David Buttrick: Phenomenological Method

David Buttrick: Phenomenological Method

David Buttrick was one of the famous homiletician of the twentieth century. He completed his graduate study in Systematic Theology at Garrett Biblical Institute Contemporary Literature at North-western University. His book entitled Homiletic: Moves and Structures. This work was considered as an important works in the field of homiletics since nineteenth century.

He begins with the phenomenon of what is heard and understood by people. Buttrick criticized the deductive approaches. Because in either textual preaching or biblical topical preaching, preachers are forced to construct some sort of sermon design from their own mind.

According to him, the sermon should enhance the attention of the hearers.

Buttrick states:

The idea of intention, not authorial, but in and of the language resentful the suspicion that sermonic speech should be designed to do in congregational consciousness. Language is per formative. It does something in human consciousness. In preaching, preachers re plot plots and re intend intentions for a new world in consciousness. The moves and plots, which produce different fields of understanding, should arise from the nature of scripture.

There are moments in consciousness termed immediacy, reflection, and praxis. Symbol’s task in consciousness is in different ways. Since scripture functions in these different ways, sermons also are plotted to work in human consciousness to shift congregational consciousness. Immediacy is to change the congregational consciousness with immediate force. Reflection is to produce a reflective field of meaning. Praxis is to move the congregation from the situation at hand to theological contemplation, to some new understanding or course of future action.

7. 7. Eugene Lowry: Narrative Method

A narrative sermon means the arrangement of ideas taken the form of plot involving a strategic delay of the preacher’s meaning. This preaching is like a story telling process

According to him, liberation theology is that God has shown and revealed Himself as the God of liberation. The God who was took the side of the oppressed, the exploited ones, the downtrodden, and the marginalised people. God sides concretely with the oppressed within the historical context of their struggle.

He considered that the incarnation is a historical event that signals God’s determination to liberate humanity from oppression and dehumanisation. Liberation theology is a theological response to the problems of poverty and injustice in our society. Liberation theology is a cry for justice. Liberation theology stands in the tradition of the Old Testament prophets and of Jesus Christ himself.

According to Tutu, The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our Fathers, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ was known then first as the God of Exodus, the God of liberation. And the theme of setting Free, of rescuing captives or those who have been kidnapped is one that runs through the Bible as a golden thread. It is the important warp and woof of the Biblical tradition. Hope and Suffering summarises Tutu’s experiences in the struggle against the apartheid system. Tutu considers that religion does not just deal with a certain compartment of life. Religion, for Tutu, has applicability for the whole of