EMBODIED HOMILETICS: EXPLORING THE PREACHER'S INTERSECTIONAL IDENTITY (HM-8260)
(01/30/2023-05/19/2023)
Course Memo
How does the body influence both preacher and listener in the sermon? Does the pulpit come with an identity of its own? Can a robe hide the social realities written on our skin? This course studies the role of the body in homiletics and the intersectional identity it contains. Building from foundational assertions that a neutral body cannot exist and attempts to claim neutrality are damaging, students look at embodiment through lenses such as race, gender, and ability in connection to preaching. In doing so, students will contemplate their own multifaceted identity in the pulpit and wrestle with the tension between personal autonomy and connection to the listener. Coursework is analytical of existing homiletical material and self-reflective of preaching experiences. This course does not require completion of an introduction to homiletics but should not replace it. [15 max enrollment; Auditors with faculty permission]