Sermon: Encyclopedia II - Sermon - Types of sermons

Sermon - Types of sermons

There are a number of different types of preaching, that differ both by their subject matter and by their intended audience. Not all types of preaching are within the gift of every preacher. These types of preaching include:

• Topical preaching - concerned with a particular subject of current concern;
• Exhortatory preaching - concerned with changing or affirming the behaviour of the congregation in a particular way;
• Biographical preaching - tracing the story of a particular biblical character through a number of parts of the Bible;
• Evangelistic preaching - seeking to convert the congregation or bring them back to their previous faith;
• Charismatic preaching - seeking to inspire the congregation to an immediate spiritual experience;
• Expository preaching - preaching from a text and seeking to expound the text to the congregation;

Sermon - Delivery methods

Sermons also differ on the amount of time and effort used to prepare them.

• Scripted preaching - preaching with a previous preparation, it can be with help of notes or a script, or rely on the memory of the preacher.
• Extemporaneous preaching - preaching without notes and sometimes without preparation.
• Impromptu preaching - preaching without previous preparation.

Sermon - Sermons and sexual psychology

In addition, numerous studies have been done on sermons and their connection to other topics such as psychology, linguistics, and gender. One such example is Frances Lee Smith's "The Pulpit and Woman's Place: Gender and the Framing of the 'Exegetical Self' in Sermon Performances," published in Framing in Discourse.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Types of sermons", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki