INTRODUCTION AND ALIGNMENT This exercise attempts to examine a figure from pre-reformation history, anyone post 1st century, and prior to Martin Luther. Upon completion of this assignment you should be able to: Examine a figure from pre-reformation history. RESOURCES: Any scholarly evangelical historical theology or church history text BACKGROUND INFORMATION A Homily is an instructive address – from the Greek homilein – meaning conversation, discourse, to consort with, address. Homilies were the main tools used for the 1st 100 years after Christ. This era saw the preaching ministry of people like: 100-150 AD: Ignatius, Polycarp 230 AD: Origen, who changed the homily to a catechism- teaching, instruction Chrysostom, Augustine- these added rhetoric, and forms of speech Thus, while people like Origen stressed teaching and instruction (what to say), it was those like Chrysostom and Augustine who stressed forms of speech (how to say it). The student of preaching does well to keep an eye toward both catechism and rhetoric. At some point beyond the 2nd century, Latin approach to the homily began to be felt. Tertullian began to accommodate the mass, hence the homily began to be abbreviated – the centerpiece was communion, not preaching. This was to have negative consequences on preaching, and the Church in general. It was the monks who kept preaching alive during this period. For guidance and inspiration, they were reading the sermons of Tertullian, Augustine, Chrysostom, and Polycarp. INSTRUCTIONS 1. In this exercise, you will do a brief study of the life of a preacher during the preformation era, prior to Martin Luther. You will want to examine the following: a. Around what historical event does their name surface? b. What was their general emphases in preaching- were they teaching doctrine, combating heresy, or something else? c. What was it about their preaching that caused them to be effective? d. What was it about their preaching that caused them to be less effective? e. Lastly, what characteristics in this person’s preaching do you want to import into your own preaching? 2. Answer these questions, adding any other material you feel is germane, in a 1-2 page document. 3. Submit Word document
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