Preaching and the Imagination: Thesis Research

Response: “Alan Potter (2014) wrote that John MacArthur warned us that if we lose the biblical foundation while preaching this will lead to the decline of preaching which will contribute to the weakness and worldliness of the church, so for a church to be spiritual healthy, preaching should return to its proper biblical foundation (https://www.linkedin.com). Paul told Timothy that by preaching the Scripture, man and women could be wise for salvation (2 Tim. 3:15 NKJV). They learn the way of salvation through the Bible which the Holy Spirit taught the preacher to use, they should not use their own words dictated by man’s wisdom (1 Corinth. 2: 13

This book provides seven rich chapters illustrations and metaphors which bring out the core of the book. The two strengths embraced in this survey consist of: the well-crafted illustrations on the silent pictures and the masterful metaphors which capture the sermonic distinction of black preaching.

Jonathan Edwards use of restatement, repetition, logos, pathos, and ethos, in his sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,” make his pastoral very persuasive. He spoke with such persuasion that his congregation are told to have screamed in terror. Even though he spoke with no emotion Edwards had to pause his preaching to request the silence of the congregation.

In this project, I will describe a scenario in which I am developing within my own ministry to engage people in helping them think theologically. The Church today is suffering greatly because many people are not engaged in Scripture, practicing spiritual disciplines, or thinking theologically. I hope to create a pattern to correct that and give them the ability to not just learn a little each week from a sermon, but take everything that comes at them and learn from it, while giving them the ability to teach others as well.

In the life changing sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,” Edward Taylor uses many persuasive techniques to grab the attention of his congregation. By amplifying specific rhetorical devices Edwards intends to instill enough fear into his congregation for them to turn from their sinful ways and repent; He achieves this by repetition, imagery, and his use of hyperbole. An effective rhetorical device Edward Taylor uses is repetition; this allows him to deepen the personal effect his sermon has on his congregation. In his piece Edwards continually restates many phrases to keep the overall tone very clear and distinct.

The book was very well put together with principal concepts, but it was not always easy to follow and some sections had to be read twice for clear comprehension. The message could have been portrayed using straightforward writing that would enable undergraduates and others that are not seeking higher levels of education to process the information. In simpler terms, this book can be essential to pastors, for personal relationships, and other professions if the language is simplified and made more user-friendly.

In the sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" by Jonathan Edwards he demonstrates imagery, personification, and repetition. Also, Edward persuades his audience by using a powerful tone to affect their perspective.

In the sermon, "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" Jonathon Edwards utilizes rhetorical devices such as, personification, similes, and metaphors to persuade his audience into obeying God.

Often in sermons pastors persuade their audience to behave in a spiritual or moral fashion. For example, as used in Jonathan Edwards “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” where he goes on to express how sinners should repent and live happily or continue to sin and live in destruction forever. Edwards wanted to convince his audience by appealing to their fears, pity, and vanity. Edward had a strong impact on his audience because of his use of incensed tone, vivid imagery, and his use of figurative language.

My goal of writing this paper is to highlight Jonathan Edwards’ key use of figurative language throughout the sermon. Undoubtably, the most figurative language used throughout the sermon was imagery. It is the use of words that appeal to one or more of your five senses. A good example would be when Jonathan Edwards says, “ …the devil is waiting for them, hell is gaping for them, the flames gather and flash about them, and would fain lay hold on them, and swallow them up; the fire pent up in their own heart is struggling to break out…”

Gwendolyn Brooks' "The Preacher Ruminates: Behind the Sermon" gives an eerie look into a minister's mind. Indeed the poem's premise is made clear from the opening line: "It must be lonely to be God" (1). The poem proceeds to note that while God is a much-revered and respected figure, he has no equal. The preacher's revelation provides the reader a unique perspective into religion. Brooks points out due to God's position of omniscience, it is not possible for a figure like Him to have friends. Throughout Brooks' poem, the preacher implores the reader for answers to his questions, finally concluding that to be God is indeed a lonely life and

The author, John Piper, is a retired pastor, author, and theologian. Piper wants his readers to know that the goal of preaching is the glory of God (21). Piper also states that the ground of preaching is the cross of Christ, and the gift of preaching comes from the power of the Holy Spirit (23). Piper accomplishes his goal within both parts of the book. Part one is dedicated to why God should be supreme in preaching, and part two is how to make God supreme in preaching. This a great book for students, pastors, and those within the church. Piper reminds his audience that God is the focus of preaching and nothing else. This review will summarize, review, and critique the work while providing a conclusion.

To truly comprehend a biblical passage, it is important to have knowledge of the ‘hermeneutics which enables an understanding of the locus of meaning and the principles of bible interpretation’ . The audience needs to have a clear interpretation of the biblical passage which includes ‘content and unity of the whole of Scripture if the meaning of the sacred texts is to be correctly worked out’ , this supports the argument that all worlds of the text are equally important. ‘Biblical passages are often taken out of context and interpreted to support a particular viewpoint of justify a particular action’ . It is imperative to note that ‘in order to discover the sacred authors' intention, the reader must take into account the conditions of their

Macdonald, (2010) suggested that the bible is a cultural work of art because it is used in storytelling, preaching, drama and visual posters. The bible tells God’s story in how he created the world, the fall, redemption and the new creation. The bible has a sequence of events, songs, proverbs, prophetic books, writing of wisdom and letters. In the bible there is a comparison between connecting scripture and constructing culture. It is able to change one’s life and one’s culture because

The Gospels of the New Testament contain 39 different parables told by Jesus (Phillips 2004, 18-19) and no doubt he spoke many more during his ministry. Jesus’ choice to use parables to teach his people is one that has intrigued many people throughout history. The aim of this essay is to get to discover why he chose to use those parables, and also what we can learn from this teaching method when evangelising today.