Genre-Sensitive Expository Preaching of the Lament Psalms: Honoring the Message, Medium, and Mood of the Text

Abstract

The primary purpose of this dissertation is to study the necessity of genre consideration in the three important sermon-making process--exegetical, theological, and homiletical--and propose a holistic preaching methodology for the lament psalms with genre-sensitivity.

Chapter 1 discusses the definitional nature, criteria, and communicational function of genre and examines the current defective and deficient preaching method with genre-sensitivity, and also indicates the lack of concern of the lament psalms in biblical preaching.

Chapter 2 examines a holistic exegetical method for preaching a lament psalm by emphasizing the necessity of the analysis and appreciation of the mood of the text based upon the interlocking nature of genre-based textual elements (the message, medium, and mood of the text) and genre-based contextual element (the purpose of the text). This chapter provides a step-by step holistic procedure for preaching a lament psalm with genre-sensitivity.

Chapter 3 investigates the necessity of genre consideration in the theological process. This section emphasizes that consideration of the genre characteristics is an essential process for discerning a timeless theological implication and communicational impact of a lament psalm. This chapter suggests a step-by-step holistic theological procedure for preaching a lament psalm with genre-sensitivity.

Chapter 4 discusses the necessity of a genre-sensitive homiletical method that reflects the genre-based essentials into the sermon-making process. This section emphasizes the necessity of a holistic integration of the genre-sensitive homiletical components for preaching a lament psalm. This chapter presents a step-by-step procedure for a holistic homiletical method for preaching a lament psalm with genre-sensitivity.

Chapter 5 analyzes Psalm 31 as a case study of a genre-sensitive methodology for preaching a lament psalm proposed in the previous chapters. This chapter elaborates and verifies the twelve steps for preaching a lament psalm with genre-sensitivity.

Chapter 6 concludes that biblical preachers need to preach the lament psalms with genre-sensitivity by honoring the message, medium, and mood of the text throughout the entire sermon-making process in pursuit of honoring the authority of the Scripture and remodeling the relevance of the biblical communication.