Thomas H. Troeger
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- September 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780195398885
- eISBN:
- 9780199866236
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195398885.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
This book explores an issue at the nerve of the long-term health of all churches: how godly wonder can be reborn through renewed attention to the place of beauty in preaching and worship. The book ...
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This book explores an issue at the nerve of the long-term health of all churches: how godly wonder can be reborn through renewed attention to the place of beauty in preaching and worship. The book opens with an exploration of the theological and cultural difficulties of defining beauty. It traces the church’s historical ambivalence about beauty and art, and how in our own day the concept of beauty has been commercialized and degraded. Troeger develops a theologically informed aesthetic that provides a countercultural vision of beauty flowing from the love of God. The book then demonstrates how preachers can reclaim the place of beauty in preaching and worship. Chapter 2 employs the concept of midrash to mine the history of congregational song as a resource for sermons. Chapter 3 introduces methods from musicology for creating sermons on instrumental and choral works and for integrating word and music more effectively. Chapter 4 explores how the close relationship between poetry and prayer can stir the homiletical imagination. Each of these chapters includes a selection of the author’s sermons illustrating how preachers can use these varied art forms to open a congregation to the beauty of God. A final chapter recounts the responses of congregation members to whom the sermons were delivered. It uses the insights gained from those experiences to affirm how the human heart hungers for a vision of wonder and beauty that empowers people to live more faithfully in the world.Less
This book explores an issue at the nerve of the long-term health of all churches: how godly wonder can be reborn through renewed attention to the place of beauty in preaching and worship. The book opens with an exploration of the theological and cultural difficulties of defining beauty. It traces the church’s historical ambivalence about beauty and art, and how in our own day the concept of beauty has been commercialized and degraded. Troeger develops a theologically informed aesthetic that provides a countercultural vision of beauty flowing from the love of God. The book then demonstrates how preachers can reclaim the place of beauty in preaching and worship. Chapter 2 employs the concept of midrash to mine the history of congregational song as a resource for sermons. Chapter 3 introduces methods from musicology for creating sermons on instrumental and choral works and for integrating word and music more effectively. Chapter 4 explores how the close relationship between poetry and prayer can stir the homiletical imagination. Each of these chapters includes a selection of the author’s sermons illustrating how preachers can use these varied art forms to open a congregation to the beauty of God. A final chapter recounts the responses of congregation members to whom the sermons were delivered. It uses the insights gained from those experiences to affirm how the human heart hungers for a vision of wonder and beauty that empowers people to live more faithfully in the world.
Charles Wesley
Kenneth G. C. Newport (ed.)
- Published in print:
- 2001
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780198269496
- eISBN:
- 9780191600807
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0198269498.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Literature
Charles Wesley was a man with real hymnographic genius, and not surprisingly it is chiefly for his poetic legacy that he is remembered. However, he was much more than just a hymn‐writer, and along ...
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Charles Wesley was a man with real hymnographic genius, and not surprisingly it is chiefly for his poetic legacy that he is remembered. However, he was much more than just a hymn‐writer, and along with his brother John, played a huge part in the birth and early growth of Methodism. To enable him to be assessed at his proper worth, major scholarship is required to bring all his prose works before a wider audience. Only twenty‐three sermons survive of the thousands he preached in his long life as a travelling evangelist, and as a more settled preacher. This volume collects together all these sermons, and presents a detailed text‐critical reading of them, with notes and indexes—including an index of the scripture quotations and allusions with which Wesley's work was totally saturated.There are four substantial introductory chapters, together making up a quarter of the book (90 pages out of 390). The first three examine in some depth the issues of Wesley and early Methodism; his preaching; and the theological characteristics and use of sources in his sermons. The fourth scrutinizes the sermon corpus in detail, considering the provenance and history of each of the twenty‐three sermons.Less
Charles Wesley was a man with real hymnographic genius, and not surprisingly it is chiefly for his poetic legacy that he is remembered. However, he was much more than just a hymn‐writer, and along with his brother John, played a huge part in the birth and early growth of Methodism. To enable him to be assessed at his proper worth, major scholarship is required to bring all his prose works before a wider audience. Only twenty‐three sermons survive of the thousands he preached in his long life as a travelling evangelist, and as a more settled preacher. This volume collects together all these sermons, and presents a detailed text‐critical reading of them, with notes and indexes—including an index of the scripture quotations and allusions with which Wesley's work was totally saturated.
There are four substantial introductory chapters, together making up a quarter of the book (90 pages out of 390). The first three examine in some depth the issues of Wesley and early Methodism; his preaching; and the theological characteristics and use of sources in his sermons. The fourth scrutinizes the sermon corpus in detail, considering the provenance and history of each of the twenty‐three sermons.
David D'Avray (ed.)
- Published in print:
- 2001
- Published Online:
- January 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780198208143
- eISBN:
- 9780191716522
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198208143.001.0001
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Medieval History
Before the advent of printing, the preaching of the friars was the mass medium of the middle ages. This edition of marriage sermons reveals what a number of famous preachers actually taught about ...
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Before the advent of printing, the preaching of the friars was the mass medium of the middle ages. This edition of marriage sermons reveals what a number of famous preachers actually taught about marriage, teasing out the close connection between marriage symbolism and social, cultural, and legal realities in the 13th century. The relation between genre, content, and gender is analysed, with particular attention to the likely impact of preaching, viewed as a means of intellectual power in competition with vernacular genres and other social forces. Its mass diffusion anticipated printing, but the means of production were those of the monastic scriptorium. The textual criticism and palaeographical analysis of these sermons undermine central assumptions of both medieval and early modern historians of the book, establishing a technique of textual criticism appropriate for texts of this kind. A pragmatic compromise between simple transcriptions which ignore stemmatic relation and full-scale editions attempting to fit all manuscripts into a genealogical table, this book addresses both the sermon literature of the period and the understanding of marriage and its religious and cultural significance in the middle ages.Less
Before the advent of printing, the preaching of the friars was the mass medium of the middle ages. This edition of marriage sermons reveals what a number of famous preachers actually taught about marriage, teasing out the close connection between marriage symbolism and social, cultural, and legal realities in the 13th century. The relation between genre, content, and gender is analysed, with particular attention to the likely impact of preaching, viewed as a means of intellectual power in competition with vernacular genres and other social forces. Its mass diffusion anticipated printing, but the means of production were those of the monastic scriptorium. The textual criticism and palaeographical analysis of these sermons undermine central assumptions of both medieval and early modern historians of the book, establishing a technique of textual criticism appropriate for texts of this kind. A pragmatic compromise between simple transcriptions which ignore stemmatic relation and full-scale editions attempting to fit all manuscripts into a genealogical table, this book addresses both the sermon literature of the period and the understanding of marriage and its religious and cultural significance in the middle ages.
Bruce L. McCormack
- Published in print:
- 1997
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780198269564
- eISBN:
- 9780191600678
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0198269560.003.0002
- Subject:
- Religion, Theology
This section presents several lines from a sermon by Karl Barth dated December 28, 1913.
This section presents several lines from a sermon by Karl Barth dated December 28, 1913.
Geoffrey Rowell
- Published in print:
- 1991
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198263326
- eISBN:
- 9780191682476
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198263326.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Church History, History of Christianity
The year 1983 marked the 150th anniversary of John Keble's Assize Sermon, a sermon which Newman recognized as the beginning of the Oxford Movement. The religious revival which it signalled, though ...
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The year 1983 marked the 150th anniversary of John Keble's Assize Sermon, a sermon which Newman recognized as the beginning of the Oxford Movement. The religious revival which it signalled, though originating in a particular political challenge to the Church of England, was far-reaching in its effect. The continuity and catholic identity of Anglicanism was powerfully affirmed; sacramental worship was restored to a central place in Anglican devotion; religious orders were revived; and both in the mission field and in the slums, devoted priests laboured with new vigour and a new sense of the Church. This study of some of the major themes and personalities of the Catholic revival in Anglicanism highlights some of these aspects, and in particular, points to the close relationship between theology and sacramental spirituality which was at the heart of the movement. To recognize this central characteristic of the revival can contribute much, the book states, to the renewal of the Catholic tradition in Anglicanism today.Less
The year 1983 marked the 150th anniversary of John Keble's Assize Sermon, a sermon which Newman recognized as the beginning of the Oxford Movement. The religious revival which it signalled, though originating in a particular political challenge to the Church of England, was far-reaching in its effect. The continuity and catholic identity of Anglicanism was powerfully affirmed; sacramental worship was restored to a central place in Anglican devotion; religious orders were revived; and both in the mission field and in the slums, devoted priests laboured with new vigour and a new sense of the Church. This study of some of the major themes and personalities of the Catholic revival in Anglicanism highlights some of these aspects, and in particular, points to the close relationship between theology and sacramental spirituality which was at the heart of the movement. To recognize this central characteristic of the revival can contribute much, the book states, to the renewal of the Catholic tradition in Anglicanism today.
Ian Bostridge
- Published in print:
- 1997
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198206538
- eISBN:
- 9780191677205
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198206538.003.0001
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Early Modern History, Social History
This introductory chapter sets out the objective of this book, which is to explain how belief in witchcraft in England moved from the 17th century respectability of sermons and treatises to 19th ...
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This introductory chapter sets out the objective of this book, which is to explain how belief in witchcraft in England moved from the 17th century respectability of sermons and treatises to 19th century embarrassment. This book suggests that witchcraft theory had a serious constituency well beyond 1700 and that the reasons for its loss of credibility were at least partly partly. It argues that witchcraft cantered on the notion of a covenant with the Devil to do harm to others.Less
This introductory chapter sets out the objective of this book, which is to explain how belief in witchcraft in England moved from the 17th century respectability of sermons and treatises to 19th century embarrassment. This book suggests that witchcraft theory had a serious constituency well beyond 1700 and that the reasons for its loss of credibility were at least partly partly. It argues that witchcraft cantered on the notion of a covenant with the Devil to do harm to others.
Nicholas Lossky
- Published in print:
- 1991
- Published Online:
- September 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198261858
- eISBN:
- 9780191682223
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198261858.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, History of Christianity
A champion for Anglican cause for his rejection of doctrine of transubstantiation and the Calvanist doctrine of predestination, Lancelot Andrewes was hailed by T. S. Eliot as one of the Fathers of ...
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A champion for Anglican cause for his rejection of doctrine of transubstantiation and the Calvanist doctrine of predestination, Lancelot Andrewes was hailed by T. S. Eliot as one of the Fathers of the Church of England. His sermons were dubbed by Eliot as ‘one of the finest English prose of their time’. A bishop in a period that spans four monarchic ruling, Lancelot Andrewes was a witness to the Church of the early centuries and the Reformation Era. This book probes on Lancelot Andrewes, who is one of the significant figures in the history of Christian theology and spirituality. It aims to look at the theological meditations of Lancelot Andrewes to discover the controversies of the Reformation Era, the relationship of theology and the life of prayer and the relationship between the East and West Christendom. In this book, the sermons of Andrewes from 1500s to the 1600s are examined to determine his thoughts and theological perspective. Relatively unpopular today, the book includes long citations of Andrewes's sermons that offer glimpses of his thought and his theology.Less
A champion for Anglican cause for his rejection of doctrine of transubstantiation and the Calvanist doctrine of predestination, Lancelot Andrewes was hailed by T. S. Eliot as one of the Fathers of the Church of England. His sermons were dubbed by Eliot as ‘one of the finest English prose of their time’. A bishop in a period that spans four monarchic ruling, Lancelot Andrewes was a witness to the Church of the early centuries and the Reformation Era. This book probes on Lancelot Andrewes, who is one of the significant figures in the history of Christian theology and spirituality. It aims to look at the theological meditations of Lancelot Andrewes to discover the controversies of the Reformation Era, the relationship of theology and the life of prayer and the relationship between the East and West Christendom. In this book, the sermons of Andrewes from 1500s to the 1600s are examined to determine his thoughts and theological perspective. Relatively unpopular today, the book includes long citations of Andrewes's sermons that offer glimpses of his thought and his theology.
Amy Nelson Burnett
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- September 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780195305760
- eISBN:
- 9780199784912
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195305760.003.0002
- Subject:
- Religion, History of Christianity
This chapter surveys Basel’s official theology established in the decade after the Reformation, as embodied in the Basel Confession of 1534, the catechism written by Johannes Oecolampadius and ...
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This chapter surveys Basel’s official theology established in the decade after the Reformation, as embodied in the Basel Confession of 1534, the catechism written by Johannes Oecolampadius and modified by Oswald Myconius, and the new Reformed liturgies. All of these proclaimed a general evangelical faith stressing the authority of Scripture alone, the deliberate rejection of Catholic beliefs and practices, and emphasis on high standards of moral behavior. After examining both printed sermons and reports of preaching, it concludes that religious instruction in the three decades was neither systematic nor uniformly imposed on Basel’s subjects.Less
This chapter surveys Basel’s official theology established in the decade after the Reformation, as embodied in the Basel Confession of 1534, the catechism written by Johannes Oecolampadius and modified by Oswald Myconius, and the new Reformed liturgies. All of these proclaimed a general evangelical faith stressing the authority of Scripture alone, the deliberate rejection of Catholic beliefs and practices, and emphasis on high standards of moral behavior. After examining both printed sermons and reports of preaching, it concludes that religious instruction in the three decades was neither systematic nor uniformly imposed on Basel’s subjects.
Amy Nelson Burnett
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- September 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780195305760
- eISBN:
- 9780199784912
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195305760.003.0007
- Subject:
- Religion, History of Christianity
The humanist disciplines of dialectic and rhetoric were the foundation of Protestant homiletics. Early Lutheran homileticists adapted the principles of classical rhetoric to develop a new, topical ...
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The humanist disciplines of dialectic and rhetoric were the foundation of Protestant homiletics. Early Lutheran homileticists adapted the principles of classical rhetoric to develop a new, topical method of preaching. Reformed homileticists at the end of the century emphasized exegetical, rather than topical, sermons. Their homiletics texts were strongly influenced by Ramism, both in the organization of their works and in their recommendations for beginning preachers. Attendance at preaching services was fundamental to homiletic instruction in Basel; future pastors were expected to use their knowledge of classical rhetoric to analyze preached and written sermons. The theology professor Amandus Polanus wrote a strongly Ramist homiletics text that was later abridged by his student and successor, Johann Georg Gross.Less
The humanist disciplines of dialectic and rhetoric were the foundation of Protestant homiletics. Early Lutheran homileticists adapted the principles of classical rhetoric to develop a new, topical method of preaching. Reformed homileticists at the end of the century emphasized exegetical, rather than topical, sermons. Their homiletics texts were strongly influenced by Ramism, both in the organization of their works and in their recommendations for beginning preachers. Attendance at preaching services was fundamental to homiletic instruction in Basel; future pastors were expected to use their knowledge of classical rhetoric to analyze preached and written sermons. The theology professor Amandus Polanus wrote a strongly Ramist homiletics text that was later abridged by his student and successor, Johann Georg Gross.
Amy Nelson Burnett
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- September 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780195305760
- eISBN:
- 9780199784912
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195305760.003.0008
- Subject:
- Religion, History of Christianity
An analysis of sermons by three generations of preachers illustrates the evolution of preaching in Basel. While sermons from the 1560s were primarily exegetical homilies explicating the scriptural ...
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An analysis of sermons by three generations of preachers illustrates the evolution of preaching in Basel. While sermons from the 1560s were primarily exegetical homilies explicating the scriptural text, sermons from the 1570s and 1580s show the gradual acceptance of topical preaching in the city. The topical sermons of Johann Jacob Grynaeus combine Christocentric piety with attention to key Reformed doctrines, especially concerning the Lord’s Supper. The sermons of his contemporary, Johann Jacob Gugger, are more expository and popular. The extant sermon schemata of the next generation are strongly influenced by Ramism. They proceed by dichotomies and emphasize Reformed Orthodoxy rather than experiential piety.Less
An analysis of sermons by three generations of preachers illustrates the evolution of preaching in Basel. While sermons from the 1560s were primarily exegetical homilies explicating the scriptural text, sermons from the 1570s and 1580s show the gradual acceptance of topical preaching in the city. The topical sermons of Johann Jacob Grynaeus combine Christocentric piety with attention to key Reformed doctrines, especially concerning the Lord’s Supper. The sermons of his contemporary, Johann Jacob Gugger, are more expository and popular. The extant sermon schemata of the next generation are strongly influenced by Ramism. They proceed by dichotomies and emphasize Reformed Orthodoxy rather than experiential piety.
Andrew R. Murphy
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- January 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780195321289
- eISBN:
- 9780199869855
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195321289.003.0002
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
This chapter provides an in‐depth exploration of the jeremiad in second‐generation New England (c.1660–1685). Delivered primarily in the form of election or fast day sermons, the New England jeremiad ...
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This chapter provides an in‐depth exploration of the jeremiad in second‐generation New England (c.1660–1685). Delivered primarily in the form of election or fast day sermons, the New England jeremiad decried the community's falling‐away from its godly origins, praised the colonies' founders and founding generation, and called for repentance and reformation. The New England jeremiad's lamentation of decline appeared hand in hand with parallels between New England settlers and the ancient Israelites, reinforcing the community's sense of chosenness. The jeremiad was used by clergy and magistrates in New England as a form of social control, but performed this function not merely by suppressing dissent but by offering early New Englanders a vision of their community as singularly blessed by God. The jeremiad did not fade away after the seventeenth century, but continued into the Revolutionary and early national periods as a central part of American politics and culture.Less
This chapter provides an in‐depth exploration of the jeremiad in second‐generation New England (c.1660–1685). Delivered primarily in the form of election or fast day sermons, the New England jeremiad decried the community's falling‐away from its godly origins, praised the colonies' founders and founding generation, and called for repentance and reformation. The New England jeremiad's lamentation of decline appeared hand in hand with parallels between New England settlers and the ancient Israelites, reinforcing the community's sense of chosenness. The jeremiad was used by clergy and magistrates in New England as a form of social control, but performed this function not merely by suppressing dissent but by offering early New Englanders a vision of their community as singularly blessed by God. The jeremiad did not fade away after the seventeenth century, but continued into the Revolutionary and early national periods as a central part of American politics and culture.
Nicholas Lossky
- Published in print:
- 1991
- Published Online:
- September 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198261858
- eISBN:
- 9780191682223
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198261858.003.0003
- Subject:
- Religion, History of Christianity
This chapter focuses on Lancelot Andrewes's preaching of the liturgical character. Inspired by his fidelity to the Church and his own personal dedication to being in communion with the Catholic ...
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This chapter focuses on Lancelot Andrewes's preaching of the liturgical character. Inspired by his fidelity to the Church and his own personal dedication to being in communion with the Catholic Church at all times and in all places, Andrewes compiled a collection of prayers that represented the prayers of the Church and reflected his own personal life. His prayers were deeply rooted in his experience and at the same time were ecclesial in nature. Like his prayers, Andrewes's sermons were not individualistic; rather they were expressions of communal faith marked by traditional forms of liturgy. In all his sermons, Lancelot Andrewes sought above all to awaken the English Church of his time to the spiritual experience that was his. Devoid of pedantry and with an unusual sense of pedagogy, Andrewes placed all his learning at the service of attaining the end which was to convert his hearers to the experience of God in the rectitude of the lex credendi.Less
This chapter focuses on Lancelot Andrewes's preaching of the liturgical character. Inspired by his fidelity to the Church and his own personal dedication to being in communion with the Catholic Church at all times and in all places, Andrewes compiled a collection of prayers that represented the prayers of the Church and reflected his own personal life. His prayers were deeply rooted in his experience and at the same time were ecclesial in nature. Like his prayers, Andrewes's sermons were not individualistic; rather they were expressions of communal faith marked by traditional forms of liturgy. In all his sermons, Lancelot Andrewes sought above all to awaken the English Church of his time to the spiritual experience that was his. Devoid of pedantry and with an unusual sense of pedagogy, Andrewes placed all his learning at the service of attaining the end which was to convert his hearers to the experience of God in the rectitude of the lex credendi.
David Albert Jones
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780199213009
- eISBN:
- 9780191707179
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199213009.003.0009
- Subject:
- Religion, Church History
This chapter investigates the third key role of clergy: to teach and deepen people's knowledge about the Christian faith. It explores the evidence for the clergy's activity in instructing children in ...
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This chapter investigates the third key role of clergy: to teach and deepen people's knowledge about the Christian faith. It explores the evidence for the clergy's activity in instructing children in the Christian faith by means of catechizing, and in promoting and managing charity schools, Sunday schools and, in the early 19th century — National Schools. It also considers the evidence for their teaching adults by means of distributing tracts, establishing parochial libraries, and preaching sermons. The evidence of the approach of parish clergy to preaching is examined.Less
This chapter investigates the third key role of clergy: to teach and deepen people's knowledge about the Christian faith. It explores the evidence for the clergy's activity in instructing children in the Christian faith by means of catechizing, and in promoting and managing charity schools, Sunday schools and, in the early 19th century — National Schools. It also considers the evidence for their teaching adults by means of distributing tracts, establishing parochial libraries, and preaching sermons. The evidence of the approach of parish clergy to preaching is examined.
H. Leith Spencer
- Published in print:
- 1993
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198112037
- eISBN:
- 9780191670664
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198112037.003.0007
- Subject:
- Literature, Early and Medieval Literature
This chapter discusses the compilation and dissemination of medieval sermon manuscripts. It also describes the widespread vernacular borrowing from pre-existing sermons and treatises, and the ...
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This chapter discusses the compilation and dissemination of medieval sermon manuscripts. It also describes the widespread vernacular borrowing from pre-existing sermons and treatises, and the compilers' hunt for suitable material which led them to the vast reservoir of Latin texts. The organization and layout of Latin academic texts seem to have provided a model for the more ambitious and academic vernacular productions. The Wycliffite Sermons, Filius matris, Festial, Wycliffite derivatives, and Lollard sermons all suggest academic origins.Less
This chapter discusses the compilation and dissemination of medieval sermon manuscripts. It also describes the widespread vernacular borrowing from pre-existing sermons and treatises, and the compilers' hunt for suitable material which led them to the vast reservoir of Latin texts. The organization and layout of Latin academic texts seem to have provided a model for the more ambitious and academic vernacular productions. The Wycliffite Sermons, Filius matris, Festial, Wycliffite derivatives, and Lollard sermons all suggest academic origins.
Susan Karant-Nunn
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- May 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780195399738
- eISBN:
- 9780199777198
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195399738.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, History of Christianity, Religion and Society
The Reformation of Feeling looks beyond and beneath the formal doctrinal and moral demands of the Reformation in Germany in order to examine the emotional tenor of the programs that the ...
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The Reformation of Feeling looks beyond and beneath the formal doctrinal and moral demands of the Reformation in Germany in order to examine the emotional tenor of the programs that the emerging creeds—revised Catholicism, Lutheranism, and Calvinism/Reformed theology—developed for their members. As revealed by the surviving sermons from this period, preaching clergy of each faith both explicitly and implicitly provided their listeners with distinct models of a mood to be cultivated. To encourage their parishioners to make an emotional investment in their faith, all three drew upon rhetorical elements that were already present in late medieval Catholicism and elevated them into confessional touchstones. Looking at archival materials containing direct references to feeling, this book focuses on treatments of death and sermons on the Passion. It amplifies these sources with considerations of the decorative, liturgical, musical, and disciplinary changes that ecclesiastical leaders introduced during the period from the late fifteenth to the end of the sventeenth century. Within individual sermons, it also examines topical elements—including Jews at the crucifixion, the Virgin Mary's voluminous weeping below the Cross, and struggles against competing denominations—which were intended to arouse particular kinds of sentiment. Finally, it discusses surviving testimony from the laity in order to assess at least some Christians' reception of these lessons on proper devotional feeling. This book presents a cultural rather than theological or behavioral study of the broader movement to remake Christianity. As it demonstrates, in the eyes of the Reformation's formative personalities, strict adherence to doctrine and upright demeanor did not constitute an adequate piety. The truly devout had to engage their hearts in their faith.Less
The Reformation of Feeling looks beyond and beneath the formal doctrinal and moral demands of the Reformation in Germany in order to examine the emotional tenor of the programs that the emerging creeds—revised Catholicism, Lutheranism, and Calvinism/Reformed theology—developed for their members. As revealed by the surviving sermons from this period, preaching clergy of each faith both explicitly and implicitly provided their listeners with distinct models of a mood to be cultivated. To encourage their parishioners to make an emotional investment in their faith, all three drew upon rhetorical elements that were already present in late medieval Catholicism and elevated them into confessional touchstones. Looking at archival materials containing direct references to feeling, this book focuses on treatments of death and sermons on the Passion. It amplifies these sources with considerations of the decorative, liturgical, musical, and disciplinary changes that ecclesiastical leaders introduced during the period from the late fifteenth to the end of the sventeenth century. Within individual sermons, it also examines topical elements—including Jews at the crucifixion, the Virgin Mary's voluminous weeping below the Cross, and struggles against competing denominations—which were intended to arouse particular kinds of sentiment. Finally, it discusses surviving testimony from the laity in order to assess at least some Christians' reception of these lessons on proper devotional feeling. This book presents a cultural rather than theological or behavioral study of the broader movement to remake Christianity. As it demonstrates, in the eyes of the Reformation's formative personalities, strict adherence to doctrine and upright demeanor did not constitute an adequate piety. The truly devout had to engage their hearts in their faith.
Grant Hardy
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- May 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199731701
- eISBN:
- 9780199777167
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199731701.003.0007
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Literature, World Religions
The story of Jesus’ post-resurrection appearance in the New World is the climax of the Book of Mormon, but in some ways it is disappointing. It doesn’t fit well into the larger narrative and Jesus’ ...
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The story of Jesus’ post-resurrection appearance in the New World is the climax of the Book of Mormon, but in some ways it is disappointing. It doesn’t fit well into the larger narrative and Jesus’ words consist, in large measure, of lengthy quotations from Isaiah, Micah, and the Sermon on the Mount. When examined from the perspective of the narrator, however, several key themes emerge. In Mormon's account, the issue of prophecy and fulfillment comes to the forefront, in both Samuel the Lamanite's predictions of the birth and death of Christ, and also in Jesus’ own prophecies concerning the destiny of the House of Israel and the fulfillment of the Law of Moses. The general flow of the narrative is punctuated by four significant editorial interruptions, and with the last of these, Mormon himself undergoes a literary transformation from historian to prophet.Less
The story of Jesus’ post-resurrection appearance in the New World is the climax of the Book of Mormon, but in some ways it is disappointing. It doesn’t fit well into the larger narrative and Jesus’ words consist, in large measure, of lengthy quotations from Isaiah, Micah, and the Sermon on the Mount. When examined from the perspective of the narrator, however, several key themes emerge. In Mormon's account, the issue of prophecy and fulfillment comes to the forefront, in both Samuel the Lamanite's predictions of the birth and death of Christ, and also in Jesus’ own prophecies concerning the destiny of the House of Israel and the fulfillment of the Law of Moses. The general flow of the narrative is punctuated by four significant editorial interruptions, and with the last of these, Mormon himself undergoes a literary transformation from historian to prophet.
Mario Poceski
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- January 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780195304671
- eISBN:
- 9780199866861
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195304671.003.0003
- Subject:
- Religion, Buddhism
Chapter 2 describes a ritual tradition that clearly goes back to the beginnings of Zen. These ritual occasions, sometimes daily and at other times less frequent, brought the entire assembly of monks ...
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Chapter 2 describes a ritual tradition that clearly goes back to the beginnings of Zen. These ritual occasions, sometimes daily and at other times less frequent, brought the entire assembly of monks together in a formal ceremony in which the abbot of the monastery would present a sermon on Zen doctrine or practice. Although these were the occasions most often valorized as expressions of the Zen master's spontaneity, in fact these sermons follow highly stylized and scripted patterns of Zen thought. Only certain doctrines and formats of delivery were appropriate for these sermons, and even the greatest of the early Zen masters rarely diverged from the “pre‐existing templates” that were bequeathed to them by their predecessors. Although the talks would sometimes involve transgressions or critiques of the ritual order, in fact they validated and maintained that order by carefully setting their remarks within the all‐encompassing sphere of Zen ritual.Less
Chapter 2 describes a ritual tradition that clearly goes back to the beginnings of Zen. These ritual occasions, sometimes daily and at other times less frequent, brought the entire assembly of monks together in a formal ceremony in which the abbot of the monastery would present a sermon on Zen doctrine or practice. Although these were the occasions most often valorized as expressions of the Zen master's spontaneity, in fact these sermons follow highly stylized and scripted patterns of Zen thought. Only certain doctrines and formats of delivery were appropriate for these sermons, and even the greatest of the early Zen masters rarely diverged from the “pre‐existing templates” that were bequeathed to them by their predecessors. Although the talks would sometimes involve transgressions or critiques of the ritual order, in fact they validated and maintained that order by carefully setting their remarks within the all‐encompassing sphere of Zen ritual.
Stephen Murray
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780520238473
- eISBN:
- 9780520930070
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520238473.001.0001
- Subject:
- History, European Medieval History
In this book, the author seizes a rare opportunity to explore the relationship between verbal and visual culture by presenting a sermon that may have been preached during the second half of the ...
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In this book, the author seizes a rare opportunity to explore the relationship between verbal and visual culture by presenting a sermon that may have been preached during the second half of the thirteenth century in or near the cathedral of Notre-Dame of Amiens, whose sculptural program was completed at about the same time. In addition to providing a complete transcription and translation of the text, he examines the historical context of the sermon and draws comparisons between its underlying structure and the Gothic portals of the cathedral. In the sermon, as in the cathedral, the author finds a powerful motivational mechanism that invites the repentant sinner to enter into a new contract with the Virgin Mary. The correlation between elements of the sermon's text and the sculptural components of the cathedral leads to an exploration of the socioeconomic conditions in Picardy at the time and a vivid sketch of how the cathedral and its images were used by ordinary people. The author finds parallels in the rhetorical tools used in the sermon, on the one hand, and stylistic and compositional tools used in the sculpture, on the other. In addition to providing a fascinating and cogent consideration of medieval beliefs about salvation and redemption, the book also lays the groundwork for a long-overdue examination of the performative and textual in relationship to sculpture.Less
In this book, the author seizes a rare opportunity to explore the relationship between verbal and visual culture by presenting a sermon that may have been preached during the second half of the thirteenth century in or near the cathedral of Notre-Dame of Amiens, whose sculptural program was completed at about the same time. In addition to providing a complete transcription and translation of the text, he examines the historical context of the sermon and draws comparisons between its underlying structure and the Gothic portals of the cathedral. In the sermon, as in the cathedral, the author finds a powerful motivational mechanism that invites the repentant sinner to enter into a new contract with the Virgin Mary. The correlation between elements of the sermon's text and the sculptural components of the cathedral leads to an exploration of the socioeconomic conditions in Picardy at the time and a vivid sketch of how the cathedral and its images were used by ordinary people. The author finds parallels in the rhetorical tools used in the sermon, on the one hand, and stylistic and compositional tools used in the sculpture, on the other. In addition to providing a fascinating and cogent consideration of medieval beliefs about salvation and redemption, the book also lays the groundwork for a long-overdue examination of the performative and textual in relationship to sculpture.
David Brown
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- May 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780199231836
- eISBN:
- 9780191716201
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199231836.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Theology
This book uses the way in which poetry and drama have in the past opened people to the possibility of religious experience as a launching pad for advocating less wooden approaches to Christian ...
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This book uses the way in which poetry and drama have in the past opened people to the possibility of religious experience as a launching pad for advocating less wooden approaches to Christian worship today. So far from encouraging imagination and exploration, hymns and sermons now more commonly merely consolidate belief. Again, contemporary liturgy in both its music and its ceremonial fails to take seriously either current dramatic theory or the sociology of ritual. Yet this was not always so. Poetry and drama, the book suggests, grew out of religion, and therefore, the book proposes, creative potential needs to be rediscovered by religion.Less
This book uses the way in which poetry and drama have in the past opened people to the possibility of religious experience as a launching pad for advocating less wooden approaches to Christian worship today. So far from encouraging imagination and exploration, hymns and sermons now more commonly merely consolidate belief. Again, contemporary liturgy in both its music and its ceremonial fails to take seriously either current dramatic theory or the sociology of ritual. Yet this was not always so. Poetry and drama, the book suggests, grew out of religion, and therefore, the book proposes, creative potential needs to be rediscovered by religion.
Susan C. Karant-Nunn
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- May 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780195399738
- eISBN:
- 9780199777198
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195399738.003.0000
- Subject:
- Religion, History of Christianity, Religion and Society
This introductory chapter begins with a brief discussion of the rationale behind the writing of this volume about the Reformation in Germany and its emotional dimensions. It explains the author's ...
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This introductory chapter begins with a brief discussion of the rationale behind the writing of this volume about the Reformation in Germany and its emotional dimensions. It explains the author's decision to focus the study on religious sermons, in particular, two core subgenres: Passion sermons and those about dying and death. The chapter then discusses religious feeling before the Reformation, and the methodological problems confronting the scholar who attempts to draw conclusions about patterns in both acts and moods of reformation from piecemeal evidence.Less
This introductory chapter begins with a brief discussion of the rationale behind the writing of this volume about the Reformation in Germany and its emotional dimensions. It explains the author's decision to focus the study on religious sermons, in particular, two core subgenres: Passion sermons and those about dying and death. The chapter then discusses religious feeling before the Reformation, and the methodological problems confronting the scholar who attempts to draw conclusions about patterns in both acts and moods of reformation from piecemeal evidence.
