Sermon 203221 224973341 2008-07-11T07:10:37Z Lightbot 7178666 Units/dates/other {{other}} {{POV-check|WP:NPOV: Sermon is not only a Christian Concept|date=December 2007}} {{Refimprove|date=July 2007}} {{Christianity}} A '''sermon''' is an [[public speaking|oration]] by a [[prophet]] or member of the [[clergy]]. Sermons address a [[Bible|Biblical]], [[Theology|theological]], or [[Religion|religious]] topic, usually expounding on a type of [[belief]] or [[law]] within both past and present contexts. ==Delivery== Sermons are usually, but not always, delivered in a house of worship, most of which have a [[pulpit]] or ambo, an elevated architectural feature. A sermon is also known as a [[homily]] within the Catholic Church. The word "sermon" comes from a [[Middle English]] word which was derived from an [[Old French]] term, which in turn came from the [[Latin]] word ''sermō''; ("discourse"). (Actually, it meant "conversation", and early sermons were delivered in the form of question and answer, only later did it come to mean a monologue). In modern language, the word "sermon" can also be used [[pejorative]]ly in secular terms to describe a lengthy or tedious speech delivered with great passion, by any person, to an uninterested audience. A '''sermonette''' is a short sermon (usually associated with television broadcasting, as stations would present a sermonette before [[Sign-off (broadcast)|signing off]] for the night). ==Diverse traditions== {{See also|Khutba}} In traditional Indian philosophy, a teacher or [[guru]] delivers a talk known as a [[satsang]]. In [[Judaism|rabbinic Judaism]], homiletical literature is found primarily in various forms of Biblical exegesis, known as [[midrash]]. Sermons center around [[Torah study]] and, as is prevalent in the modern period, during [[Tefilah|prayer services]]. In [[Islam]], the [[Khutba]] (Arabic: (خطبة khuṭbah) is a sermon delivered before Friday prayers and after Eid prayers. There is also a khutba delivered during Hajj in the plains of Arafat, just outside Mecca. This khutba addresses the entire Muslim nation, as its message is carried back by pilgrims to their respective homelands. ==Sermons in the Christian tradition== {{See also|Homiletics}} [[Image:Bloch-SermonOnTheMount.jpg|thumb|left|240px|''The [[Sermon on the Mount]]'' by [[Carl Heinrich Bloch]].]] In Christianity, the most famous sermon is the [[Sermon on the Mount]] by [[Jesus|Jesus of Nazareth]]. This sermon was probably preached around [[30|30 A.D.]] and is recounted in the [[Gospel of Matthew]] (5:1 - 7:29, including introductory and concluding material) as being delivered on a mount on the north end of the [[Sea of Galilee]], near [[Capernaum]]. The Sermon on the Mount lays out many of the core principles of [[Christianity]]. Another rendition of much of the same material may be found in the "[[Sermon on the Plain]]" in the [[Gospel of Luke]] (6:17 - 49, including introductory material). During the later [[history of Christianity]], several figures became known for their sermons or a particularly significant sermon. Preachers of the early church include [[Peter]] (see especially [[Acts of the Apostles|Acts]] 2:14b - 36), [[Stephen]] (see Acts 7:1b - 53), [[Tertullian]], [[John Chrysostom]], [[Gregory Nazianzus]]. Sermons in this era were used to spread Christianity across [[Europe]] and [[Asia Minor]]. During the [[Middle Ages]], sermons inspired the beginnings of new [[Catholic order|religious orders]] (eg, [[Saint Dominic]] and [[Francis of Assisi]]). [[Pope Urban II]] began the [[First Crusade]] in November 1095 at the [[Council of Clermont]], [[France]], when he exhorted French knights to retake the [[Holy Land]] in [[Palestine]]. In the Roman Catholic tradition, the art of preaching has developed through the theological field of [[homiletics]]. Many sermons have been written down, collected and published. Such sermons include John Wesley's ''53 Standard Sermons'', John Chrysostom's Homily on the Resurrection (preached every Easter in Orthodox churches) and Gregory Nazianzus' homily "On the Theophany, or Birthday of Christ" (preached every Christmas in Orthodox churches). Martin Luther began a tradition of publishing sermons (Hauspostille) on the Sunday lessons for the edification of readers. This tradition was continued by Chemnitz and Arndt and others into the following centuries. ===Role in Protestantism=== The [[Reformation]] led to [[Protestant]] sermons, many of which defended the [[schism (religion)|schism]] with the Roman Catholic Church and explained beliefs about scripture, theology and devotion. Since the distinctive doctrines of Protestantism held that [[salvation]] was by [[sola fide|faith 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 Protestantism the sermon and [[hymn]] came to replace the [[Eucharist]] as the central act of Christian worship. To rouse deeper [[faith]] in the churchgoers, rather than have them partake in a ritual, was the goal of Protestant worship conditioned by these beliefs. In the 1700s and 1800s during the [[Great Awakening]], major sermons were made at [[Revival meeting|revivals]], which were especially popular in the [[United States]]. These sermons were noted for their "[[Fire and brimstone|fire-and-brimstone]]" message, typified by [[Jonathan Edwards (theology)|Jonathan Edwards]]'s famous "[[Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God]]" speech. In these sermons the wrath of God was clearly one to be afraid of, although fear was not the message Edwards was trying to convey in his sermons, he was simply trying to tell the people that they could be forgiven for their sins. ==Types== There are a number of different types of preaching, that differ both by their subject matter and by their intended audience. and accordingly not every preacher is well-versed in each type. The types of preaching are: * Topical preaching - concerned with a particular subject of current concern;<ref>[http://sermonlinks.com/Topical/Sermons/index.html topical sermons]</ref> * [[Biographical]] preaching - tracing the story of a particular biblical character through a number of parts of the Bible.<ref>[http://dmoz.org/Society/Religion_and_Spirituality/People/Old_Testament/ biographical preaching]</ref> * [[Evangelistic]] preaching - seeking to convert the congregation or bring them back to their previous faith through a recounting of the [[Gospel|Good News]].<ref>[http://www.preachtheword.co.uk/gospel.html evangelistic sermons]</ref> * [[Expository preaching]] - [[exegesis]], or preaching from a text and seeking to expound the text to the congregation.<ref>[http://www.sermonsfortoday.org/ expository sermons]</ref> * [[Redemptive-Historical Preaching]] - Preaching that takes into consideration the context of any given text within the broader history of salvation as recorded in the canon of the bible. It is worth noting that sermons can be both written<ref>[http://www.reformedsermonarchives.com/ written sermons]</ref> and outspoken.<ref>[http://www.graceandtruth.org.uk/sermons.htm spoken sermons]</ref> ==Delivery methods== Sermons also differ on the amount of time and effort used to prepare them. * [[Manuscript|Script]]ed preaching - preaching with a previous preparation, it can be with help of notes or a script, or rely on the memory of the preacher. * [[Extemporaneous preaching]] - preaching without overly detailed notes and sometimes without preparation. Usually a basic outline and scriptural references are listed as notes. * [[Impromptu preaching]] - preaching without previous preparation. ==See also== {{Wiktionarypar|sermon|preach}} *[[Preacher]] *[[List of preachers]] *[[Expository preaching]] *[[Extemporaneous preaching]] *[[Popular Sermon of the Medieval Friar]] *[[Khutba]] *[[Kerygma]] *[[Theology]] *[[Midrash]] *[[Christian]] [[Virtue]]s *[[Redemptive-Historical Preaching]] ==References== {{reflist}} == Bibliography == *''American Sermons: The Pilgrims to Martin Luther King Jr.'', Michael Warner, ed. (New York: The Library of America, 1999) ISBN 1-883011-65-5 *Edwards, O. C., Jr. ''A History of Preaching.'' Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2004. ISBN 0-687-03864-2 *Willimon, William H. and Richard Lischer, eds. ''Concise Encyclopedia of Preaching.'' Louisville, Kentucky: Westminster John Knox Press, 1995. 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