Christian History

The Preaching of Thomas Aquinas (1224–1274)

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An influence on preaching that originated from both the monasteries and the scholastic theology of the universities was the logic of Aristotle. As a result, sermon writers placed greater emphasis on coherence and clarity. This scholarly approach to preaching was developed in the great universities of the medieval period such as Paris and Oxford and spread to the Dominicans (Bernard), the Franciscans, and the Augustinian Anchorites. Consequently, a great many new handbooks on preaching were published along with collections of illustrations and outlines for sermons.

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The Preaching of Bernard of Clairvaux (1090–1153)

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The renewal of preaching in the medieval era is traced to the rise of the crusades, the monasteries, and the scholastics. Bernard combined the enthusiasm of crusade rhetoric with the ascetic lifestyle of the monk and reflected a scholastic influence through his struggle with Abelard. His fiery eloquence was powerful enough to make an impression even on those who did not understand his language. Unusually gifted, he was a master of the art of public speaking.

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The Preaching of Augustine (354–430)

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Augustine represents the preaching of the Latin church, a style that may be traced from Tertullian through Cyprian to Ambrose, Augustine’s spiritual father and mentor. The Latin style of preaching shows an acquaintance with classical literature, Latin rhetoric, and symbolism.

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The Preaching of John Chrysostom (347–407)

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John Chrysostom, known as the “golden orator,” was a master communicator, certainly one of the two or three greatest preachers in the church’s history. He was a follower of the Antiochian method of biblical exegesis. This tradition rejected the Platonic allegorizing of the Alexandrian school in favor of a concern for a grammatical, historical, theological method of interpretation.

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The Preaching of Basil the Great and Gregory of Nazianzus (Fourth Century)

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Christianity changed considerably in the fourth century with the conversion of Constantine, who made Christianity legal and opened the door toward its accommodation with society. Worship developed rapidly through extensive building projects, the development of liturgies, the observance of the Christian year, creation of the lectionary, and the contributions of music and the arts. In this setting, preaching took on the characteristics of Roman rhetoric and became considerably more formal. Among the Greek Christians of the time, several stand out as exceptional preachers, especially Basil the Great, his brother Gregory of Nyssa, Gregory of Nazianzus—collectively called the Cappadocians—and John Chrysostom, who will be treated in the next entry.

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The Preaching of Origen (185–254)

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Origen was one of the earliest and most influential of the Greek preachers. He intertwined exegesis and preaching and created a sermon style that was essentially a running commentary of the text. This style dominated Christian preaching in the ancient church and continues to be used effectively today. In addition, Origen developed the allegorical method of exegesis, a method which is associated with the Alexandrian school of thought and the Eastern church. The allegorical interpretation of Scripture leads the listener to five possible meanings of the text: (1) the historical; (2) the doctrinal; (3) the prophetic; (4) the philosophical; and (5) the mystical sense.

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The Sermon of Melito of Sardis (d. 190): “On the Passover”

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Formerly it was thought that Christian rhetoric did not begin until the fourth and fifth centuries. The discovery, however, of a sermon by Melito, bishop of Sardis, known as “On the Passover” suggests that a tradition of skilled rhetoric and sermon construction had begun earlier. Melito’s sermon carefully blends typology, analogy, and parallelism. Scholars now believe that two distinctive styles of preaching existed in the second century: the unstructured, informal homily of the lay person and the highly developed oration typified in “On the Passover.”

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Lay Preaching in the Early Church

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Evidence collected about the early church suggests that most of the preaching in hamlets, villages, and rural areas was done by uneducated but devout lay people. The apostolic preaching, as well as the writings of the apostolic fathers of the second century that have been preserved, stand as exceptions to this overall trend.

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Teaching and Preaching in the Synagogue and Early Church

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Preaching in the Jewish synagogue instructed members in faith and practice but also could be intended for indoctrination and proselytizing. Christianity first spread through the preaching of Paul and others who traveled from city to city, preaching Jesus and the Resurrection and calling Jews to conversion in Christ.

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