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The Two Dogmas of Biblical Relevance In Preaching

Abstract

This work is a study focused on determining the necessary and sufficient conditions of biblical relevance in preaching.  The study deals with the question of relevance as the foundational question of homiletics preceding the question of application or sermon’s effectiveness.  Biblical relevance, according to the thesis of this project, is rooted in the character of God’s word rather than the changing preferences of the listeners.

A primary premise of the work is the assertion that the question of biblical relevance commences within the biblical text.  Consequently, the clues to the essential aspects of biblical relevance must be found within the biblical corpus.  An analysis of God’s communication with people in the Bible yields two substantive conditions of relevance.  The first condition of relevance is that the biblical content, expressing a biblical idea, asserts an imperative aimed at the volition calling it to a response in the context of our relationship with God.  The second condition of relevance is that the biblical form, framing the idea, gives it coherence aimed at the human cognition with the goal of making the idea intelligible to the listener.  These two conditions are both necessary and jointly sufficient conditions of biblical relevance in preaching.

The thesis begins with the theological analysis of the dominant genres of the Old Testament and the New Testaments seeking to extract the two necessary conditions of relevance.  The theological study is followed by a historical/philosophical analysis of the changing views of biblical relevance in transition from Modernity to Postmodernity.  The last chapter of the thesis seeks to furnish a skeleton for the creation of biblical, relevant sermons.