Homiletics 662E Syllabus

Preaching on Ethical Issues (M.Th. Course)
Homiletics TH662E
Waterloo Lutheran Seminary
Syllabus
Winter Term
Class Sessions: Thursdays, 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Prof. David Schnasa Jacobsen
Phone: 884-1970 ext. 3493 (office)
E-mail: djacobse@wlu.ca
Office Hours: by appointment or when the door is open...

Textbooks:
Childs, James. Preaching Justice: The Ethical Vocation of Word and Sacrament Ministry. New York: Trinity, 2000.
Ramsey, Lee. Care-full Preaching. St. Louis: Chalice, 2000.
Smith, Christine. Risking the Terror: Resurrection in This Life. Cleveland: Pilgrim, 2001.
Wogaman, J. Phillip. Speaking the Truth in Love: Prophetic Preaching to a Broken World. Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 1998.

Reserve Reading:
Buttrick, David. Homiletic: Moves and Structures. Philadelphia: Fortress, 1987.
Coffin, William Sloane. A Passion for the Possible: A Message to U.S. Churches. Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 1983.
Sider, Ronald and Michael A. King. Preaching About Life in a Threatening World. Philadelphia: Westminster, 1987.
Smith, Christine M. Preaching as Weeping, Confession, and Resistance: Radical Responses to Radical Evil. Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 1992.

Articles:
Hauerwas, Stanley, "Standing on the Shoulders of Murders: The End of Sacrifice (Exodus 12:1-14, 1 Corinthians 1:23-26, John 13:1-17 and 31b-35)," in In Good Company: The Church as Polis. South Bend: Notre Dame ,1995, pp. 165-168.
Hauerwas, Stanley with Mark Scherwindt, "The Reality of the Kingdom: An Ecclesial Space for Peace," in Against the Nations. South Bend: Notre Dame, 1992, pp. 107-121.
Niebuhr, Reihnold. "The Kingdom of God and the Struggle for Justice," The Nature and Destiny of Man, Vol. 2. New York: Scribners, 1964, pp. 244-286.
Niebuhr, Reihnold. "The Nemesis of Nations (Ezekiel 31:1-14)," in 20 Centuries of Great Preaching, Vol. 10. Waco: Word, 1971, pp. 357-363.
Ramsey, R. Paul, "The Justice of Nuclear Deterrence," in A Textbook of Christian Ethics. Ed. Robin Gill; Edinburgh: T&T Clark,1985, pp. 372-383.
Ramsey, R. Paul, "Death Duel," Motive, April 1962 (22/7), 2-5.
Ramsey, R. Paul, "Porcupines in Winter," Motive, May 1962 (22/8), 6-11.Schedule

PART I: INTRODUCTION TO THEOLOGICAL AND HOMILETICAL PROBLEMS

Session 1 (10/1)
Introductions, Syllabus, Overview
For next class: read Child's Preaching Justice: The Ethical Vocation of Word and Sacrament Ministry

Session 2 (17/1)
Discuss Childs and the theological and homiletical problems around preaching on ethical issues
For next class: read Hauerwas articles

PART II: ETHICAL THEORIES AND HOMILETICAL DISCOURSE

Session 3 (24/1)
Student Presentation on Hauerwas, character ethics and preaching _________________
For next class: read Niebuhr articles

Session 4 (31/1)
Student Presentation on Niebuhr, deontological ethics and preaching _________________
For next class: read Ramsey articles

Session 5 (7/2)
Student Presentation on Ramsey, teleological ethics and preaching _________________
For next class: read Smith's books

PART III: HOMILETICAL MODELS FOR PREACHING ON ETHICAL ISSUES

Sessions 6-10 (14/2, READING WEEK, 28/2, 7/3, 14/3, 21/3)
Read and Discuss Smith (2 books), Wogaman, Buttrick (pp. 405-445), Coffin, and Sider/King

PART IV: STUDENTS' CONSTRUCTIVE PROPOSALS

Session 11 (28/3)
Student Presentation on Issue and Sermon _________________ _________________

Sermon 12 (4/4)
Student Presentation on Issue and Sermon _________________ _________________
For next class: read Lee Ramsey's Care-full Preaching

Session 13 (11/4)
Concluding discussion of Lee Ramsey's book, Evaluation, Gratuitous Fudge Pie

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