Homiletical Theory and Praxis

Dear Colleagues,

Homiletics as an academic discipline has undergone notable shifts in its theoretical formations and methodological frameworks, not least regarding the agency of preachers and listeners, the purposes of pulpit speeches as persuasive discourse, and analysis of social and cultural possibilities for preaching as artistic performance beyond the pulpit. Earlier scholarship had focused on such issues as: the utility of categories of classical Hellenistic rhetoric for theorizing preaching; preaching as catechesis of the congregation in theological doctrines; the authority of the preacher; prophetic preaching as a means of fostering social and political liberation; and techniques for effective delivery in the pulpit. In recent years, homileticians have brought more conceptual complexity to their work in those arenas and have made forays into new terrain: theorizing narrative homiletics and the poetics of preaching praxis; performing ethnographic analysis of congregations and other listening communities; framing historical studies of homiletics in relation to ecclesiology and political theology; interrogating androcentrism, anthropocentrism, Eurocentrism, gender and racial bias, and other distortions in homiletics and the theological disciplines; and engaging research in pastoral theology and trauma studies.

This Special Issue will explore a diverse array of topics in homiletical theory and praxis. Scholars are encouraged to submit proposals in the following areas: homiletical theory; Jewish or Christian homiletical practices from antiquity to modern times; christology, pneumatology, or another dimension of theology framed via preaching in a particular historical era; reception history of a biblical passage or figure analyzed through medieval, early modern, or contemporary sermon studies; homiletics in light of aesthetics, performance studies, or trauma studies; feminist, postcolonial, or womanist homiletics; eco-preaching and the global climate crisis; and interdisciplinary studies positioned at the nexus of homiletics and cultural studies, social ethics, liturgics, or political theory.

Prior to submitting a manuscript, interested authors should submit a proposed title and an abstract of 200 words summarizing their intended contribution via email to the guest editor, Dr. Carolyn J. Sharp (carolyn.sharp@yale.edu) by 15 April 2023. Abstracts will be reviewed by Dr. Sharp for the purpose of ensuring proper fit within the scope of the Special Issue. Full manuscripts will undergo double-blind peer review.

Prof. Dr. Carolyn J. Sharp
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Religions is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.