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Interpretation and Preaching as Communal and Dialogical Practices

Author: 
Year:
Pages:316
ISBN:0-7734-5755-0
978-0-7734-5755-3
Price:$219.95
This book is a contribution to the field of homiletics, making the argument that sixteenth-century Anabaptism showed evidence of a communal and dialogical modality of biblical interpretation and preaching in its beliefs and practices. These practices included openness to affirmation and correction, a dialogical process of communal discipline, communal consensus, collaborative biblical interpretation, informal, charismatic worship, and interaction in worship and preaching. From some common themes found in early Anabaptism, a critical discrimen is created as an analytic device to examine contemporary hermeneutical and homiletical traditions with the intent of discerning which concepts might be appropriated and the limitations of such in constructing an inclusive, emancipatory (Ana)baptist homiletic of community. Suggestions are made, in a concluding appendix, for the construction of a pedagogy and guidelines for practicing such a preaching model.

Reviews

“...As an adopted child of the Radical Reformation, Dr. Hartshorn is blazing a trail toward a radical reform of our interpretive assumptions … Putting at risk his prerogatives as preacher and, potentially, the good will of congregations as well (!), Dr. Hartshorn allows us to look over his shoulder as he yields control of the preaching ministry to the work of the Spirit in the community...My best hope is that this book will fall into the hands of preachers and congregations bold enough to follow the path therein charted, communities who will open the Word and trust the Spirit to bring it to fresh speech—not through a single voice, but many.” – (from the Foreword) Professor Sally A. Brown, Princeton Theological Seminary

“Dr. Hartshorn’s articulation of a communal and dialogical Anabaptist homiletic theory is a wonderfully nuanced contribution to contemporary reflection on preaching, worship, and even the very nature of the church … Dr. Hartshorn has appropriated motifs from a variety of traditions that are usually regarded as unrelated, put them in dialogue with one another, and produced a very novel vision of what preaching could be.” – Professor Lee C. Barrett, Lancaster Theological Seminary

“Using philosophical theories of literary hermeneutics, interpretive communities, post-liberal understandings of intertextuality and intratextuality, cultural-linguistic constructs, liberation theories, socio-political analysis, and feminist hermeneutics, Dr. Hartshorn evaluates historical Anabaptist preaching practices and begins to construct and inclusive, emancipatory Anabaptist homiletic of community.” – Professor Jennifer L. Lord, Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary

Table of Contents

Preface
Foreword
Acknowledgements
Introduction
1. Early Anabaptist Hermeneutic and Homiletic of Community
2. Theoretical and Theological Traditions of Communal and Dialogical Hermeneutics
3. Theories and Practices of Communal and Dialogical Homiletics
Appendix
Bibliography
Index