“What Is The Author "Doing" With What He Is "Saying"?” Pragmatics And Preaching—An Appeal! -- By: Abraham Kuruvilla
Journal: Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society
Volume: JETS 60:3 (Sep 2017)
Article: “What Is The Author "Doing" With What He Is "Saying"?” Pragmatics And Preaching—An Appeal!
Author: Abraham Kuruvilla
JETS 60:3 (September 2017) p. 557
“What Is The Author Doing
With What He Is Saying?”
Pragmatics And Preaching—An Appeal!
* Abraham Kuruvilla is senior research professor of preaching and pastoral ministries at Dallas Theological Seminary, 3909 Swiss Ave., Dallas, TX 75204, and a dermatologist in private practice. He may be contacted at [email protected].
Abstract: This essay submits that without discerning what authors of Scripture do with what they say—the theology of particular pericopes—there can be no valid application: a matter of tremendous importance to every Christian and, perhaps particularly, to every Christian preacher. In other words, there is more to biblical interpretation than a semantic analysis of the text; a pragmatic examination must also be undertaken to arrive at authors’ doings. Valid application so derived from the pragmatics of the text moves the Christian towards greater Christlikeness—a Christiconic interpretation of Scripture. This essay also claims that traditional methods of interpretation as taught in seminary language classes and modeled in standard commentaries have been wanting in this regard: they remain inadequate for those seeking to move from text to praxis. In sum, this is the plea of a preacher and a teacher of preachers for more work to be done on pragmatics by scholars in the academy to aid practitioners in the church.
Key words: hermeneutics, homiletics, preaching, sermon, application, theology, pericopes, interpretation, semantics, pragmatics.
Polonius: What do you read, my lord?
Hamlet: Words, words, words.
Hamlet, 2.2.191
I. Introduction
A few years ago, in a church I visited, I found a copy of a popular daily devotional that can often be seen in the foyer of many churches.1 Skimming through its pages in an idle moment, I spotted a devotional on Acts 28. Paul is shipwrecked in Malta. And he joins everyone else in helping out, picking up sticks for a fire. So, the devotional recommended, we too should be willing to do menial jobs in churches. Always be willing to do even the lowliest job. Of course the writer of the devotional conveniently forgot about the viper that came out of the cord and bit the hapless apostle!
JETS 60:3 (September 2017) p. 558
I, being the clever guy that I am, could use that part of Acts 28 to recommend exactly the opposite: Never, ever do menial tasks, because—who knows?—a venomous beast, usually of the two-legged variety, may sin...
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