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