Class Sessions: Wednesdays, 3 PM 5:50 PM

Syllabus Narrative Sermons (TC 849) Boston University School of Theology Fall Term, 2011 Class Sessions: Wednesdays, 3 PM - 5:50 PM

Prof. David Schnasa Jacobsen Phone: (617) 353-7322 E-mail: [email protected] Office Hours: Tuesdays through Fridays by appointment—come on in!

Learning Goals: This course is designed to explore the many options available to the preacher who is interested in narrative and story. It is, for the most part, seminar in format. Therefore, students will want to develop a clear idea of their own learning goals for this course. Your professor is more than happy to meet with you individually to help you find the resources that will meet your goals.

The only requirement framing these goals will be that students also take time to integrate their work in narrative homiletics theologically. Narrative theologies take numerous forms and provoke very different kinds of questions for preachers and theologians alike. Students are encouraged to go beyond matters of method and technique to ask important theological questions about narrative as it relates to preaching, scripture, theological anthropology, Christology, etc. Opportunity for such reflection will happen both in the presentations and in a final response paper to Campbell's or Long’s book.

Any students in this course who have a disability that might prevent them from fully demonstrating their abilities should meet with the instructor as soon as possible to initiate disability verification and discuss accommodations that may be necessary to ensure your full participation in the successful completion of course requirements.

Boston University uses software that can check for plagiarism. Students may be required to submit their written work in electronic form and have it checked for plagiarism.

Required Texts: Campbell, Charles. Preaching Jesus (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1997). Long, Thomas G. Preaching from Memory to Hope (Louisville: WJKP, 2009). Robinson, Wayne, ed. Journeys Toward Narrative Preaching (Eugene: Wipf and Stock, 2007). Taylor, Barbara Brown. The Preaching Life (Boston: Cowley, 1994).

Choose One of Four Required Texts (for student presentations, by Session 2): Ellingsen, Mark. The Integrity of Biblical Narrative (Minneapolis: AugsburgFortress, 1990). Lowry, Eugene. The Homiletical Plot (Exp. Ed., Louisville: WJKP, 2001). Mitchell, Henry. Celebration and Experience in Preaching (Nashville: Abingdon, 1990). Rice, Charles (et al.). Preaching the Story (Philadelphia: Fortress, 1980). On reserve only

All of the above optional books are also available on reserve at the library reserve desk. Format: In the following schedule, what I do is in plain type face; what you do is in bold.

SCHEDULE Session1 Introductions, Storytelling, Syllabus 9/7 Lectures: "A Primer in Narrative" & "Brief Survey Narrative Preaching" Scheduling For next class: Read Robinson’s Journeys toward Narrative Preaching

Session 2 Discussion of Robinson's book: What is the range of Narrative in preaching? 9/14 Lecture: “Literary Criticism, Biblical Exegesis, and Homiletic Theory” Side by Side: Comparing Narrative Approaches to Biblical Texts

Session 3 Presentation: Henry Mitchell (narrative and character identification) 9/21 ______

Session 4 Presentation: Eugene Lowry (narrative and sermonic plot) 9/28 ______

Session 5 Presentation: Mark Ellingsen (narrative and world incorporation) 10/5 ______

Session 6 Presentation: Charles Rice (narrative as meeting of story worlds) 10/12 ______For next session: Read Barbara Brown Taylor’s The Preaching Life

Session 7 Debriefing of first set of assignments 10/19 Discussion of Taylor’s book Lecture: “The Limits of Story and Questions for Narrative Preaching”

Session 8 Presenter: ______Figure/Idea: ______10/26 Presenter: ______Figure/Idea: ______

Session 11 Presenter: ______Figure/Idea: ______11/16 Presenter: ______Figure/Idea: ______For next class: Read Preaching Jesus (chapters 5-8) and From Memory to Hope (chapters 1-2 & 5) for discussion in next class

11/23—Thanksgiving Recess Session 12 Discussion of Campbell's book, chapters 5-8, and Long’s book, chapters 1-2 & 5 11/30 Lecture: Issues in theology and narrative preaching

Session 13 Hand in Assignment 3 to discuss in class 12/7 Evaluation

Assignments:

Assignment 1: Assigned Shared Presentation (first hour) and Sermons (second/third hours) With this first presentation and sermon students will be presenting the narrative homiletical method of one of four seminal figures in the field. Students will be responsible for giving within that first-hour presentation: (1) a thirty-minute summary on the person's narrative homiletic, and (2) a ten-minute theological analysis of their perspective, with (3) a ten-minute period for questions. Presenters will need to bring photocopies of their notes and bibliography each Wednesday to share with classmates. Full and final sermon manuscripts for the second and third hours of that class period are to be handed in the day before you preach (that means Tuesday by 3 PM!). The 10-15 minute sermon will be graded in light of the criteria that your figure (either Lowry, Mitchell, Ellingson, or Rice) establishes. Above all, however, each sermon will be graded by how well hearers hear the gospel through it. Therefore, we will also take a few minutes after each sermon in class for classmates to respond. Due: Tuesday, 3 PM the day before Sessions 3-6 (Sept 20, 27, Oct 4 and 11) Grade: 30% of total

Assignment 2: Self-Selected Presentation and Sermon (50 mins.) With this presentation and sermon students will be responsible for presenting the narrative homiletical method of one of the figures in the field or of your own development. Students will be responsible for giving within a fifty-minute session: (1) a thirty-minute summary on the person's narrative homiletic or a proposed method, and (2) a ten-minute theological analysis of that perspective, with (3) a ten-minute period for questions. Once again, presenters will need to bring photocopies of their notes and any bibliography each Wednesday to share with classmates. Full and final sermon manuscripts for the sermon session are to be handed the day before you preach (that means Tuesday by 3 PM!). The 10-15 minute sermon will be graded in light of the criteria that your figure or you yourself establish. Above all each sermon will be graded by how well hearers hear the gospel through it. We’ll take ten minutes after each sermon for in class response. Due: Tuesday, 3 PM before Sessions 8-10 (October 25, November 1, 8, and 15) Grade: 50% of total

Some suggestions for Assignment 2 presentations: Jana Childers, Performing the Word: Preaching as Theatre Evans Crawford, The Hum: Call and Response in African American Preaching Justo González and Pablo Jiménez, Pulpito: An Introduction to Hispanic Preaching, (esp. chapters 2-3) John C. Hoffman, Faith-full Stories: The Narrative Road to Religion Richard Jensen, Telling the Story Thomas Boomershine, Story Journey John Holbert, Preaching Old Testament: Proclamation and Narrative in the HB Ed Riegert, Imaginative Shock: Preaching and Metaphor Ed Riegert, Hear the Story Christine Smith, Weaving the Sermon: Preaching in a Feminist Perspective Fred Craddock, As One without Authority and Preaching Frederick Buechner, Telling the Truth: The Gospel as Tragedy, Comedy, and Fairy Tale Richard Thulin, The "I" of the Sermon Tom Long, Preaching the Literary Forms of the Bible Or you may want to explore resources for other kinds of potential "mobile" sermon forms: Daniel Buttrey’s 1st Person Dramatic Sermons Elizabeth Schüssler Fiorenza's "Creative Actualization" (see In Memory of Her) or other ideas with the approval of the professor.

Assignment 3: Book Review and Constructive Response (4 pp.) Write a two page book review of either Charles Campbell's Preaching Jesus (chapters 5-8) or Tom Long’s Preaching from Memory to Hope (chapters 1-2 and 5) together with a two page constructive response featuring your own emerging position on narrative preaching. The book review should include (1) a summary of Campbell's or Long’s work, (2) some critical engagement and (3) an evaluation or critical appreciation of his contribution to understanding preaching in relation to narrative. Don't sweat it. With reviews, brief is good. With the response portion, also two pages, begin to sketch your own understanding of narrative preaching theologically. How does your understanding of narrative preaching relate to such theological issues as: your doctrine of scripture, your understanding of the Gospel, your Christology, your theological anthropology, eschatology etc? Try to view this as a synthetic approach to the theological issues we have explored relative to narrative preaching this term. Date Due: Session 13 (December 7) Grade: 20% of total

Grading: With the first two assignments, the percentage of your overall mark goes up. I want to give you opportunities to explore and try out narrative and other “mobile” sermon forms. Students need not fear that an early problem leads them to homiletical purgatory—far from it. The final assignment gives you the opportunity to reflect theologically on the relationship of narrative to preaching and stretch your wings even further.

Nonetheless, I must offer one caveat. Since beginning pastors almost always have to produce weekly sermons regardless of circumstances, late sermon manuscripts will result in an automatic reduction of grade by one letter and missed presentations will result in a grade of F.

Students taking the course for doctoral credit are required to do all work at a doctoral level. In addition, doctoral students should submit one review of a recent book related to the course content for publication in an appropriate journal. The length should be between 500-1000 words.