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137-580: Homiletics, the art of preaching, studies both the composition and the delivery of religious discourses. It includes all forms of preaching, including sermons , homilies and catechetical instruction. Homiletics may be further defined as the study of the analysis, classification, preparation, composition, and delivery of sermons. The formation of the Lyman Beecher course at Yale University resulted in an increased emphasis on homiletics. The published volumes of this series include information regarding

274-549: A pulpit or an ambo , or from behind a lectern . The word sermon comes from a Middle English word which was derived from Old French , which in turn originates from the Latin word sermō meaning 'discourse.' A sermonette is a short sermon (usually associated with television broadcasting, as stations would present a sermonette before signing off for the night). The Christian Bible contains many speeches without interlocution, which some take to be sermons: Jesus' Sermon on

411-560: A biblical book, does not quote from it, and relies entirely on other traditions in his account of the deeds of Nehemiah . The apocalyptic fourth book of Ezra (also sometimes called the 'second book of Esdras' or the 'third book of Esdras') was written c. CE 100, probably in Judeo-Aramaic , but now survives in Latin, Slavonic and Ethiopic. In this book, Ezra has a seven part prophetic revelation, converses with an angel of God three times and has four visions. Ezra, thirty years into

548-593: A branch of pastoral theology , and many manuals have been written thereon, for instance in German compendia by Brand, Laberenz, Zarbl, Fluck and Schüch; in Italian by Gotti and Guglielmo Audisio ; and many in French and English. Sermon A sermon is a religious discourse or oration by a preacher , usually a member of clergy . Sermons address a scriptural , theological , or moral topic, usually expounding on

685-564: A deeper faith , 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 the Great Awakening , major (evangelistic) sermons were made at revivals , which were especially popular in the United States. These sermons were noted for their " fire-and-brimstone " message, typified by Jonathan Edwards ' famous " Sinners in

822-537: A good example of all sermons. The manner of life can be an eloquent sermon ( copia dicendi, forma vivendi ; DDC 4.29.61). In most of the cases, it seems to be true that the sermon of a preacher cannot be better than his or her life, but vice versa seems also to be true: the sermon cannot be worse than the preacher’s life. The more a preacher endeavors after humility, discipline, and love, the better his or her sermon becomes. And now these three are always necessary for all Christian teachers: humility, discipline, and love. But

959-663: A graceful and ornate rhetoric". What has been here stated refers to philosophy as a system, not to individual philosophers. It is scarcely necessary to say that many Scholastics, such as Thomas and Bonaventure, were noted preachers. The next noted period in the history of preaching is the Renaissance, with the rise of humanism. The motto of two representative humanists, Reuchlin and Erasmus , was: "Back to Cicero and Quintilian." Erasmus on visiting Rome exclaimed: "Quam mellitas eruditorum hominum confabulationes, quot mundi lumina." Pierre Batiffol says: "One Good Friday, preaching before

1096-524: A homily was read from a printed copy by a layman . 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, usually narrative or biographical ( see § Types below ). The word sermon is used contemporarily to describe many famous moments in Christian (and Jewish) history. The most famous example

1233-520: A layman expounded the scriptures, but it was by special permission. Felix, a priest and martyr, preached in the third century, under two bishops, Maximus and Quintus. Priests were forbidden to preach in Alexandria; but that was on account of the Arian controversy. A custom springing from this had spread to the north of Africa; but Valerius, Bishop of Hippo, broke through it, and had St. Augustine, as yet

1370-556: A legitimate impediment; and ordered that they were to preach in person in their own church, or, if impeded, through others; and, in other churches, through pastors or other representatives. In the eighteenth century, the Austrian Jesuit Ignaz Wurz was often considered the standard author; he taught at the University of Vienna and his Anleitung zur geistlichen Beredsamkeit ( Ministers' manual for eloquence )

1507-618: 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. Many clergymen openly recycled large chunks of published sermons in their own preaching. Such sermons include John Wesley 's Forty-four Sermons , John Chrysostom 's Homily on the Resurrection (preached every Easter in Orthodox churches) and Gregory Nazianzus ' homily "On

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1644-460: A major issue in homiletic theory since the mid-20th century. The first form of preaching was largely the homily . Jesus preached and commissioned his apostles to do so. His preaching included two forms of the sermon, the missionary and the ministerial. Missionary sermons are given to outsiders and correspond the Catholic magisterium . Ministerial sermons are given to those already part of

1781-463: 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. He, in his sermon "The Faculty of Impromptu Speech", describes extemporaneous preaching as

1918-480: A new stimulus. In the United States, particularly, this form of religious activity has flourished; and the Paulists , amongst whom the name of Isaac Hecker is deserving of special mention, are to be mainly identified with the revival. Special facilities are afforded at the central institute of the organization for the training of those who are to impart catechetical instruction, and the non-controversial principles of

2055-625: A place as it did in the Greek Church." Preaching as a regular part of worship services in Judaism can be traced back to the time of Ezra , who instituted the custom of reading a portion of the Torah , written in Hebrew , and then paraphrasing or explaining it in the vernacular, which at the time was Aramaic . This tradition was well established by the fourth century BCE. After the destruction of

2192-544: A powerpoint, images and videos. In some churches, messages are grouped into thematic series. The one who brings the message is usually a pastor trained either in a bible college or independently. Evangelical sermons are broadcast on the radio, on television channels ( televangelism ), on the Internet, on web portals , on the website of the churches and through social media like YouTube and Facebook . Roman Catholic preaching has evolved over time but generally

2329-569: A priest, or on rare occasions a deacon, preaches standing and wearing his biretta . In most denominations, modern preaching is kept below forty minutes, but historic preachers of all denominations could at times speak for several hours, and use techniques of rhetoric and theatre that are today somewhat out of fashion in mainline churches. During the Middle Ages, sermons inspired the beginnings of new religious institutes (e.g., Saint Dominic and Francis of Assisi ). Pope Urban II began

2466-498: A priest, to preach before him, because he himself was unable to do so with facility in the Latin language – "cum non satis expedite Latino sermone concionari posset". This was against the custom of the place, as Possidius relates; but Valerius justified his action by an appeal to the East – "in orientalibus ecclesiis id ex more fieri sciens". Even during the time of the prohibition in Alexandria, priests from Socrates and Sozomen, interpreted

2603-554: A private discourse. And the reason for this he attributes to the stress of persecution. Neander (I, 420, note) says of Sozomen's statement: "The remark could not extend to the early times; but suppose it did, it meant that the sermon was only secondary. Or the fact may have been that this Eastern writer was deceived by false accounts from the West, or it may have been that the sermon in the Western Church did not occupy so important

2740-612: 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[.] 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. On

2877-691: A reading from the Law, Prophets, Epistles, and Gospels were read in that order, followed by a sermon. John Chrysostom is recognized as one of the greatest preachers of this age. His sermons begin with exegesis, followed by application to practical problems. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia: The office of preaching belonged to bishops, and priests preached only with their permission. Even two such distinguished men as Augustine of Hippo and John Chrysostom preached, as priests, only when commissioned by their respective bishops. Origen as

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3014-433: 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. Impromptu preaching is a sermon technique where the preacher exhorts the congregation without any previous preparation. It can be aided with a reading of a Bible passage, aleatory opened or not, or even without any scriptural reference. The Bible says that

3151-721: A return to the simplicity of style of the Church Fathers . The next important era is the so-called conférences in Notre-Dame in Paris , following the Revolution of 1830 . The most prominent name identified with this new style of preaching was that of the Dominican Lacordaire , who, for a time, with Montalembert , was associate editor with de Lamennais of "L'Avenir". This new style of preaching discarded

3288-549: A section from 2 Esdras . Where early Christian writers refer to the 'Book of Ezra' it is always the text of 1 Esdras that is being cited. In Islam, he is known as Uzair ( Arabic : عزير , romanized :  ʿUzayr ). He was mentioned in the Qur'an . Although he was not mentioned as one of the Prophets of Islam , he is considered one of them by some Muslim scholars, based on Islamic traditions. His tomb at Al-ʻUzer on

3425-497: A stipend was given, for we read that two Asiatic bishops, Antiochus and Severianus, went to Constantinople to preach, being more desirous of money than of the spiritual welfare of their hearers. After the age here described preaching was on the decline in the West, partly because of the decay of the Latin language (cf. Fénelon, "Dial.", 164), and in the East, owing to the controversies on Arianism , Nestorianism , Eutychianism , Macedonianism , and other heresies. But still preaching

3562-430: A systematic treatise on homiletics entitled "Rhetorica Ecclesiastica" (1575), in which he points out the difference between profane and sacred eloquence and emphasizes the two principal objects of the preacher, to teach and to move ( docere et commovere ). Laurentius a Villavicentio , in his work "De formandis sacris concionibus" (1565), disapproves of transferring the ancient modes of speaking to preaching. He would treat

3699-472: A type of belief, law, or behavior within both past and present contexts. Elements of the sermon often include exposition , exhortation , and practical application. The act of delivering a sermon is called preaching. In secular usage, the word sermon may refer, often disparagingly, to a lecture on morals . In Christian practice, a sermon is usually preached to a congregation in a place of worship, either from an elevated architectural feature, known as

3836-462: 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

3973-452: Is a time when all the audience meets God the Truth, and through that time they can understand the truth of God more fully. Prayer is a major means of grace in knowing God. Augustine says that love is the most important discipline in Christian life in his sermon, De disciplina christiana . If one adds another to Christian discipline besides love, prayer will come first. The preacher should be

4110-477: Is also relevant. Gregory the Great 's "Liber regulæ pastoralis" is still extant, but is inferior to Augustine's; it is rather a treatise on pastoral theology than on homiletics. Hincmar says that a copy used to be given to bishops at their consecration. In the ninth century Rabanus Maurus (died 856), Archbishop of Mainz , wrote a treatise De institutione clericorum , in which he depends much on Augustine. In

4247-691: Is an important figure in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah , which he is said to have written and edited, respectively. According to tradition, Ezra was also the author of the Books of Chronicles and the Book of Malachi . Ezra was instrumental in restoring the Jewish scriptures and religion to the people after the return from the Babylonian Captivity , and is a highly respected figure in Judaism . He

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4384-436: Is prayer. Augustine advises to be a prayer before being a preacher. Preachers should pray before and after his sermon ( DDC 3.37.56; 4.15.32; 4.17.34; 4.30.63). Augustine himself was a good model of this practice. Before the preaching, he invited the congregation to pray ( Epistula 29). After the sermon he also prayed ( Sermones 153.1). For Augustine’s homiletics, the time of prayer is the most precious time, because that time

4521-574: Is probably not due to him. There is a monograph quoted by Hartwig which is interesting for the classification of the forms of sermon: modus antiquissimus , i. e. postillatio, which is purely the exegetic homily; modus modernus, the thematic style; modus antiquus , a sermon on the Biblical text; and modus subalternus , a mixture of homiletic and text sermon. Jerome Dungersheym wrote a tract De modo discendi et docendi ad populum sacra seu de modo prædicandi (1513). He treats of his subject on three points:

4658-506: Is referred to Digby's "Mores Catholici", vol. II, pp. 158-172, and to Neale, "Mediæval Sermons". As to style, it was simple and majestic, possessing little, perhaps, of so-called eloquence as at present understood, but much religious power, with an artless simplicity, a sweetness and persuasiveness all its own, and such as would compare favourably with the hollow declamation of a much-lauded later period. Some sermons were wholly in verse, and, in their intense inclusiveness of thought, remind one of

4795-757: Is regarded as a saint in the Roman Catholic Church , which sets his feast day as July 13, the same as that of his contemporary, Nehemiah . He is also venerated as a saint in the Eastern Orthodox Church , which sets his feast day on the Sunday of the Holy Forefathers . The canonical Book of Ezra and Book of Nehemiah are the oldest sources for the activity of Ezra, whereas many of the other books ascribed to Ezra (First Esdras, 3–6 Ezra) are later literary works dependent on

4932-683: Is seen as a new Moses in this book. There is also another work, thought to be influenced by this one, known as the Greek Apocalypse of Ezra . Traditionally Judaism credits Ezra with establishing the Great Assembly of scholars and prophets, the forerunner of the Sanhedrin , as the authority on matters of religious law. The Great Assembly is credited with establishing numerous features of contemporary traditional Judaism in something like their present form, including Torah reading ,

5069-696: Is the Sermon on the Mount by Jesus of Nazareth . This address was given around 30 AD, 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 . It is also contained in some of the other gospel narratives. During the later history of Christianity , several figures became known for their addresses that later became regarded as sermons. Examples in

5206-523: Is to say, they should pursue wisdom more than knowledge ( DDC 4.5.7). The best is the combination of wisdom and eloquence as seen in the Pauline letters and prophetic writings ( DDC 4.6.9-4.7.21). Yet, he does not praise eloquence itself; rather he prefers a concrete proclamation than a showing off of rhetorical technique ( DDC 4.7.14-15). It is truth, not rhetoric, that preachers try to deliver ( DDC 4.28.61). The most significant practice and discipline

5343-426: Is typically identified as an address or discourse delivered to a congregation 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. Although it is often called a homily , the original distinction between a sermon and a homily was that a sermon was delivered by a clergyman (licensed preacher) while

5480-525: The Amidah , and celebration of the feast of Purim . In Rabbinic traditions , Ezra is metaphorically referred to as the "flowers that appear on the earth" signifying the springtime in the national history of Judaism . A disciple of Baruch ben Neriah , he favored study of the Law over the reconstruction of the Temple and thus because of his studies, he did not join the first party returning to Jerusalem in

5617-591: The Babylonian Talmud , Ezra the Scribe is said to have enacted ten standing laws and orders, which are as follows: In the Syrian village of Tedef , a synagogue said to be the place where Ezra stopped over has been venerated by Jews for centuries. Another tradition locates his tomb near Basra, Iraq. In Christian tradition, Ezra is considered to be the author of the book of Ezra and 1 and 2 Chronicles. Due to

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5754-769: The First Crusade in November 1095 at the Council of Clermont , France, when he exhorted French knights to retake the Holy Land . The academic study of sermons, the analysis and classification of their preparation, composition and delivery, is called homiletics . A controversial issue that aroused strong feelings in early modern Britain was whether sermons should be read from a fully prepared text, or extemporized, perhaps from some notes. Many sermons have been written down, collected and published; published sermons were

5891-782: The Methodist local preachers , but in general preaching has usually been a function of the clergy . The Dominican Order is officially known as the Order of Preachers ( Ordo Praedicatorum in Latin ); friars of this order were trained to publicly preach in vernacular languages, and the order was created by Saint Dominic to preach to the Cathars of southern France in the early 13th century. The Franciscans are another important preaching order; Travelling preachers, usually friars, were an important feature of late medieval Catholicism. In 1448

6028-597: The New Testament writings added, except that in Christian churches the same person who read the scripture also explained it and there was no set lectionary of readings. Origen , a third-century theologian, preached through most books of the Old Testament and many of the New, which we have today. Origen's sermons on the scripture are expository and evangelistic . By the fourth century, a system had developed where

6165-607: The parable . His commission to his Apostles included both missionary and ministerial sermoning. For examples of missionary sermoning, see Matthew 28:19 , Mark 16:15 , Mark 3:14 , Luke 9:2 For examples of ministerial sermoning, see Paul the Apostle's sermon in Acts 20:7–11 . In this sermon, the apostles were supported by assistants who were elected and consecrated for a purpose (e.g. Timothy and Titus). Some of these assistants had been favored with charismata . In missionary preaching

6302-632: The "Rhetorica ecclesiastica" (1627) of Jacobus de Graffiis is contained a symposium of the instructions on preaching by the Franciscan Francis Panigarola , the Jesuit Francis Borgia and the Carmelite Johannes a Jesu . The "Dialogues" of Fénelon, the works of Blaise Gisbert, Amadeus Bajocensis and Guido ab Angelis have already been referred to. In the nineteenth century homiletics took its place as

6439-616: The "Summa de arte prædicatoriâ" by Alain de Lille , which defines preaching: "Manifesta et publica instructio morum et fidei, informationi hominum deserviens, ex rationum semitâ et auctoritatum fonte proveniens". He lays stress on explanation and use of Scripture and recommends the preacher to insert verba commotiva. The remarks of Cæsarius of Heisterbach (died 1240) have been collected by Cruel; his sermons display skill in construction and considerable oratorical power. Conrad of Brundelsheim (died 1321), whose sermons have come down to us under his cognomen of "Brother Sock" (Sermones Fratris Socci),

6576-559: The 'father of Judaism' in the Jewish tradition, has been a later literary invention. Those who argue against the historicity of Ezra argue that the presentation style of Ezra as a leader and lawgiver resembles that of Moses. There are also similarities between Ezra the priest-scribe (but not high priest ) and Nehemiah the secular governor on the one hand and Joshua and Zerubbabel on the other hand. The early 2nd-century BCE Jewish author Ben Sira praises Nehemiah, but makes no mention of Ezra. Richard Friedman argues in his book Who Wrote

6713-487: The Babylonian Exile (4 Ezra 3:1 / 2 Esdras 1:1), recounts the siege of Jerusalem and the destruction of Solomon's Temple . The central theological themes are "the question of theodicy, God's justness in the face of the triumph of the heathens over the pious, the course of world history in terms of the teaching of the four kingdoms, the function of the law, the eschatological judgment, the appearance on Earth of

6850-566: The Bible? that Ezra is the one who redacted the Torah, and in fact effectively produced the first Torah. It has been argued that even if one does not accept the documentary hypothesis , Ezra was instrumental in the start of the process of bringing the Torah together. One particular aspect of Ezra's story considered dubious historically is the account in Ezra 7 of his commission. According to it, Ezra

6987-563: The Book of Ezra still in use in Eastern Orthodox Church , he was also a High Priest. Rabbinic tradition supports the positions that Ezra was an ordinary member of the priesthood, and that he actually served as a Kohen Gadol . Ezra was living in Babylon when in the seventh year of Artaxerxes I , the Achaemenid emperor ( c.  457 BCE ), the emperor sent him to Jerusalem to teach

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7124-486: The Catholic Encyclopedia: It has been commonly said by non-Catholic writers that there was little or no preaching during that time. So popular was preaching, and so deep the interest taken in it, that preachers commonly found it necessary to travel by night, lest their departure should be prevented. It is only in a treatise on the history of preaching that justice could be done this period. The reader

7261-526: 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

7398-452: The Hands of an Angry God " speech. In these sermons the wrath of God was intended to be made evident. Edwards also preached on Religious Affections , which discussed the divided Christian world. In Evangelical Christianity , the sermon is often called the "message". It occupies an important place in worship service , half the time, about 45 to 60 minutes. This message can be supported by

7535-480: 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

7672-485: 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 unprogrammed Quakers , Mennonites and some Pentecostals . Extemporaneous preaching

7809-595: The Jews . He uses the name Xerxes for Artaxerxes I reserving the name Artaxerxes for the later Artaxerxes II whom he identifies as the Ahasuerus of Esther, thus placing Ezra before the events of the book of Esther. Josephus' account of the deeds of Ezra derives entirely from 1 Esdras , which he cites as the 'Book of Ezra' in his numeration of the Hebrew bible. Contrariwise, Josephus does not appear to recognise Ezra-Nehemiah as

7946-492: The King". The text does not specify whether the king in the passage refers to Artaxerxes I (465–424 BCE) or to Artaxerxes II (404–359 BCE). Most scholars hold that Ezra lived during the rule of Artaxerxes I, though some have difficulties with this assumption: Nehemiah and Ezra "seem to have no knowledge of each other; their missions seem to have no overlap". These difficulties have led many scholars to assume that Ezra arrived in

8083-511: The Mount in Matthew 5–7 (though the gospel writers do not specifically call it a sermon; the popular descriptor for Jesus' speech there came much later); and Peter after Pentecost in Acts 2:14–40 (though this speech was delivered to non-Christians and as such is not quite parallel to the popular definition of a sermon). In Islam , sermons are known as khutbah . In Christianity, a sermon

8220-664: The Scriptures publicly in Cæsarea, in Cappadocia, and in Cyprus, candles being lighted the while – accensis lucernis . As soon as the Church received freedom under Constantine , preaching developed very much, at least in external form. Then for the first time, if, perhaps, we except St. Cyprian, the art of oratory was applied to preaching, especially by St. Gregory of Nazianzus , the most florid of Cappadocia's triumvirate of genius. He

8357-430: The Second Council of Reims (813), can. xiv, xv, it was enjoined that bishops should preach the homilies and sermons of the Fathers, so that all could understand. And in the Third Council of Tours (can. xvii), in the same year, bishops were ordered to make a translation of the homilies of the Fathers into the rustic Roman tongue, or theodesque—the rustic Roman tongue being a species of corrupt Latin, or patois , understood by

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8494-430: The Sermon on the Mount: — Magna promisimus; majora promissa sunt nobis: Servemus hæc; adspiremus ad illa. Voluptas brevis; pœna perpetua. Modica passio; gloria infinita. Multorum vocatio; paucorum electio; Omnium retributio (St. Francis, as quoted by Digby, op. cit., 159.) The preaching of the time was characterized by: Scholastic philosophy supplied an almost inexhaustible store of information; it trained

8631-413: The Theophany, or Birthday of Christ" (preached every Christmas in Orthodox churches). The 80 sermons in German of the Dominican Johannes Tauler (1300–1361) were read for centuries after his death. Martin Luther published his sermons ( Hauspostille ) on the Sunday lessons for the edification of readers. This tradition was continued by Martin Chemnitz and Johann Arndt , as well as many others into

8768-409: The advent of reception 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

8905-445: The analytic method, resulting in divisions and subdivisions. This is the thirteenth-century method, which had its beginnings in the sermons of Bernard and Anthony. The underlying syllogism, too, in every well thought-out sermon is due to Scholasticism; how far it should appear is a question that belongs to a treatise on homiletics. As to the catechetical discourse, it has been so much favoured by Pius X that it might be regarded as one of

9042-399: The apostles were also assisted, but informally, by the laity, who explained the Christian doctrine to their acquaintances amongst unbelievers who, in their visits to the Christian assemblies, must have heard something of it, e.g., cf. I Cor., xiv, 23-24. This is particularly true of Justin Martyr , who, wearing his philosopher's cloak, went about for that purpose. The sermons to the faithful in

9179-453: The association are calculated to commend it to all earnestly seeking after religion. In the Roman Catholic Church, the Holy See , through the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments (headed as of February 2015 by Robert Sarah ), has published an official guide and directory for use by bishops, priests, and deacons, who are charged with the ministry of preaching by virtue of their ordination, and for those studying

9316-418: The banks of the Tigris near Basra , Iraq , is a pilgrimage site for the local Marsh Arabs . Many Islamic scholars and modern Western academics do not view Uzer as "Ezra"; for example, Professor Gordon Darnell Newby associates Uzer with Enoch and Metatron . Scholars are divided over the chronological sequence of the activities of Ezra and Nehemiah. Ezra came to Jerusalem "in the seventh year of Artaxerxes

9453-410: The best way of doing so is (as Massillon recommended in later times) to look into one's own. It is more original and more independent than the work of Rabanus Maurus, who, as has been said, drew largely from Augustine. Guibert's work was recommended by Pope Alexander as a model to all preachers. Francis of Assisi gave to his friars the same directions as are herein contained. To the same period belongs

9590-466: The canonical books of Ezra and Nehemiah. The book of Ezra–Nehemiah was always written as one scroll. In late medieval Christian bibles, the single book was divided in two, as First and Second Ezra; and this division became Jewish practice in the first printed Hebrew bibles. Modern Hebrew Bibles call the two books Ezra and Nehemiah, as do other modern Bible translations. A few parts of the Book of Ezra (4:8 to 6:18 and 7:12–26) were written in Aramaic , and

9727-449: The characteristics of preaching at the present day. It is, however, a very old form of preaching. It was used by Christ Himself, by St. Paul, by Cyril of Jerusalem , by Clement and Origen at Alexandria, by Augustine, who wrote a special treatise thereon (De catechizandis rudibus), also, in later times, by Gerson, chancellor of the University of Paris, who wrote "De parvulis ad Christum trahendis"; Clement XI and Benedict XIV gave to it all

9864-569: The church authorities seated at Angers prohibited open-air preaching in France. 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 his maniple , and in some cases his chasuble , because the sermon is not part of the Mass. A bishop preaches his sermon wearing his mitre while seated whereas

10001-587: The community by enforcing the dissolution of the sinful marriages. He was described as exhorting the Israelite people to be sure to follow the Torah Law so as not to intermarry with people of foreign blood, a set of commandments described in the Torah. Some years later, Artaxerxes sent Nehemiah, a Jewish noble in his service, as governor in Jerusalem with the task of rebuilding the city walls. Once this task

10138-499: The early ages were of the simplest kind, being merely expositions or paraphrases of the passage of scripture that was read, coupled with extempore effusions of the heart. This explains why there is little or nothing in the way of sermons or homilies surviving from that period. It also explains the strange statement made by Sozomen (Hist. Eccl., VII, xix), and by Cassiodorus in his "Tripartite History", which Duchesne apparently accepts, that no one preached at Rome. (Sozomen wrote about

10275-532: The early church include Peter (see especially Acts 2:14b–36 ), Stephen (see Acts 7:1b–53 ), Tertullian and John Chrysostom . These addresses were used to spread Christianity across Europe and Asia Minor , and as such are not sermons in the modern sense, but evangelistic messages. The sermon has been an important part of Christian services since early Christianity , and remains prominent in both Roman Catholicism and Protestantism . Lay preachers sometimes figure in these traditions of worship, for example

10412-684: The fashion in the following age. The "Dialogues" of Fénelon, however, remained as a check. Of these "Dialogues" Bishop Dupanloup said: "If the precepts of Fénelon had been well understood, they would have long since fixed the character of sacred eloquence among us." Other principles were laid down by Blaise Gisbert in his L'Eloquence chrétienne dans l'idée et dans la pratique , by Amadeus Bajocensis in Paulus Ecclesiastes, seu Eloquentia Christiana , and by Guido ab Angelis in De Verbi Dei Prædicatione , all of which sounded

10549-570: The following centuries—for example CH Spurgeon 's stenographed sermons, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit . The widow of Archbishop of Canterbury John Tillotson (1630–1694) received £2,500 for the manuscripts of his sermons, a very large sum. The Reformation led to Protestant sermons, many of which defended the schism with the Roman Catholic Church and explained beliefs about the Bible, theology, and devotion. The distinctive doctrines of Protestantism held that salvation

10686-418: The form, the division, and analysis of the scholastic method. The power of Lacordaire as an orator was beyond question; but the conférences , as they have come down to us, while possessing much merit, are an additional proof that oratory is too elusive to be committed to the pages of a book. The Jesuit Gustave Delacroix de Ravignan shared with Lacordaire the pulpit of Notre-Dame. Less eloquent men followed, and

10823-555: The formal language of intellect, is likely to be wanting from the view-point of persuasiveness, inasmuch as, from its nature, it makes for condensation rather than for amplification. The latter is the most important thing in oratory – "Summa laus eloquentiæ amplificare rem ornando." Fénelon (Second Dialogue) describes it as portrayal; De Quincey , as a holding of the thought until the mind gets time to eddy about it; Newman gives an analysis of it; his own sermons are remarkable for this quality of amplification as are those of Bourdaloue on

10960-545: The greatest of these is love. For "the goal of this command is love" (1 Tim. 1:5 cited in DDC 1.26.27; 1.35.39; 1.40.44; 4.28.61). Hugh of St. Victor (died 1141) in the Middle Ages laid down three conditions for a sermon: that it should be "holy, prudent and noble", for which, respectively, he required sanctity, knowledge and eloquence in the preacher. François Fénelon stipulated "must prove, must portray, must impress" (Second Dialogue). Augustine's work "De rudibus catechizandis"

11097-749: The heavenly Jerusalem, the Messianic Period , at the end of which the Messiah will die, the end of this world and the coming of the next, and the Last Judgment ." Ezra restores the law that was destroyed with the burning of the Temple in Jerusalem . He dictates 24 books for the public (i.e. the Hebrew Bible) and another 70 for the wise alone (70 unnamed revelatory works). At the end, he is taken up to heaven like Enoch and Elijah . Ezra

11234-458: The history and practice of the discipline. The Catholic Encyclopedia defines homiletics as "that branch of rhetoric that treats of the composition and delivery of sermons or homilies". This definition was influential in the 19th century among thinkers like John Broadus and Karl Barth . Karl resisted this definition of the term, saying that homiletics should retain a critical distance from rhetoric . The homiletic-rhetorical relationship has been

11371-519: The ideal is sapientia with eloquentia. He adapts Cicero's ut doceat, ut delectet, ut flectat , changing them to ut veritas pateat, ut placeat, ut moveat ; and lays down these as the rules by which a sermon is to be judged. This work of Augustine was the classic one in homiletics. Augustine explains his homiletics in Book IV of DDC . He describes it practically in relation to the classical theory of oratory, which has five parts: inventio (the choice of

11508-422: The importance of preaching, and says that it belongs principally to bishops, and baptizing to priests, the latter of whom he regards as holding the place of the seventy disciples. There is a treatise entitled De arte et vero modo prædicandi attributed to him, but it is simply a compilation of his ideas about preaching that was made by another. Henry of Hesse is credited with a treatise, "De arte prædicandi", which

11645-420: The influence, in many respects, of Scholasticism, both as to matter and form. As to matter, a sermon may be either moral, dogmatic, historical, or liturgical—by moral and dogmatic it is meant that one element will predominate, without excluding the other. As to form, a discourse may be either formal, homily; or catechetical instruction. In a formal sermon, the influence of Scholasticism is most strikingly seen in

11782-503: The intellectual, and those of Massillon on the intellectual-emotional side, v. g. the latter's sermon on the Prodigal Son. Philosophy, indeed, is necessary for oratory; philosophy alone does not constitute oratory, and, if too one-sided, may have an injurious effect – "Logic, therefore, so much as is useful, is to be referred to this one place with all her well-couched heads and topics, until it be time to open her contracted palm into

11919-458: The introduction to his work "Geschichte der christlich. Beredsamkeit". The first to treat of the theory of preaching was John Chrysostom , in his work "On the Priesthood" ( peri Hierosynes ). Inasmuch as this contains only reflections on preaching, Augustine 's De doctrina christiana ( DDC ) might be regarded as the first manual on the subject; its first three books deal with collecting

12056-522: The late 2nd/early 1st centuries BCE, preserves a Greek text of Ezra and a part of Nehemiah distinctly different from that of Ezra–Nehemiah – in particular it eliminates Nehemiah from the story and gives some of his deeds to Ezra, as well as telling events in a different order. Scholars are divided on whether it is based on Ezra–Nehemiah, or reflects an earlier literary stage before the combination of Ezra and Nehemiah accounts. The first-century Jewish historian Josephus deals with Ezra in his Antiquities of

12193-442: The laws of God to any who did not know them. The Book of Ezra describes how he led a group of Judean exiles living in Babylon to their home city of Jerusalem where he is said to have enforced observance of the Torah. When Ezra discovered that Jewish men had been marrying foreign pagan women, he tore his garments in despair and confessed the sins of Israel before God, then braved the opposition of some of his countrymen to purify

12330-584: The majority in Hebrew , Ezra himself being skilled in both languages. According to the Hebrew Bible he was a descendant of Seraiah , the last High Priest to serve in Solomon's Temple , and a close relative of Joshua, the first High Priest of the Second Temple . He returned from Babylonian captivity and reintroduced the Torah in Jerusalem. According to 1 Esdras , a Greek translation of

12467-489: The manner, frequency, licensing, personnel and content of preaching accordingly. 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 are scripted while others are not. With

12604-445: The materials for preaching, "modus inveniendi quæ intelligenda sunt", and the last with the presentation thereof, "modus proferendi quæ intellecta sunt". He goes to Cicero for rules in the latter. He makes a distinction, in which he evidently follows Cicero, between sapientia (wisdom) and eloquentia (the best expression of it). Sapientia without eloquentia will do no good; neither will eloquentia without sapientia, and it may do harm;

12741-464: 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

12878-401: The mind in analysis and precision; while, at the same time, it supplied a lucidity of order and cogency of arrangement such as we look for in vain in even the great orations of Chrysostom. Philosophy regards man only as an intellectual being, without considering his emotions, and makes its appeal solely to his intellectual side. And, even in this appeal, philosophy, while, like algebra, speaking

13015-434: The more famous preachers who employed it were Charles Haddon Spurgeon , Charles Grandison Finney and Peter Cartwright . In informal usage, the word sermon is used in secular terms, usually disapprovingly, to refer to "a long talk in which someone advises other people how they should behave in order to be better people". Buddhism Christianity Judaism Islam Ezra Ezra ( fl. 480–440 BCE)

13152-817: The most famous Catholic sermons are St. Francis of Assisi 's Sermon to the Birds, St. Alphonsus Liguori 's Italian Sermons for all the Sundays in the year , St. Robert Bellarmine 's sermons during the counter-reformation period in Sermons from the Latins , the French The Sermons of the Curé of Ars by St. John Vianney and the Old English sermons of Ælfric of Eynsham . Khutbah ( Arabic : خطبة ) serves as

13289-461: The movement, corresponding to the Catholic ministerium . For example, Jesus' Sermon on the Mount is a missionary sermon. By contrast, his discourse after the Last Supper ( John 14–16 ) is ministerial. It cannot be said that Jesus' preaching took any definite, rounded form, in the sense of a modern sermon. His aim was to sow the seed of the word, which he scattered abroad, like the sower in

13426-434: The necessity of an organic structure. In the works of the two humanists, Johannes Reuchlin ( Liber congestorum de arte prædicandi ) and Desiderius Erasmus ( Ecclesiastes seu de ratione concionandi ), the return is marked to Cicero and Quintilian . A masterwork on the art of preaching is the "Rhetorica Sacra" (Lisbon, 1576) of Luis de Granada , for modern use rather old. The work shows an easy grasp of rhetoric, founded on

13563-597: The number the greatest was St. Chrysostom, the greatest since St. Paul, nor has he been since equalled. Even Gibbon , while not doing him justice, had to praise him; and his teacher of rhetoric, Libanius, is said to have intended John as his successor, "if the Christians had not taken him". It is a mistake, however, to imagine that they preached only oratorical sermons. Quite the contrary; St. Chrysostom's homilies were models of simplicity, and he frequently interrupted his discourse to put questions in order to make sure that he

13700-557: The other hand, it is distinct from many other forms of memorized 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. The style was popular in the late 19th century among Baptist ( Primitive Baptist especially), Methodist , Unitarian , and some Presbyterians preachers, such as Blackleach Burritt . Some of

13837-653: The pope, the most famous orator of the Roman Court considered that he could not better praise the Sacrifice of Calvary than by relating the self-devotion of Decius and the sacrifice of Iphigenia ." This period ended shortly thereafter, dying out in the Reformation and post-Reformation period. The Council of Trent recommended preachers to turn aside from polemics; it also pronounced that the primary duty of preaching devolved on bishops, unless they were hindered by

13974-424: The preacher, the sermon, the listeners. He lays stress on Scripture as the book of the preacher. Ulrich Surgant wrote a "Manuale Curatorum" (1508), in which he also recommends Scripture. His first book gives for material of preaching the usual order credenda, facienda, fugienda, timenda, appetenda and ends by saying: "Congrua materia prædicationis est Sacra Scriptura." He uses the figure of a tree in laying stress on

14111-552: The preacher. Carolus Regius deals in his "Orator Christianus" (1613) with the whole field of homiletics under the grouping: "De concionatore"; "De concione"; "De concionantis prudentiâ et industriâ". Much is to be found in the writings of Vincent de Paul , Alphonsus Liguori and Francis de Sales , especially in his celebrated letter to André Fremiot , Archbishop of Bourges . Among the Dominicans, Alexander Natalis wrote "Institutio concionantium tripartita" (Paris, 1702). In

14248-456: The primary formal occasion for public preaching in the Islamic tradition. In societies or communities with (for example) low literacy rates, strong habits of communal worship, and/or limited mass-media , the preaching of sermons throughout networks of congregations can have important informative and prescriptive propaganda functions for both civil and religious authorities—which may regulate

14385-489: The principles of Aristotle , Demetrius and Cicero. He treats the usual subjects of invention, arrangement, style and delivery in easy and polished Latin. Of the same class is Didacus Stella in his "Liberdemodo concionandi" (1576). Valerio , in Italy, also wrote on the art of preaching. Another landmark on preaching are the "Instructiones Pastorum" by Charles Borromeo (1538–84). At his request Valerio, Bishop of Verona , wrote

14522-463: The reign of Cyrus . According to another opinion, he did not join the first party so as not to compete, even involuntarily, with Joshua ben Jozadak for the office of High Priest of Israel . According to Jewish tradition, Ezra was the writer of the Books of Chronicles , and is the same prophet known also as Malachi. There is a slight controversy within rabbinic sources as to whether or not Ezra had served as High Priest of Israel . According to

14659-597: The resistance of leaders of nearby peoples against the works of Nememia must have been confused with events during the days of Zerubbabel. Mary Joan Winn Leith in The Oxford History of the Biblical World believes that Ezra was a historical figure whose life was enhanced in the scripture and given a theological buildup. Gosta W. Ahlstrom argues the inconsistencies of the biblical tradition are insufficient to say that Ezra, with his central position as

14796-482: The same synod, bishops who preached outside their own diocese were reduced to the status of priests, because being desirous of another's harvest they were indifferent to their own – "ut qui alienæ messis appetentes essent, suæ incuriosi". At the Council of Arles (813) , bishops were strongly exhorted to preach; and the Council of Mainz , in the same year, laid down that bishops should preach on Sundays and feast days either themselves ( suo marte ) or though their vicars. In

14933-473: The semi-religious, semi-philosophic style was beginning to grow tiresome, when Jacques-Marie-Louis Monsabré , a disciple of Lacordaire, set it aside, and confined himself to an explanation of the Creed; whereupon it was sententiously remarked that the bell had been ringing long enough, it was time for Mass to begin (cf. Boyle, "Irish Eccl. Rec.", May, 1909). As to preaching in the present day, we can clearly trace

15070-425: The sermons of his time. Trithemius quotes a work by Albertus Magnus , "De arte prædicandi", which is lost. Bonaventure wrote "De arte concionandi", in which he treats of divisio, distinctio, dilatatio , but deals extensively only with the first. Thomas Aquinas 's claim rests chiefly on the " Summa ", which, of course, has principally influenced preaching since, both in matter and form. He insists very strongly on

15207-476: The seventh year of the rule of Artaxerxes II, i.e. some 50 years after Nehemiah. This assumption would imply that the biblical account is not chronological. The last group of scholars regard "the seventh year" as a scribal error and hold that the two men were contemporaries. However, in Nehemiah 8, Nehemiah has Ezra read the Torah to the people. So, they clearly were contemporaries working together in Jerusalem at

15344-402: The strong similarity between the books of Malachi and Ezra, some Christian traditions adopt the Jewish view that Ezra was Malachi; Jerome was one prominent Christian who held this view. Early Christian writers occasionally cited Ezra as author of the apocalyptic books attributed to him. Clement of Alexandria in his Stromata referred to Ezra as an example of prophetic inspiration, quoting

15481-689: The subject and decision of the order), dispositio (the structure of the oration), elocutio (the arrangement of words and figure of speech), memoria (learning by heart), and pronuntiatio (the delivery). He constructed this theory in four parts: the basic principles of rhetoric ( DDC 4.1.1-4.56.10), a study on the rhetoric of Scriptural texts ( DDC 4.7.11-4.11.26), an analysis of styles ( DDC 4.12.27-4.21.50), and some peculiar rules of rhetoric for sermons ( DDC 4.22.51-4.31.64). The essential part of Book IV deals with three styles of sermons ( genera tenue / docere [to teach]; genera medium / delectare [to amuse]; genera grande / flectere [to persuade]), which

15618-457: 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 of the 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)." Among

15755-661: The subject, among others seminarians and those in diaconal formation, called the Homiletic Directory . The Directory was developed in response to a request made by participants in the Synod of Bishops held in 2008 on the Word of God, and in accordance with the instructions of Pope Benedict XVI . Practice preceded theory. Certain ideas are to be found in the Church Fathers, and these have been collected by Paniel in

15892-562: The temple , synagogues became central to Jewish worship and the role of the sermon increased. A regular structure arose: the speaker first quoted a verse from the Bible , then expounded on it, and finally closed with a summary and a prayer of praise. Sermons from highly regarded rabbis of this period have been preserved in the Midrash , forming part of the Talmud . Homiletics is taught as part of

16029-433: The third, the greatest searcher of hearts, the most like Chrysostom, and, taken all in all, the greatest of the three. We are told that Voltaire kept a copy of his Grand Carême on his table, side by side with the "Athalie" of Racine . In this age Chrysostom was the great model for imitation; but it was Chrysostom the orator, not Chrysostom the homilist. Their style, with its grand exordium and its sublime peroration, became

16166-404: The time of Pope Xystus III , in office 432-440) Thomassin's explanation of Sozomen's statement is that there was no preaching in the sense of an elaborate or finished discourse before the time of Pope Leo , with the exception, perhaps, of the address on virginity by Pope Liberius (in office 352-366) to Marcellina , sister of Ambrose , on the occasion of her taking the veil, which is regarded as

16303-560: The time the wall and the city of Jerusalem was rebuilt in contrast to the previously stated viewpoint. There is a much clearer problem with the timeline in the story in Ezra 4, that tells of a letter that was send to Artaxerces stopping the first attempt to rebuild the temple (which started during the reign of Cyrus and then restarting in the second year of Darius, in 521 BCE). Clearly no such letter could have been sent to Artaxerxes, as he only became king in 465 BCE, so apparently some events during

16440-489: The truths of the Gospel according to I Tim., iii, 16. He also recommended moderation in fighting heresy. The same was the view of Francis Borgia , whose contribution to homiletics is the small but practical work: "Libellus de ratione concionandi". Claudius Acquaviva , General of the Jesuits , wrote in 163, "Instructio pro superioribus". They were principally ascetic, and in them he regulated the spiritual training necessary for

16577-425: The twelfth century Guibert, Abbot of Nogent (died 1124), wrote a famous work on preaching entitled "Quo ordine sermo fieri debet". This is one of the historical landmarks in preaching. It is replete with judicious instruction; it recommends that preaching should be preceded by prayer; it says that it is more important to preach about morals than on faith, that for moral sermons the human heart must be studied, and that

16714-709: The typical curriculum at modern-day rabbinical seminaries. According to middle second-century writer Justin Martyr, the practice of the early church was for someone to read from the "Memoirs of the Apostles or the Writings of the Prophets", meaning readings from what was to become the Christian Bible . A discourse on the text followed the reading. This was the same practice as that of the synagogues , but now with

16851-612: The uneducated (Thomassin, "De Benef.", II, l. III, c. lxxxv, p. 510). Charlemagne and Louis the Pious were equally insistent on the necessity of preaching. The former went so far as to appoint a special day, and any bishop who failed to preach in his cathedral before that day was to be deposed. Pastors, too, were ordered to preach to their people as best they could; if they knew the Scriptures, they were to preach them; if not, they were at least to exhort their hearers to avoid evil and do good (Sixth Council of Arles, 813, can. x). According to

16988-530: The use of the lectionary for selecting texts for preaching, the Swiss Reformers, such as Ulrich Zwingli , Johannes Oecolampadius , and John 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

17125-404: The weight of their authority, and one of the greatest of all catechists was Charles Borromeo . There is the danger, however, from the very nature of the subject, of this form of preaching becoming too dry and purely didactic, a mere catechesis, or doctrinism, to the exclusion of the moral element and of Sacred Scripture. In recent days, organized missionary preaching to non-Catholics has received

17262-511: Was already a trained orator, as were many of his hearers, and it is no wonder, as Otto Bardenhewer expresses it, "he had to pay tribute to the taste of his own time which demanded a florid and grandiloquent style". But, at the same time, he condemned those preachers who used the eloquence and pronunciation of the theatre. The most notable preachers of the century, St. Basil and the two Gregories (the "Clover-leaf of Cappadocia"), Sts. Chrysostom, Ambrose, Augustine and Hilary, were all noted orators. Of

17399-562: Was an important Jewish scribe ( sofer ) and priest ( kohen ) in the early Second Temple period . In the Greek Septuagint , the name is rendered as Ésdrās ( Ἔσδρας ), from which the Latin name Esdras comes. His name is probably a shortened Aramaic translation of the Hebrew name עזריהו ‎ ( Azaryahu ), meaning " Yah helps". In the Hebrew Bible , or the Christian Old Testament , Ezra

17536-471: Was buried "in a magnificent manner in Jerusalem." If the tradition that Ezra wrote under the pen name Malachi is correct, then he was probably buried in the Tomb of the Prophets , the traditional resting place of Malachi , along with two other prophets from Ezra's lifetime, Haggai and Zechariah . However, according to archeological research, these tombs date from the 1 century BC. 1 Esdras , probably from

17673-584: Was by 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 many Protestant churches, the sermon came to replace the Eucharist as the central act of Christian worship (although some Protestants such as Lutherans give equal time to a sermon and the Eucharist in their Divine Service ). While Luther retained

17810-520: Was completed, Nehemiah had Ezra read the Torah to the assembled Israelites and the people and priests entered into a covenant to keep the law and separate themselves from all other peoples. Several traditions have developed over his place of burial. One tradition says that he is buried in Ezra's Tomb near Basra , Iraq while another tradition alleges that he is buried in Tadef near Aleppo in northern Syria . According to Josephus , Ezra died and

17947-544: Was given truly exalted status by the king: he was seemingly put in charge of the entire western half of the Persian Empire , a position apparently above even the level of the satraps (regional governors). Ezra was given vast hoards of treasure to take with him to Jerusalem as well as a letter where the king seemingly acknowledges the sovereignty of the God of Israel. Yet, his actions in the story do not appear to be that of someone with near unlimited government power, and

18084-404: Was influenced by Cicero’s Orator 1.3. Augustine stresses the importance of principle and discipline at the same time. Preachers need to practice again and again ( DDC 4.3.4) so that they can use these styles in any situation of preaching ( DDC 4.19.38). But they should pay attention to the priority of order. Continuous and diligent study of the Bible is more important than mere memorization, that

18221-524: Was one of the most interesting preachers at this time in Germany. Humbert of Romans, General superior of the Dominicans , in the second book of his work, "De eruditione prædicatorum", claims that he can teach "a way of promptly producing a sermon for any set of men, and for all variety of circumstances". Linsenmayer, in his history of preaching, gives information about Humbert, who was a severe critic of

18358-402: Was published in several editions beginning in 1770. The French preachers of the classical seventeenth-century period were, according to Voltaire , probably the greatest in pulpit oratory of all time. The best known were Bossuet , Bourdaloue , and Massillon ; Fénelon burnt his sermons. The first was considered to be the most majestic; the second, the most logical and intellectually compelling;

18495-444: Was regarded as the chief duty of bishops; for instance, Cæsarius, Bishop of Arles , gave charge of all the temporal affairs of his diocese to deacons, that he might devote all his time to the reading of the Scriptures, to prayer, and to preaching. The next great name in preaching is that of Gregory the Great , particularly as a homilist. He preached twenty homilies, and dictated twenty more, because, through illness and loss of voice, he

18632-503: Was unable to preach them personally. He urged bishops very strongly to preach; and, after holding up to them the example of the Apostles, he threatened the bishops of Sardinia. An edict was issued by King Guntram stating that the assistance of the public judges was to be used to bring to the hearing of the word of God, through fear of punishment, those who were not disposed to come through piety. The Synod of Trullo laid down that bishops should preach on all days, especially on Sundays; and, by

18769-427: Was understood; while St. Augustine's motto was that he humbled himself that Christ might be exalted. In passing we might refer to a strange feature of the time, the applause with which a preacher was greeted. St. Chrysostom especially had to make frequent appeals to his hearers to keep quiet. Bishops commonly preached outside their own dioceses, especially in the great cities; polished sermons were evidently in demand, and

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