Religions

Research

16 pages, 215 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Multicultural Preaching Across Generations: A Proposal for Effective Preaching to Young Generations in the Great Dechurching

by Jaewoong Jung

Religions 2025, 16(3), 381; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16030381 - 17 Mar 2025

Viewed by 691

Abstract

This study proposes multicultural preaching across generations as a means of effective preaching in the time of the Great Dechurching. Young generations, represented by Millennials and Generation Z, are the least religious of all age groups, showing the strongest intention to leave the [...] Read more.

This study proposes multicultural preaching across generations as a means of effective preaching in the time of the Great Dechurching. Young generations, represented by Millennials and Generation Z, are the least religious of all age groups, showing the strongest intention to leave the church. The author argues that the failure to form a Christian identity, rather than the church’s failure to adapt culturally, is the main cause of the Great Dechurching among young generations and that preaching to a generation-segregated congregation, tailored to a target generation, contributes to the failure of forming a Christian identity, as it obstructs the sharing of faith experiences intergenerationally. Based on empirical evidence from multiple surveys, I demonstrate that preaching is influential in the dechurching of young generations, and that the faith gap across generations, rather than the cultural gap, contributes to the dechurching of young generations. Then, by analyzing preaching models in relation to generation, the author points out the problems in generation-blind and -separated preaching and suggests multicultural preaching across generations as a desirable homiletical model for overcoming the dechurching of young generations by formulating a Christian identity through intergenerational conversations around faith. I describe this as conversational preaching that seeks mutual listening and learning based on equal and reciprocal relationships across generations, as well as the recognition of cultural differences across generations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Preaching in Multicultural Contexts)

14 pages, 509 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Deconstructing the Marginalized Self: A Homiletical Theology of Uri for the Korean American Protestant Church in the Multicultural American Context

by Jeremy Kangsan Kim

Religions 2025, 16(2), 249; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16020249 - 17 Feb 2025

Viewed by 713

Abstract

This study explores the transformative potential of the traditional Korean concept of uri (we) and the Confucian principle of ren (compassion and resistance), integrated with the biblical tradition of lament, as a theological framework for addressing the marginalization of contemporary Korean American Protestant [...] Read more.

This study explores the transformative potential of the traditional Korean concept of uri (we) and the Confucian principle of ren (compassion and resistance), integrated with the biblical tradition of lament, as a theological framework for addressing the marginalization of contemporary Korean American Protestant churches and their members. Critiquing the limitations of current theological models focused on marginality, the article reimagines the Korean American self through the lens of uri and ren. This perspective enables compassion and resistance to deconstruct the notion of the marginalized self and reconstruct an authentic identity. The article proposes a pastoral–prophetic homiletical praxis that fosters solidarity among Korean American churches and empowers these churches to claim their prophetic voice within the multicultural American context. This approach has the potential to transform Korean American churches into a space for hope, communal restoration, and resistance amid socioecclesial challenges. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Preaching in Multicultural Contexts)

13 pages, 195 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Playful Pulpits: Exploring Multicultural Preaching Practices Through the Lens of Theology of Play

by Namjoong Kim

Religions 2025, 16(2), 190; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16020190 - 6 Feb 2025

Viewed by 937

Abstract

This article explores the symbiotic relationship between the theology of play and preaching in diverse cultural contexts. Through a comprehensive examination of the nature of play from various scholarly perspectives, it serves as a bridge connecting individuals across varied cultural backgrounds. Delving into [...] Read more.

This article explores the symbiotic relationship between the theology of play and preaching in diverse cultural contexts. Through a comprehensive examination of the nature of play from various scholarly perspectives, it serves as a bridge connecting individuals across varied cultural backgrounds. Delving into the theological foundations of play and its integration into preaching practices, this article articulates its transformative potential in multicultural congregations. The article also examines practical strategies to infuse a playful dimension into sermons, encompassing both their outward structure and internal content. Through exemplifying instances of playful preaching in multicultural contexts, this paper illustrates how incorporating play can significantly enhance the effectiveness of sermons. Addressing challenges linked to this approach, the discussion underscores the paramount importance of multicultural sensitivity. The article advocates for an inclusive preaching style that not only acknowledges but also celebrates the diversity present within congregations during the event of preaching. By framing preaching as a manifestation of play and incorporating the defining characteristics of play into sermons, the article prompts thoughtful reflection on the evolving role and function of preaching in multicultural contexts. Consequently, this will prompt preachers to reassess their roles and purposes within culturally diverse congregational settings. Furthermore, this article presents the collaborative nature of preaching, where both preacher and congregation actively engage in shaping meaning together, as creating a playful pulpit that fosters an interactive and transformative preaching experience. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Preaching in Multicultural Contexts)

12 pages, 222 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Agency of Preaching: Practicing Hospitality in Multicultural Contexts

by Eliana Ah-Rum Ku

Religions 2025, 16(2), 103; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16020103 - 21 Jan 2025

Viewed by 779

Abstract

Preaching in a multicultural context calls for hospitality to ensure that diverse cultures and experiences are acknowledged and valued. Embodying hospitality in preaching means that participants engage as co-hosts and co-guests, contributing to a shared vision of hospitality within the community. This opposes [...] Read more.

Preaching in a multicultural context calls for hospitality to ensure that diverse cultures and experiences are acknowledged and valued. Embodying hospitality in preaching means that participants engage as co-hosts and co-guests, contributing to a shared vision of hospitality within the community. This opposes the asymmetrical, one-directional power dynamics that perpetuate the host–guest dichotomy in the gospel. This research argues that when Christian preaching in a multicultural context pursues “power-with” rather than “power-over” to address the power imbalances inherent in singular understandings and experiences, it can reframe preaching as an act of mutual hospitality rather than a unilateral act of defining or instructing the gospel. To pursue this, this study conceptualizes preaching as an ongoing act of hospitality among preaching participants, examines the possibility of preaching agency for co-preachers through the case of Korean Bible Women, and explores effective ways to practice preaching agency. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Preaching in Multicultural Contexts)

12 pages, 183 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Postcolonial Conversational Approach to Preaching in Multicultural Contexts

by Scott Donahue-Martens

Religions 2025, 16(1), 67; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16010067 - 10 Jan 2025

Viewed by 847

Abstract

Preachers cannot assume the mere presence of different cultures or diversity means a congregational context is multicultural. Fostering an environment conducive to multiculturalism can be difficult, partly due to the persisting colonial structures. The colonial systems created spaces where different cultures and diverse [...] Read more.

Preachers cannot assume the mere presence of different cultures or diversity means a congregational context is multicultural. Fostering an environment conducive to multiculturalism can be difficult, partly due to the persisting colonial structures. The colonial systems created spaces where different cultures and diverse groups interacted, yet these interactions were destructive. The goal of integrating, especially understood through assimilation, cultures into the existing system limits multiculturalism. This article outlines three inter-related foci for preaching, especially preaching where both the preacher and the congregation have social privilege, to foster healthy multiculturalism. Drawing from the works of Jared Alcántara and Matthew Kim, I recognize the need for preachers and congregations to increase their intercultural competence and hermeneutical tools for recognizing, interpreting, and ethically navigating biblical and modern cultures. Because some preachers and congregations have taken their cultural formation for granted, intercultural development is a critical step toward preaching in multicultural contexts. The article discusses Homi Bhabha’s The Location of Culture as the second major movement. His notions of hybridity and the distinction between diversity and difference are particularly helpful for pushing against colonial limits. Preaching in multicultural contexts needs to be approached as more than the sum of diverse cultures present and absent. Through the work of Bhabha, I conceive of preaching in multicultural contexts as fostering interstitial spaces which embrace difference, while resisting the objectification of culture. Turning more directly to the homiletical theory in the final section, I argue that O. Wesley Allen’s conversational model, guided by the concepts of interstitiality and hybridity, can develop preaching in multicultural spaces by emphasizing open-ended relational discovery rather than singular objective understanding. This conversational approach actively seeks relational participation where individuals are committed to mutual growth through critical interactions which account for culture as a general concept and particular cultures. This conversational reframing invites growth through multicultural understanding. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Preaching in Multicultural Contexts)

14 pages, 234 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Toward Inculturated Preaching

by Michael E. Connors

Religions 2025, 16(1), 30; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16010030 - 31 Dec 2024

Viewed by 1014

Abstract

How do we understand the relationship between preaching and culture? This question is as old as Christianity, even though “culture” in its anthropological sense is a relatively recent development. As every preacher knows, both preacher and listener are shaped by certain pre-understandings and [...] Read more.

How do we understand the relationship between preaching and culture? This question is as old as Christianity, even though “culture” in its anthropological sense is a relatively recent development. As every preacher knows, both preacher and listener are shaped by certain pre-understandings and values as they approach the interactive moment of proclamation. Culture shapes the imagination and thought patterns of the preacher, no less than the listener. If preaching is to be considered dialogically—a bidirectional conversation between the preacher and the listeners, in service of a conversation between God and God’s people—then it behooves both human conversation partners to become ever more aware of the cultural milieu(x) in which they are immersed. Every preaching event is the work of constructing an authentic local theology, a theological understanding suited to the particular people, historical moment, and cultural context in which it takes place. This essay seeks to shed light on that question through an engagement with a contemporary approach to the theology of inculturation (or contextualization). The starting point is a theology of preaching and its purpose as a Christian practice. We then turn to a theology of inculturation as it has been developing in recent decades, a theology that frames the interaction of the Christian message with culture in terms of both adaptation and liberation. Drawing upon the work of Robert Schreiter and others in understanding the formation of local theologies, the essay advances some methodological considerations in order for the church to move toward the possibility of authentically inculturated preaching. It concludes with some concrete suggestions for preachers, and an examination of one attempt to think through what it means to preach in a postmodern cultural context. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Preaching in Multicultural Contexts)

10 pages, 406 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Framework for Preaching About Racial–Ethnic Identity in Christian Congregations

by Jared E. Alcántara

Religions 2024, 15(12), 1534; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15121534 - 16 Dec 2024

Viewed by 900

Abstract

The central question of this article is, how can preachers in multicultural congregations develop an interculturally competent homiletical framework for explications of racial–ethnic identity? This question will be answered in two parts with a special interest in how identity is shaped in minoritized [...] Read more.

The central question of this article is, how can preachers in multicultural congregations develop an interculturally competent homiletical framework for explications of racial–ethnic identity? This question will be answered in two parts with a special interest in how identity is shaped in minoritized communities: first, through the recognition of intercultural identity construction in dialog with social psychology of race and intercultural communication theory, and, second, through the redistribution of knowledge and wisdom in these fields to build an interculturally competent homiletical framework. In the conclusion, we will consider the implications of this study and discuss opportunities for further research. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Preaching in Multicultural Contexts)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

9 pages, 179 KiB

Open AccessArticle

How Can Preachers Use Luther in a Decolonial Multicultural Context?

by Timothy Leitzke

Religions 2024, 15(10), 1272; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15101272 - 17 Oct 2024

Viewed by 705

Abstract

This article seeks a way for preachers to use Martin Luther’s theology today without succumbing to Luther’s anti-Semitism. Its place in the discipline of homiletics is of hermeneutics and general sermon direction. I argue that Luther’s anti-Semitism is theological, and that in order [...] Read more.

This article seeks a way for preachers to use Martin Luther’s theology today without succumbing to Luther’s anti-Semitism. Its place in the discipline of homiletics is of hermeneutics and general sermon direction. I argue that Luther’s anti-Semitism is theological, and that in order to avoid anti-Semitism, Luther’s theology must be changed. I also argue that the concept of decoloniality offers a way forward, specifically in hybridizing Luther’s theology in today’s world. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Preaching in Multicultural Contexts)

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Preaching in Multicultural Contexts

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editors

Special Issue Information

Keywords

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

Published Papers (8 papers)

Research

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI