn Wesley'sForty-four Sermons,John Chrysostom'sHomily on the Resurrection (preached every Easter in Orthodox churches) andGregory Nazianzus' homily "On the Theophany, or Birthday of Christ" (preached every Christmas in Orthodox churches). The 80 sermons in German of theDominicanJohannes Tauler (1300–1361) were read for centuries after his death.
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Martin Luther published his sermons (Hauspostille) on the Sunday lessons for the edification of readers. This tradition was continued byMartin Chemnitz andJohann Arndt, as well as many others into the following centuries—for exampleCH Spurgeon's stenographed sermons,The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit.[16] The widow ofArchbishop of CanterburyJohn Tillotson (1630–1694) received £2,500 for the manuscripts of his sermons, a very large sum.
TheReformation led toProtestant sermons, many of which defended theschism with the Roman Catholic Church and explained beliefs about the Bible, theology, and devotion.[17] The distinctive doctrines of Protestantism held thatsalvation was byfaith alone, and convincing people to believe the Gospel and place trust in God for their salvation through Jesus Christ was the decisive step in salvation.
In many Protestant churches, the sermon came to replace theEucharist as the central act of Christian worship (although some Protestants such asLutherans give equal time to a sermon and the Eucharist in theirDivine Service). While Luther retained the use of thelectionary for selecting texts for preaching, the Swiss Reformers, such asUlrich Zwingli,Johannes Oecolampadius, andJohn Calvin, notably returned to the patristic model of preaching through books of the Bible. The goal of Protestant worship, as conditioned by these reforms, was above all to offer glory to God for the gift of grace in Jesus Christ, to rouse the congregation to a deeperfaith, and to inspire them to practice works of love for the benefit of the neighbor, rather than carry on with potentially empty rituals.
In the 18th and 19th centuries during theGreat Awakening, major (evangelistic) sermons were made atrevivals, which were especially popular in the United States. These sermons were noted for their "fire-and-brimstone" message, typified byJonathan Edwards' famous "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" speech. In these sermons the wrath of God was intended to be made evident. Edwards also preached onReligious Affections,[18] which discussed the divided Christian world.
InEvangelical Christianity, the sermon is often called the "message". It occupies an important place inworship service, half the time, about 45 to 60 minutes.[19][20][21] This message can be supported by a powerpoint, images and videos.[22] In some churches, messages are grouped into thematic series.[23] The one who brings the message is usually apastor trained either in abible college or independently.[24] Evangelical sermons are broadcast on the radio, on television channels (televangelism), on the Internet, on web portals, on the website of the churches[25][26] and through social media likeYouTube andFacebook.[27]
Roman Catholic preaching has evolved over time but generally the subject matter is similar. As the famous St.Alphonsus Ligouri states, "With regard to the subject matter of sermons. Those subjects should be selected which move most powerfully to detest sin and to love God; whence the preacher should often speak ofthe last things of death, of judgment, of Hell, of Heaven, and of eternity. According to the advice of the Holy Spirit, 'Remember your last end, and you shall never sin.' (Eccl. vii. 40)."[28]
Among the most famous Catholic sermons are St.Francis of Assisi's Sermon to the Birds, St.Alphonsus Liguori's ItalianSermons for all the Sundays in the year, St.Robert Bellarmine's sermons during the counter-reformation period inSermons from the Latins, the FrenchThe Sermons of the Curé of Ars by St.John Vianney and theOld English sermons ofÆlfric of Eynsham.[29]
Khutbah (Arabic:خطبة) serves as the primary formal occasion for public preaching in theIslamic tradition. In societies or communities with (for example) low literacy rates, strong habits of communal worship, and/or limitedmass-media, the preaching of sermons throughout networks of congregations can have important informative and prescriptivepropaganda functions[30]for both civil[31]and religious authorities—which may regulate the manner, frequency, licensing, personnel and content of preaching accordingly.[32][33][34]
There are a number of different types of sermons, that differ both in their subject matter and by their intended audience, and accordingly not every preacher is equally well-versed in every type. Some types of sermon include:
Sermons can be both written and spoken out loud.
Sermons also differ in the amount of time and effort used to prepare them. Some arescripted while others are not.
With the advent ofreception theory, researchers also became aware that how sermons are listened to affects their meaning as much as how they are delivered. The expectations of the congregation, their prior experience of listening to oral texts, their level of scriptural education, and the relative social positions—often reflected in the physical arrangement—of sermon-goers vis-a-vis the preacher are part of the meaning of the sermon.
Albert Raboteau describes a common style of Black preaching first developed in America in the early 19th century, and common throughout the 20th and into the 21st centuries:
The preacher begins calmly, speaking in conversational, if oratorical and occasionally grandiloquent, prose; he then gradually begins to speak more rapidly, excitedly, and to chant his words and time to a regular beat; finally, he reaches an emotional peak in which the chanted speech becomes tonal and merges with the singing, clapping, and shouting of the congregation.[40]
Impromptu preaching is a sermon technique where the preacher exhorts the congregation without any previous preparation. It can be aided with a reading of aBible passage, aleatory opened or not, or even without any scriptural reference.
The Bible says that the Holy Spirit gives disciples the inspiration to speak:
Matthew 10:16-20
16: Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.
17: But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues;
18: And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles.
19: But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak.
20: For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.
According to some people, when Jesus says "take no thought how or what ye shall speak" he is saying that it is better not to script your speeches or sermons, but to let the Holy Spirit of your Father speak through you. Others see the expression as simply a comforting exhortation not to worry or be anxious, but to rest confident that God is in control (cf. Phil. 2:12-13). In other places the apostle Paul emphatically underscored the importance of diligent work in study and preparation (I Tim. 4:13-16; II Tim. 2:15).
Today impromptu preaching is practiced by unprogrammedQuakers,Mennonites and somePentecostals.
Extemporaneous preaching is a style of preaching involving extensive preparation of all the sermon except for the precise wording. The topic, basic structure and scripture to be used are all determined in advance, and the preachers saturate themselves in the details necessary to present their message so thoroughly that they are able to present the message with neither detailed notes nor perhaps even an outline. Consequently, unprepared preachers may find themselves unable to deliver a message with the same precision as people using detailed notes or memorizing detailed aspects of their speech.
While some might say this style is distinct from impromptu preaching, and that the preacher gives no specific preparation to their message, what Charles Spurgeon referred to as "impromptu preaching" he considered to be the same as extemporaneous preaching.[41] He, in his sermon "The Faculty of Impromptu Speech", describes extemporaneous preaching as a process of the preacher immersing himself in the Scriptures and prayer, knowing it so well that he only needs to find the appropriate words in the moment that the sermon is given. He states,
Only thoughtless persons think this to be easy; it is at once the most laborious and the most efficient mode of preaching[.][42]
Henry Ware Jr. states,
The first thing to be observed is, that the student who would acquire facility in this art, should bear it constantly in mind, and have regard to it in all his studies and in his whole mode of study.[This quote needs a citation]
On the other hand, it is distinct from many other forms ofmemorized preaching. Proponents claim that the importance of preaching demands it be extemporaneous.
A reflecting mind will feel as if it were infinitely out of place to present in the pulpit to immortal souls, hanging upon the verge of everlasting death, such specimens of learning and rhetoric.
— Charles Finney[This quote needs a citation]
The style was popular in the late 19th century amongBaptist (Primitive Baptist especially),Methodist,Unitarian, and somePresbyterians preachers, such asBlackleach Burritt.[43][44][45] Some of the more famouspreachers who employed it wereCharles Haddon Spurgeon,[46]Charles Grandison Finney andPeter Cartwright.[citation needed]
In informal usage, the wordsermon is used in secular terms, usually disapprovingly,[47] to refer to "a long talk in which someone advises other people how they should behave in order to be better people".[48]
Buddhism
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Historically, the American sermon has been one of the most vital forms of mass media. Few aspects of society have remained outside its purview and regulation.
[...] the most important of the homilies for our purposes is the tenth, 'An Exhortacion concerning Good Ordre and Obedience to Rulers and Magistrates'. It may have been written by Cranmer himself, although we cannot be sure. The sermon is proof that Tudor royal propaganda was directed at a mass audience.
The decrees of theCouncil of Trent that have to do with preaching spend a great deal of effort on regulation, stipulating where and when preaching has to occur, who is allowed to preach, how the vocation to be a preacher works, and so on. Episcopal oversight over preaching is particularly precisely regulated. Behind this juridicial regulation lies the attempt to avoid, under all circumstances, the penetration of Protestant preachers into Roman Catholic congregations.
The volume concludes with three appendixes of primary sources to aid understanding of the theories, reception, and regulation of preaching. The third of these ('Preaching Regulated') assembles in one place for the first time all the official acts and proclamations that governed preaching in England, Scotland and Ireland from the Reformation to the late seventeenth century.
[General Alamsjah,] the first Minister of Religious Affairs to develop the model of religious harmony in practice [...] developed a variety of policies increasingly instrusive in nature. [...] [T]he regime regulated how thekuliah subuh (sermon following the dawn prayer) should be presented through radio broadcasts.[...] It also made rules on the allowable terms, methods and contents ofdakwah in sermons to audiences.[...] Moreover, certain technicalities on deliveringdakwah or preaching were also tightly regulated. For example, the instructions of the Directorate-General of Islamic Guidance contained guidelines for the use of loudspeakers in mosques, and other smaller Islamic places of worship likemushalla andlanggar.
Sketch of the life of Rev. Blackleach Burritt.
The dictionary definition ofpreach at Wiktionary
Quotations related toSermon at Wikiquote Quotations related toPreaching at Wikiquote
Media related toSermons at Wikimedia Commons
