Preaching And Culture In Latino Congregations

A collection of articles about preaching in Latino assemblies.

In this, the only book available that addresses the distinctive issues and character of preaching in the Hispanic congregation, the authors discuss important historical, theoretical, and methodological issues in Hispanic homiletics. Includes ten sermons.

There is a wide and growing gap in the Catholic Church in the United States between the clergy, who are mostly of European descent, and the large percentages of Catholics who identify as Latinos. While the US Church has made a concerted effort to build Hispanic ministries, many clergy and lay ministers are still ill-equipped to understand the cultural background of their parishioners, especially the large numbers who are foreign born. Because of this disconnect, the Church risks missing "the Hispanic Moment" in the US Church, in which the faith and traditions of these newest waves of US immigration could not just exist in parallel to English-language congregations, but enrich and enliven the faith of the whole community while passing on the faith to subsequent generations. Learning Spanish--while helpful--is not enough. There are intercultural competencies that can only be developed through practice, but it also helps already-busy clergy to have a concise guide. In addition to knowing the scholarly literature on cross-cultural preaching and Hispanic culture, Father Michael Kueber has twenty years of experience serving first generation Hispanic immigrants and their second generation children. In Preaching to Latinos, Kueber provides the readers with best practices for preaching to and leading their churches. As a member of an ecumenical community, he is able to speak to members of all Christian denominations.

Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Finalist Interest in and awareness of the demand for social justice as an outworking of the Christian faith is growing. But it is not new. For five hundred years, Latina/o culture and identity have been shaped by their challenges to the religious, socio-economic, and political status quo, whether in opposition to Spanish colonialism, Latin American dictatorships, US imperialism in Central America, the oppression of farmworkers, or the current exploitation of undocumented immigrants. Christianity has played a significant role in that movement at every stage. Robert Chao Romero, the son of a Mexican father and a Chinese immigrant mother, explores the history and theology of what he terms the "Brown Church." Romero considers how this movement has responded to these and other injustices throughout its history by appealing to the belief that God's vision for redemption includes not only heavenly promises but also the transformation of every aspect of our lives and the world. Walking through this history of activism and faith, readers will discover that Latina/o Christians have a heart after God's own.

When the authors of this book set about analyzing the data and reporting the findings of their extensive study on how laity hear sermons, they thought they would be sharing what listeners reported helps them enter into the meaning of a sermon and what prevents them from hearing what the preacher is saying. In a way, Believing in Preaching accomplishes this. But the surprising revelation of the study was the remarkable diversity with respect to how people listen to sermons. From the Channels of Listening series.

Preaching Effectively, Revitalizing Your Church offers a practical and theological guide to effective preaching. Guerric DeBona, an experienced and respected teacher of homiletics, uses the metaphor of a ladder to describe the ascent up seven rungs that constitute the strategies of preaching. Beginning with advice on discovering a personal theology of preaching, the author proceeds to unlock the power of the Bible and the liturgy. He then guides preachers in creating a unified homily and in discovering a homiletic method that best suits their own intellect and temperament. Chapters on communicating in contemporary culture and on globalizing the homily for the New Evangelization are vital for coming to grips with the technological age and the often bewildering diversity of today's world. Finally, DeBona challenges readers to recognize and confront their own obstacles to effective preaching. Each chapter ends with questions to assist preachers in appropriating the material. With bad homilies consistently cited as a factor in declining church attendance, Preaching Effectively, Revitalizing Your Church answers a very pressing need, especially in view of the papacy's urgent call to rescue traditionally Christian countries from the brink of total secularization. Book jacket.

Building on Haddon Robinson's philosophical approach to preaching, this book brings together accomplished evangelical preachers and teachers to help students and pastors understand the worlds--biblical, cultural, and personal--that influence and impact their preaching. The contributors explore the various inner and outer worlds in which a preacher functions with the goal of helping preachers sharpen their craft. Foreword by Bryan Chapell.