Abstract:
This study deals with creative preaching through exploring pneumatology and creativity as prime ingredients for creative preaching. The researcher sees the problem of preaching in terms of the limited resources for proclaiming the very old message of the gospel of Jesus Christ in a fast changing world. Preaching in the reformed tradition is based primarily upon the Bible and the tradition of the church. The researcher suspects that, given the limitations of the age of the source, the preacher runs the risk of boring the congregation, who regularly attends sermons, by becoming irrelevant to their living conditions through having to repeat the same basic message. The researcher suspects that the preacher may run out of ideas and ways of bringing a relevant message in a fresh way, week after week, and begin to employ all kinds of tricks and gimmicks in order to stay relevant. Creative preaching is suggested as answer to this dilemma. Creative preaching is studied within the frame of creativity in service of the Holy Spirit. The study strives to explore the field of creativity from a homiletical perspective and bring the results into a pneumatological context by means of a hermeneutical method, with the aim of designing a basic theory for creative preaching. The first part of the study comprises a literature study of the fields of pneumatology and creativity. Pneumatology is explored in terms of the biblical roots of the use and meaning of the terms rûah, pneuma and paracletos, as well as a brief theological exploration. A pneumatology for preaching includes the Spirit as carrier of the Word and inspirer of the preacher and listener, within the context of the congregation as dedicated space for the working of the Spirit. The second part of the literature study deals with creativity as a human capacity that can be learnt and developed. Creativity is a deliberate dynamic activity that produces new, unexpected and meaningful results through creative observation, creative thinking and creative insight. Empirical research was conducted amongst preachers in the Dutch Reformed Church to ascertain their understanding of creative preaching and their experience of the workings of the Holy Spirit and creativity, in the process of producing a sermon. The research found that preachers understood the Holy Spirit as a vital part of the preaching process. Preachers experience the activity of the Spirit in their normal daily routines as ministers. Preachers do not regard themselves as creative people although they apply principles of creativity primarily in producing visual material for sermons as an additive. The Research found a need for the concept of creative preaching. Creative preaching is developed and described as a process in which the preacher, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, employs creative methods like observation, association, imagination and creative thinking in the whole process of sermon creation, from choice of Scripture to the presentation of the sermon. The sermon is structured in such a way as not only to be creative but also stimulating the creativity of the listeners. Creative preaching is stimulating preaching based on scripture, imagination and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
