Preaching as a dialogical monologue in conversation with Bakhtin and 'Other-wise' Homiletics

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingArticle in proceedingsResearch

Abstract

 

When reflecting on how preaching can enter into a dialogue with the news, while simultaneously carrying on a dialogue with ancient texts, the polyphony of voices can seem to make a cacophony of foreign words threatening to drown the preacher's theology, let alone the Word of God and the context of the congregation. However, if we turn to the Russian literary critic and philosopher, Michail M. Bakhtin (1895-1975), there are insightful reflections and examples on how the multitude of dialogues, the interaction between familiar and foreign words can become a continual fruitful dialogue. In the following I will describe how the production of discourse, according to Bakhtin, happens in dialogue with "the already-said" and "the not-yet-said"(of texts and/or voices) and how the author might handle the ‘foreign' words of these interacting discourses in a way that keeps the communication as an open dialogue, rather than as a finalizing monologue.


 

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationPreaching and the News : Papers of the Academy of Homiletics' Annual Meeting 2009
EditorsHeille Gregory
Number of pages8
Pages99-107
Publication statusE-pub ahead of print - 2009
EventPreaching and the News - Washington DC, United States
Duration: 3 Dec 20095 Dec 2009
Conference number: 44

Conference

ConferencePreaching and the News
Number44
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityWashington DC
Period03/12/200905/12/2009

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