Post on 26-Dec-2015
Invention and Arrangement
Discovering what can be said
And how to arrange it
Rhetoric
Finding the available means of persuasion in any situation
Five Parts of Rhetoric
Invention Arrangement
Proem, Thesis, Antithesis, History, Peroratio
Style Delivery Memory
Augustine: On Christian Doctrine
1) A way of discovering those things which are to be understood Literal or figurative
Takes literal things he doesn’t like figuratively—celibacy, p. 94
2) A way of teaching what we have learned
Teach, please, move
Invention—topos. commonplace
Way of discovering your material Disciplined set of questions to ask Unconsciously have patterns we follow
Narrative patterns—story line Irony
Preaching
Epideictic Rhetoric Rhetoric of the occasion, the moment How do we discover our material
Questions Traditional
Four fold Law/Gospel Baroque Lutheran Historical Criticism Who, what, where, when, why
Four-fold Method
Literal—Historical The Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt
Moral—Tropological Leave your old life, for new
Spiritual—Allegorical Our redemption through Christ-Moses
prefigures Christ, Red Sea baptism Eternal—Anagogical
Passing of the soul from death to life, from earth to heaven
Luther—one fold/Law and Gospel
How does the literal word itself work on you? Same word, two actions Letter of the text--Law
What in the text kills the old Adam Spirit of the text--Gospel
Brings Christ to life
Lutheran Baroque Sermon
1) some paraphrasing of the Scripture 2) an interpretation of it 3) the reason for Jesus’ work or suffering 4) the consequence of it to the hearers 5) an application (in rhetoric, the usus) in the
form of guiding and directing the hearers, admonishing them, comforting and nurturing them
Modern--Demythologizing
1. What the Scripture lesson meant Historical information
2. What it means today Moral application
3. What they take out of old hymns
Narrative
Tell a modern story in which people identify with characters and have the same experience as the biblical story in our day Her name was Sue….. We learn by experiencing the story We imitate the story
Poetics
Plot—the king died and the queen died of grief
Character—hero, villian, antagonist We know character by choices
Setting Limits what can happen
Catharsis
We have the experience of the character in the story and learn from it
Pity and Fear Moralizes us—Good Samaritans
Direct discourse
Paul says to the congregation of Corinth Issues of the day—behavior: sex, worship,
I say to you—this is for you Issues of the day—behavior: be careful, for
these reasons, both law and gospel
Questions
Dull boring sermons—predictable because preacher’s invention is undiscerned, in the water, innocently imitate the invention we have observed —see it in students who imitate what they have
heard ---see what questions they are asking
Preaching like they have been preached to
Big questions
---How can I speak to my people Have to know their questions
---How can I be faithful to Scripture Have to know scripture, tradition
Meta-Narrative
Christians believe that human beings are innately sinful but offered redemption and eternal peace in heaven - thus representing a belief in a universal rule and a telos for humankind.
What is your narrative?—or story Your theological theme?--
Theology applied to text
What is its theological theme?Justification
Jesus is in charge to save usSanctificationHolinessCelebration
Thought about self
Who am I in relation to audience? Young/old/cultural difference
Aristotle—young need to prove, old can assert
Tradition— Do I share their tradition, geography or am
I new to it? Political
Am I liberal and they are conservative?
Thought about audience
What they need to hear—apocalyptic issues today That Jesus is in control when they are
not? Are they frightened, skeptical, indifferent
to the gospel, uneasy about world People are “snapping” in record numbers
Suicide, depression, anxiety--pills
What they are drawing out of you?
Theological claim--choice
Choice of claim Reveals character—how clear is your choice?
What you see in passage is revealing of you Reveals mind—how you think about Scripture
Attitude toward Scripture Reveals audience--what you think of audience
You don’t have to say what you think, they will pick it up
Tone is attitude toward audience
Claim is in predicate—you risk something
The text today is interesting. (blah) The text today is different.(blah) The text today reveals the conflict
between good and evil : We see it when Jesus walks out to meet
the darkness (holding lights)
Rhetorical Syllogism--enthymeme
All men must die. (Major premise) Socrates is a man. (Minor premise) Socrates must die. (Conclusion
Rhetorical Syllogism Enthymeme—Minor premise plus
conclusion Because Socrates is a man he must die.
Values are unstated assumed
Jesus is restoring creation when he walks into the darkness to face the powers of evil.
Lots of assumptions in those words, resonances back to Garden of Eden
You can assume them with most Christians, but not everyone
Theological claim
Jesus is restoring God’s creation (general) helps you into the text when he walks out of the garden to meet
his betrayer. (specific) Showing who you are, what you are
thinking, scary and risky
Character is choice
When you make a choice you reveal yourself
Scary thing to do because people will know what your convictions are
So we nuance, hide because we don’t want to show ourselves and the quality of our minds, our faith, beliefs
Humility
It is only with humility that we can become simple and clear
Simplicity is not stupid Doing it for the sake
Of Jesus and the gospel Of your purpose, Of your audience