Expository Preaching
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HEURISTIC COMBINATORIAL OPTIMIZATION IN THE DESIGN FOR EXPOSITORY PREACHING by TING WU LEE submitted in accordance with the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF THEOLOGY in the subject PRACTICAL THEOLOGY at the UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA PROMOTER: PROF A P PHILLIPS NOVEMBER 2006 HEURISTIC COMBINATORIAL OPTIMIZATION IN THE DESIGN FOR EXPOSITORY PREACHING T. W. LEE Degree: DOCTOR OF THEOLOGY Subject: PRACTICAL THEOLOGY Promoter: PROFESSOR A. P. PHILLIPS Summary: This research presents a systematic and iterative procedure, as well as theoretical study, on expository sermon construction. The basic approach to sermon design involves the treatment of this subject matter as a design problem, utilizing advanced methodology in engineering design. This includes the modeling technique, the flow-chart method, and the optimization theory. In addition, we use heuristics as the search engine for seeking intelligent and efficient optimum design solutions. The heuristics can best be compared to the “artificial intelligence” or the “wisdom bank,” involving six sources of wisdom; these include: talents, gifts, creativity, knowledge, experience and spiritual insights. The results represented in this thesis are believed to have demonstrated original findings in the following areas. First, the subject matter is found to be of a design nature, sharing the common characteristics of a general class of the design discipline, namely, having a 3-stage iterative procedure of the ABA’ model. Secondly, a mathematical as well as physical model of the sermon design problem is developed in this study, using both homiletic and hermeneutic principles. The human body is used as the physical model, making it possible for simple visualization of the sermon structure and for performance evaluation. A mathematical model is found to be the “Heuristic Combinatorial Optimization Problem” and consists of eight design variables. Although it is not yet possible to develop a computer-aided protocol to seek solutions, an alternative approach called the “Web-Chart Method” can potentially be adaptable to an interactive computer system in the future. It serves as a two-dimensional “design chart” on paper, in which iterative procedures can be performed manually. The advantage is that the designer can direct his or her heuristic search for optimum solutions with the help of a number of design tools, including the “Insight-Recording Sheet” and the “Analogical Analysis Chart.” With these tools, the designer has, at his or her disposal, the ability to search for solutions in sermon design, while still maintaining a global view with all the design variables controlled for. In this research, the principles of combinatorial heuristics applicable to the field of optimum design of expository sermons have been described. They are based on heuristic combinatorial optimization methods in the engineering design field with refinements geared to the homiletic as well as hermeneutic nature of the problem. The approaches represented here would allow a designer to utilize resources that are not otherwise available and/or are not easily manageable. With these research results, one would be able to design sermons innovatively and optimally in a systematic and heuristic-guided manner. Further extension of this work would lead to a new field of research and development in the computer-aided design of expository sermons. Key words: preaching; homiletics; expository preaching; design for preaching; sermon construction; computer-aided sermon design; sermon design optimization; heuristic sermon design; heuristic sermon optimization; heuristic combinatorial optimization. Abbreviations General ch., chs. Chapter, chapters e.g. for example etc. and so on i.e. that is NT New Testament OT Old Testament p., pp. Page, pages sec. Section v., vv. Verse, verses Standard abbreviations of names of months are also sometimes used, as well as a few other common abbreviations listed below. Books of the Bible Genesis Ge Isaiah Isa Romans Ro Exodus Ex Jeremiah Jer 1 Corinthians 1 Co Leviticus Lev Lamentations La 2 Corinthians 2 Co Numbers Nu Ezekiel Eze Galatians Gal Deuteronomy Dt Daniel Da Ephesians Eph Joshua Jos Hosea Hos Philippians Php Judges Jdg Joel Joel Colossians Col Ruth Ru Amos Am 1 Thessalonians 1Th 1 Samuel 1Sa Obadiah Ob 2 Thessalonians 2Th 2 Samuel 2Sa Jonah Jnh 1 Timothy 1Ti 1 Kings 1Ki Micah Mic 2 Timothy 2Ti 2 Kings 2Ki Nahum Na Titus Tit 1 Chronicles 1Ch Habakkuk Hab Philemon Phm 2 Chronicles 2Ch Zephaniah Zep Hebrews Heb Ezra Ezr Haggai Hag James Jas Nehemiah Ne Zechariah Zec 1 Peter 1Pe Esther Est Malachi Mal 2 Peter 2Pe Job Job Matthew Mt 1 John 1Jn Psalms Ps Mark Mk 2 John 2Jn Proverbs Pr Luke Lk 3 John 3Jn Ecclesiastes Ecc John Jn Jude Jude Song of Songs SS Acts Ac Revelation Rev Table of Contents Chapter 1 The State of the Art of the Design for Preaching 1.0 Introduction 6 - 14 1.1 Identification of the Problem 15 - 19 1.2 Basic Approach 20 Chapter 2 The Fundamental Concept of the Expository Sermon Construction 2.0 Introduction 22 2.1 Major Types of Biblical Sermons 23 - 27 2.2 The Advantages of Expository Preaching 28 2.3 The Evidences of Expository Preaching 29 - 32 2.4 The Construction of Expository Sermon 33 - 35 Chapter 3 The Connection Between Expository Sermon Construction and Design Discipline 3.0 Introduction 37 3.1 Theory of Optimization 38 - 41 3.2 Designs for Classical Music Compositions 42 - 43 3.3 Designs for Court Litigation 44 3.4 Engineering Design 45 - 47 3.5 Comparison of Expository Sermon Construction with Aforementioned Areas of Design Discipline 48 - 50 3.6 Summary 51 Chapter 4 The Application of Engineering Design Methodology to Homiletics 4.0 Introduction 53 4.1 The Expository Sermon Design Problem 54 - 56 4.2 The Flow Chart Method 57 - 59 4.3 The Modeling Technique 60 - 64 1 4.4 Theory of Optimization 65 - 68 Chapter 5 The Application of Heuristics to Expository Sermon Design Problem 5.0 Introduction 70 - 71 5.1 General Characteristics of the Expository Sermon Design Problem 72 - 76 5.2 Principles of the Heuristic Combinatorial Optimization Problem 77 - 114 Chapter 6 Development of Combinatorial Heuristics for Expository Sermon Design Optimization 6.0 The Combinatorial Heuristics Applicable to the Expository Sermon Design 116 - 118 6.1 The Hermeneutical Heuristics 119 - 127 6.2 The General Homiletical Heuristics 128 - 139 6.3 The Special Homiletical Heuristics of Gifted Preachers 140 - 150 Chapter 7 The Web-Chart Method for Expository Sermon Design Optimization 7.0 Introduction 152 7.1 The Web-Chart Method: Theory 153 - 159 7.2 The Web-Chart Method: Application 160 - 171 7.3 The Web-Chart Method: A Comparison and Advantages 172 - 179 Chapter 8 The Design for Expository Preaching in a Postmodern Context 8.0 Introduction 181 8.1 The Interpretation of Scripture in a Postmodern Era 182 - 188 8.2 The Contextualization of Preaching 189 - 193 8.3 Design for Expository Preaching in a Specific Context 194 - 207 Chapter 9 Summary: A Systematic Procedure for the Design of Expository Sermons 9.1 A Systematic Procedure for the Design of Expository Sermons 209 - 214 9.2 Summary 215 Appendixes 2 Appendix 1 The Traveling-Salesman Problem 217 Appendix 2 SAP- A Large Scale Heuristic Based Software System for Business and Industrial Applications 218 - 219 Appendix 3 The Construction of A Spider Web 220 Appendix 4 A Blank Sheet of the Web-Chart 221 Bibliography 222 3 Acknowledgements I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Professor A. P. Phillips for his guidance and encouragement throughout the course of this work. I owe my deepest appreciation to my family, the greatest blessing in my life. To my wife, Anna, for her love, friendship and understanding, and the beloved family and home the Lord has graced us to share. To my children and sons-in-law, Fransis, Justine, Charlotte, Matthew and Sherman – they have been my joy and comfort. The support and kind help of all my family members during my dissertation research has been boundless. I am indebted especially to Charlotte, who introduced me to the web chart when she was 11 years old, and, during her college years, to the composition theory of Sonata Form known as "ABA'". These concepts have since become integral to my preaching theory formulated over the years. Lastly but not least, I am grateful to my Lord and Redeemer, Jesus Christ, and to Whom this work is dedicated. May all the glory go to Him alone. Soli Deo Gloria. 4 Chapter 1 The State of the Art of the Design for Preaching 1.0 Introduction 1.1 Identification of the Problem 1.2 Basic Approach 5 1.0 Introduction Homiletics is often described as “the science of sermon construction or of preaching” said Perry (1981, p3) and Wiersbe (1985, p32). It draws from a large body of knowledge dating back to the ancient Greeks. Homiletics includes views on rhetoric, along with the findings of subsequent generations of public speakers and Biblical preachers up to this day. Wiersbe and Perry gave a comprehensive review of the history of Christian preaching in 1984 in their excellent work: The Wycliffe Handbook of Preaching and Preachers. They treated the subject by dividing the Christian history into nine periods: from the Apostolic times up to the contemporary period. James F. Stitzinger (1992, pp36-60) gave a thoughtful review on the history of expository preaching in; he claimed that no work in the English language that was devoted specifically to the review of the expository preaching subject had been done. James Franklin Kay (2003, pp16-35) also gave a recent review of the history of homiletics in 2002 in his inaugural lecture, Reorientation: Homiletics as Theologically Authorized Rhetoric at Princeton Theological Seminary. This review began with the late modern period (1789-1900) to the contemporary and was based from the perspective of the frame of reference in preaching.